Andrew Garfield Really Didn’t Like THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Movies

Just the other day, ex-Spidey Andrew Garfield talked about how he wanted Marvel and Sony to hook up from the very beginning on those Amazing Spider-Man movies – I mean, why wouldn’t he? Aside from that, he was fairly humble about the whole getting fired thing and seemed excited to be able to experience these new movies as a fan. However, in his latest interviews Garfield doesn’t sound awfully pleased with his experience as the character. In fact, I feel really bad for him.

Chatting with Zaki’s Corner, the actor delved into the process of making those two movies in details and how they affected him – it’s probably in a bigger way than you’d expect.

You know what’s funny, to give you the vulnerable answer, I thought I was going to be Spider-Man, you know? I went into it going…ego shit came in. It’s like, “Okay, here it is. I’m f***ing Spider-Man. I f***ing made it.” All that shit. [laughs] I didn’t actually make it. I was never Spider-Man.

I was the actor that I am. The person that I am. Struggling with trying to match up with something that I’d elevated so high in my mind. Elevated beyond what I could attain, what I could achieve. The great thing is, that’s what Peter Parker was doing as well. Peter Parker created this symbol that he couldn’t live up to. It was never enough. He never felt enough, and I never felt enough. I never felt like I was able to do enough. And I couldn’t rescue those films…even though I didn’t sleep. [laughs]

And I wanted to…not to say that I needed to rescue those films, but I couldn’t make them as deep and soulful and…life-giving as I could ever dream. And I’m never gonna be able to do that, with any film. It was especially difficult in that situation because…well, just because.

From the sounds of it, Garfield had personal doubts over whether he could play Spidey or not, and the actual quality of the films didn’t help at all – even giving him a lack of sleep. This just emphasises how unlucky he was. Imagine finally achieving your dream, the one thing you’d always wanted, and then it all just crashes and burns. Poor guy.

In another interview with The Playlist, he compares these movies to “canning coke”.

“With a film like The Amazing Spider-Man, there’s so much projection and expectation that is inherent in taking on a story and character like that. I was well up for the challenge, and I still am.

The pressure to get it right, to please everyone… it’s not going to happen…You end up pleasing no one, or everyone just a little bit. Like, ‘Eh, that was good.’ [The films are] mass-marketed, like ‘We want 50-year-old white men to love it, gay teenagers to love it, bigot homophobes in Middle America to love it, 11-year-old girls to love it.’ That’s canning Coke.

So that aspect of it was a bummer, especially for the group of us trying to infuse it with soul, trying to make it unique, something that was worth the price of entry. It was about authenticity, flavor, and truth, but at the same time, I understand people want to make a lot of money, and they’re going to spend a lot of money so the playpen can be as big as it was. I can’t live that way; it sounds like a prison, to be honest, living within those expectations.”

To be honest, he’s probably quite relieved he’s no longer Spider-Man – and he shouldn’t be, because it was ridiculous that he had to go through this ordeal in the first place.

I’ve often said that Andrew Garfield was the best thing about The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, and these interviews aren’t doing anything to change that. He clearly understood the character and demonstrated the right amount of awkwardness and heart that I would expect from Peter Parker; it’s a real fucking shame that the film around of him didn’t live up to that.

It’s my hope that one day Marvel Studios make a Shattered Dimensions movie which would allow for Garfield to reprise the role (and Tobey Maguire!). Y’know, I think he deserves one more shot at the role. Will Tom Holland live up to expectations and show as much love and care for Spider-Man as Andrew Garfield did? Let’s hope so.