Andrew Garfield is now leaving the door open with regard to the possibility of returning in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Playing the web-slinging hero in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man series, he followed Tobey Maguire’s suit who starred in Sam Raimi’s trilogy in the 2000s. However, Garfield’s stint was cut short with only two films under his belt despite initial plans for more.
Years later and with a brand new Spider-Man in Tom Holland, who exists in the MCU, rumors have been persistent that past iterations of the character will appear in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home film. Directed by Jon Watts, the threequel will reportedly be Marvel Studios’ live-action attempt at a Spider-Verse story. Jamie Foxx’s Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2 are set to appear. Meanwhile, Charlie Cox from Netflix and the mostly separate side of the franchise is also supposedly reprising his role as Matt Murdoch. Aside from Molina, no one else has straightforwardly confirmed their involvement, with Garfield previously denying the claims in a long-winded explanation.
Now, however, the actor is slightly changing his tune. Speaking with Access where he was once again asked about the possibility of him appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and despite still trying to establish that there haven’t been any talks about this, he ended with “never say never.”
While Marvel Studios has been mum about the plot specifics of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s already been confirmed that it will narratively connect to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will further explore the Multiverse. Given this, it’s safe to assume that the concept will at least factor in the threequel’s story, making it entirely possible for the Spider-Verse arc to play out. That said, it’s also understandable why Garfield is downplaying all these rumors. Holland has previously straight-up denied such claims, so it doesn’t make sense for his fellow British actor to contradict that. In any case, the franchise is known for notoriously being secretive, and Garfield’s potential involvement is just about the biggest detail that one can spoil.
What’s interesting is why Marvel Studios let Molina confirm his involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home, knowing that it will only add fuel to rumor fires. At this point, the best path moving forward for Garfield and other rumored participants in the film is to be extremely coy when asked about it. Using people’s interest in the matter to their advantage and keeping the conversation going without really giving away anything is an effective marketing tool for the project. Assuming that other Spider-Men do appear in the blockbuster, it’s curious if their appearances will be saved for the theaters or if it will be confirmed in trailers.