Andrew Garfield reveals his one condition to play Spider-Man again

It might be hard to believe, but it's been over a decade since audiences last witnessed Andrew Garfield star in his own Spider-Man movie. It's unfortunate to reflect on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and know that it didn't manage to live up to expectations due to its messy plot and overcrowded cast. Worse yet, is that its failure brought the whole franchise to an end and eventually led to a reboot (one set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this time around). While it was a bitter goodbye for Andrew's interpretation of Peter, audiences didn't know that they were in for the surprise of a lifetime.

Spider-Man: No Way Home brought together all three live-action iterations of the web-slinger in an unprecedented crossover that shattered many records. While it was a very well-known secret that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Peter Parkers were going to appear in the movie prior to its release, audiences couldn't help but jump out of their seats in excitement at the sight of them. Furthermore, their comebacks sparked interest in watching more installments in their respective franchises, and that held especially true for Andrew.

There was a surge in petitions to see the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 3. But while that has yet to happen, Andrew Garfield has remained open to the possibility of a return under one condition.

Andrew Garfield wants to do something 'unique' with Spider-Man

During Middle East Film & Comic Con 2025, Andrew Garfield revealed that he'd "love to play" Spider-Man again, but in order to do so, he would need to do something unique, off-beat, and even strange. He stated that he'd like to have the creative freedom of the Spider-Verse movies to honor the character in a slightly different way.

It's enough to take one look at the replies to the post above to know that the whole community would love to see Andrew doing an adaptation of Ultimate Spider-Man (2024). Jonathan Hickman's comic book series has been at the center of the spotlight for all the right reasons, and it does so in a very unorthodox way. At first glance, it would seem to throw away every single aspect that makes Spider-Man the character we all know and love. After all, Peter is a grown-up; he was never bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager, he's married to Mary Jane and has two kids, Uncle Ben is alive, J. Jonah Jameson isn't an embittered man, and Aunt May is out of the picture. But perhaps the biggest difference is that this iteration of the wall crawler is, for the most part, happy.

We all know Spider-Man is a tragic character. Whenever he saves the day, it comes at the expense of his personal life. Let's face it: we were all cheering in Spider-Man: No Way Home when the whole world forgot Peter ever existed, and he had no choice but to move on his own to a cheap apartment. Some would argue that's his nature, but it's important to remember that the tragedies are only there to ground the character in reality and make him relatable. A big part of why he's been such a popular hero since 1962 is that we can all see ourselves in his shoes. Even the whole message of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was that anyone could be under the mask.

Anyone who has lost someone close can read The Night That Gwen Stacy Died and empathize with Spider-Man. Anyone who has felt like their job is unfair can see Peter working at the Daily Bugle and know they aren't alone. We can all relate to the character's tragedies, but Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) does something pretty unique and allows us to connect to his happiness as well. Now, any parent can see themselves in Spidey's shoes, and it didn't take a big loss to do so. Furthermore, the comic book series breaks the mold by introducing two different versions of the wall-crawler: one of which is Peter, and the other is his son, Richard Parker. Now the family duo is doing everything in their power to keep the city safe, and it's a joy to see.

If Andrew Garfield wanted to do something "unique" with the character while still respecting his essence, a live-action adaptation of Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) should be the way to go. That way, he can fully embrace the "family man" role, while Tom Holland keeps depicting a superpowered teenager in the MCU. The two franchises wouldn't clash with each other, given their different themes, and fans would win as they get to see two very different yet amazing interpretations of the character.

One can only dream.