Andrew Garfield Reflects On Spider-Man: “I Couldn’t Rescue Those Films”

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Erstwhile Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield has wistfully reflected on his brief time in the role, indicating a deep level of dismay that things didn’t turn out as well as hoped.

While neither 2012′s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ nor its 2014 sequel were exactly box office flops, fans and critics tended to agree that they were deeply flawed, and failed to do anything significantly new and interesting with the character.

It would seem from Garfield’s comments that the fans and critics were hardly alone in their disappointment. The actor also gives a vivid indication of the sense of alienation that can come with taking on a character so much bigger than one actor.

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Asked by Zaki’s Corner what he learned from being Spider-Man, Garfield replies, “Well, nothing, because I was never Spider-Man. Because Spider-Man’s a fictional character. He’s not real. [laughs]

“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 s**t came in. It’s like, “Okay, here it is. I’m f***ing Spider-Man. I f***ing made it.” All that s**t. [laughs] I didn’t actually make it. I was never Spider-Man.

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“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. And it was especially important because that character has always meant so much to me.”

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While ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′ had been intended to set up further sequels and spin-off movie ‘Sinister Six,’ its muted response led to a major rethink from studio Sony, who ultimately opted to abandon the series, instead making a deal with Marvel to jointly reboot the character again.

Tom Holland will take over as the new Spider-Man in next year’s ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ before getting his own solo movie in summer 2017.

Picture Credit: Sony