5 Reasons Andrew Garfield Is The Best Spider-Man
Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man is undoubtedly the most controversial when it comes to debating the best interpretation of the character, so here are 5 reasons that support his portrayal of the web-slinger as the best!
1. He is Directly Responsible for the Creation of his Villains
What? Isn't that a bad thing? Well, you might think so, but when you look at it from a storytelling standpoint it makes the most sense, as it offers the most room for growth and development. Andrew's Peter helped Dr. Connors "perfect" the cross-species formula that turned him into the Lizard, as well as unintentionally caused Max Dillon into using his powers for personal gain, and even pushed Harry Osborn to turn himself into the Green Goblin out of pure rage and hatred for Spider-Man.
It's important for Peter Parker to make mistakes and find himself immediately facing the repercussions for them. His plethora of enemies is the perfect example of that, especially when comparing Tobey Maguire's rogue gallery, only one of whom was created as a direct result of Spider-Man's actions, that villain being Topher Grace's underwhelming take on the character of Venom. Alternatively, let's take a look at Tom Holland's enemies. The Vulture was active before Spider-Man was even taken under Iron Man's wing, and Mysterio himself was also more motivated by Tony Stark's actions and character, and Peter only found himself caught in the aftermath. But Andrew's Spider-Man was the only one to consistently face the consequences for his own actions and learn from his mistakes.
2. His love for Gwen Stacy was relationship goals
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone undeniably had some pretty amazing chemistry as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. When the first Amazing Spider-Man film was released, while critics had a few nasty things to say about the production, it was hard for anyone to find any complaints regarding their on screen relationship. Sure, Andrew's Peter has been described as "too cool", but it seems that Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy found him just cool enough, as she fell for him before she even knew he was Spider-Man. Alternatively, Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane actively avoided a relationship with Peter Parker until she discovered his secret identity, and even Zendaya's MJ character found it to be one of the most alluring parts of her attraction to Tom's Peter. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Gwen states that she loves that he is Spider-Man, but she loves Peter Parker more.
While many audiences did not resonate as well with the second film, they were still left affected by Gwen Stacy's death. This is thanks in large part to the amazing talents of both Andrew and Emma in bringing this relationship to life on the screen. It's possible that their off-camera romance had a lot to do with the way their chemistry appeared in the final product, but no one can argue that her death scene, which was practically ripped straight from the comics, left a greater impact on Andrew's Peter than possibly any other loss has rocked the others, even saying in No Way Home that after he lost her, he became angrier and more violent, essentially losing his moral compass when he lost her.
3. His Trilogy was Never Completed, and Fans are Clamoring for More
There was once a time where it looked like Sony was going to be making The Amazing Spider-Man 3, as well as churning out films like The Sinister Six and even Silver and Black, all too expand their own Spider-Man Cinematic Universe. Needless to say, following the poor reviews The Amazing Spider-Man 2 received, this expansion never came to pass. Projects regarding Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man were all scrapped, and eventually Tom Holland was cast to play the character in the MCU, leaving Sony to make separate films such as Venom and Morbius. For years it seemed like that was that, and Garfield's time as the hero had come to an end. But lo and behold, following his return in last year's Spider-Man: No Way Home, there has been an uproar in support of his portrayal, as well as demand for the third film in his trilogy to be made.
Obviously, the likelihood of The Amazing Spider-Man 3 actually coming to pass is very much up in the air, but that has done little to deter the fanbase from fantasizing about it. There has even been speculation that Sony might retcon the Venom films to take place in the Amazing Spider-Man universe, giving Andrew's Spidey a natural reintroduction to the screen. Just imagine seeing a darker take on a Spider-Man who has stopped pulling his punches going up against Tom Hardy's ridiculously goofy, yet still intimidating as hell version of Venom. The tickets would practically sell themselves!
4. He was the standout performance of No Way Home
This is a bit of a tough one, as there were so many groundbreaking and amazing performances present in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire being no strangers to this feat. But something about seeing Andrew Garfield on the big screen as Peter Parker again felt so natural, and he stepped back into the role as if he never even left it. Not only was he the source of most of the humorous moments between the 3 Peters, whether it be him complaining about wanting to fight and alien or saying he loves his new brothers, only for them to say thank you. There was no doubt that Garfield had a lot of fun stepping back into the Spidey suit, despite the amount of hate he received from the fanbase during his time as the hero.
But it's not all about humor. No Way Home is chock-full of emotional moments, ranging from Aunt May's death to Tom's Peter re-entering a world that doesn't know him. But fans of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise would most likely unanimously agree that one of the standout moments of the film is when Andrew's Peter saves MJ from falling to her death, directly mirroring his failure to save Gwen in a similar manner. Garfield's acting in this scene alone is enough to bring fans to tears, even more so when you find out that scene was the deciding factor for him when it came to returning for the film.
5. Andrew Garfield is simply spectacular
No disrespect at all to Tobey or Tom, they're both incredibly talented and seem like amazing (no pun intended) people. But Andrew Garfield takes things to another level, acting as the Ambassador of Sport for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, and even faced controversy when he began lobbying for his version of Spider-Man to be portrayed as bisexual.
But aside from what makes him a great person, it is his sensational, bordering-on-Shakespearean acting talent that makes him a truly Amazing Spider-Man. His acting ability is shown on full display throughout both Amazing films, particularly in scenes where Peter is faced with his own mortality. The argument he gets in with his Uncle Ben about responsibility before his father figure's fated death always hits hard on rewatches, but it's watching him come to the realization that he failed to save Gwen Stacy that is akin to a knife in the heart. Or rather, concrete to the head. Too soon? All that being said, Garfield was never appreciated as the webhead in his time, so it's refreshing to finally see him getting the love he deserves from the fanbase.
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