While debunking speculation that he’ll reprise his role of Peter Parker in the upcoming Spider-Man 4, Andrew Garfield jokes that audiences won’t believe him. The actor, who returned to the Marvel universe in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, discussed the possibility of him coming back again in a wide-ranging profile in GQ. “I’m gonna disappoint you. Yeah, no. But I know no one’s gonna trust anything I say from now on,” Garfield said, alluding to his constant denials during the lead-up to No Way Home‘s theatrical release.
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Despite (seemingly) shutting down another Marvel return, Garfield would still be open to starring in a franchise. “If it felt in line with my soul and was gonna be fun,” he said. “Maybe I’m gonna have like five kids at some point, and I’m gonna need to start saving up for the school tuition or something.”
Garfield originally played Peter Parker/Spider-Man in both Amazing Spider-Man films, a franchise that was cut short after The Amazing Spider-Man 2 underwhelmed critically and commercially. Tom Holland then took over the role as the character made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. With Marvel leaning into the Multiverse in the post Avengers: Endgame era, Garfield and original cinematic Spider-Man Tobey Maguire were able to memorably reprise their roles in No Way Home. Of course, Garfield spent the months prior to that film’s release vehemently denying he was in the film in an effort to preserve the surprises.
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A fourth solo Spider-Man film starring Holland is currently scheduled for release in July 2026, with Destin Daniel Cretton directing. Plot details are largely being kept under wraps for the time being, but producer Amy Pascal has said Spider-Man 4 will tackle the fallout of Peter’s life-altering decision made at the end of No Way Home, where Doctor Strange cast a spell to make the world (including Peter’s best friends) forget who Parker is. The plan is for Spider-Man 4 to begin filming this summer, presumably after Holland wraps Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (which is targeting an early 2025 start date).
Garfield would happily portray his Spider-Man again, as long as the filmmakers crafted something that “feels additive to the canon of that character.” In his mind, No Way Home was a special event that would be hard to replicate, which is a stance that makes sense. As fun as it would be to see Garfield’s Peter 3 on the big screen again, bringing him back for Spider-Man 4 would run the risk of coming across as a cheap gimmick, undercutting what made No Way Home so great. It’s probably for the best that Spider-Man 4 is going to leave the other Peters in their respective universes, focusing on Holland’s version as he navigates a new set of personal challenges. Considering how No Way Home ended, Holland should be front and center; another Garfield appearance might be distracting for viewers.
This isn’t to say Garfield can’t ever reprise his iteration of Spider-Man again. There’s always a chance he and Maguire could return for Avengers: Secret Wars, which serves as the culmination of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. With Marvel veterans Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans already in the Avengers: Doomsday cast, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see other familiar faces back in the fold. The challenge there would be giving the two Spider-Men parts that are worthwhile. A cameo just for the sake of nostalgia would be disappointing and take away from everything else that’ll be going on in those movies. Unless the creative team can concoct something meaningful, they should leave No Way Home as a rousing victory lap.
