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Andrew Garfield Really Wants Spider-Man to Explore His Sexuality

Andrew Garfield revealed why he can't wait for a future where Spider-Man could explore his sexuality, questions why he shouldn't, and has even discussed the surprising male star he'd want his version of Spider-Man to have as a love interest.

by Antonio Stallings

Published on October 26, 2021

3 min read

There have been plenty of talks about Andrew Garfield reprising his role as Spider-Man. Despite the swelling of rumors, there has been no official confirmation as to whether or not Garfield will find himself alongside Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Still, many are eager to revisit Garfield’s take as the web crawler, which won over the hearts of many thanks to Garfield’s performance.

During his time in The Amazing Spider-Man, Garfield once suggested a unique and creative direction that his character could go in to spice up his franchise. This possible direction would’ve seen Spider-Man as gay and his boyfriend as Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan.

‘The Amazing Spide-Man’ actor Andrew Garfield once revealed that he was gay…with a catch

Andrew Garfield posing in a brown suit — Andrew Garfield | Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Although Andrew Garfield identifies as a heterosexual male, he considers his sexuality to be a flexible and fluid concept. According to Variety, Garfield once quipped about having to be gay to play a gay character. The character he was referring to was his role as Prior Walter, who was battling aids in the Tony Kushner play, Angels in America.

“My only time off during rehearsals – every Sunday I would have eight friends over and we would just watch Ru,” Garfield said. “This is my life outside of this play. I am a gay man right now just without the physical act – that’s all.”

Garfield later went on to officially discuss his sexuality separate from his character. Despite him being heterosexual, Garfield was aware that his sexuality could change in the future under certain circumstances.

“Up until this point, I’ve only been sexually attracted to women,” Garfield said according to Rolling Stone. He later went on to add, “I want to know as much of the garden as possible before I pass – I have an openness to any impulses that may arise within me at any time.”

Garfield saw no reason why Spider-Man also couldn’t share this same flexible sexuality.

Andrew Garfield really wants Spider-Man to explore his sexuality

In a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Garfield revealed that he had a deep conversation about Spider-Man’s sexuality with his producer at the time, Matt Tolmach. Mary-Jane Watson, Spider-Man’s soulmate, had yet to debut in Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Instead, Parker’s love interest was Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacey for the majority of the franchise.

Garfield halfheartedly suggested that MJ could be introduced as a male, which would by virtue explore a side of Spider-Man that hadn’t been touched on before.

“I was kind of joking, but kind of not joking about MJ,” Garfield said. “And I was like, ‘What if MJ is a dude? Why can’t we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? It’s hardly even groundbreaking…So why can’t he be gay? Why can’t he be into boys?’”

Garfield even cast the actor who’d play MJ in his head.

“I’ve been obsessed with Michael B. Jordan since The Wire. He’s so charismatic and talented. It’d be even better – we’d have interracial bisexuality!”

Michael B. Jordan didn’t have a response to Garfield’s comments but admitted he was a fan of The Social Network actor.

“No thoughts on that, but I am a fan of Andrew,” Jordan said according to Comicbook.com. “He’s a talented actor, I admire his work, and I’d definitely love to work with him in the future.”

It wasn’t the only time Garfield thought Spider-Man’s sexuality should’ve been explored. The actor approached the topic again when talking to Mic.

“I’m excited to get to the point where we don’t have this conversation, where we can have a pansexual Spiderman,” Garfield said. “The beauty about Spider-Man, for me, is that he’s covered head to toe. That’s why everyone thinks it could be them in that suit. You don’t see skin color. You don’t see sexual orientation.”

Andrew Garfield started practicing for the role right after seeing Tobey Maguire’s ‘Spider-Man’

Garfield getting the role of Spider-Man is a self-fulfilling prophecy come true. The young actor revealed, even before he had his big break in Hollywood, he already saw himself as the webhead. In an interview with Tobey Maguire himself, Garfield confided that he’d practice Maguire’s after seeing Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man.’ He was just a teenager at the time.

“I was 19 when I saw Spider-Man,” Garfield told Maguire according to Collider. “I got a pirated DVD at Portobello Market with my friend Terry McGuiness, and we went back to my skanky apartment in North London and we watched it twice in a row and then practiced your final line in the mirror!”

Ironically, Garfield’s friend didn’t think he was cut out for Spider-Man at the time.

“Terry has this thick accent and every time I would recite that line he would laugh this very distinct laugh and say, ‘No, man, you could never be f****** Spider-Man,'” Garfield said. “I was so humiliated and upset. But, um….f**** you, Terry!”