Andrew Garfield has once again voiced his support for the idea of a gay Spider-Man, a concept he first raised more than a decade ago while he was portraying the iconic superhero. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Garfield, now 43, reflected on his 2013 statement, describing it as "an exercise in rebellion that I felt passionate about."
Garfield articulated his belief that the enduring appeal of Spider-Man stems from the character's inherent inclusivity. "I just still believe that anyone can be in that suit," he stated. "That's the point of why it's such a kind of universally beloved character, one of the greatly beloved characters in the history of fiction is because you don't see skin color, you don't see gender, you don't see sexuality. Anyone can project themselves into that suit."
He further explained that his advocacy for a more inclusive representation is driven by a desire for all individuals to feel honored and included. "I like the idea of a place where everyone is being honored and everyone is being included, and it was just a kind of act of saying, 'Well, why not?' And you'll be telling on yourself if you have a strong opinion either way."
During his tenure as Spider-Man, Garfield recalled a conversation with producer Matt Tolmach about potentially gender-swapping Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's well-known love interest. "I was kind of joking, but kind of not joking about MJ... I was like, 'What if MJ is a dude?'" Garfield said. "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?"
At that time, Garfield had an actor in mind he envisioned for a male love interest: Michael B. Jordan. "I've been obsessed with Michael B. Jordan since The Wire," Garfield said. "He's so charismatic and talented. It'd be even better—we'd have interracial bisexuality!"
However, the prospect of a romantic pairing between Garfield's Spider-Man and Jordan is now unlikely, as the role of Spider-Man is currently held by Tom Holland. Garfield last appeared as the web-slinger in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," joining Holland and Tobey Maguire in a multiversal team-up.
Tom Holland, who currently portrays Spider-Man, revealed in 2023 that he maintains a group chat with Garfield and Maguire, aptly named "The Spider-Boys," a testament to their shared unique experience. "We have this amazing bond as three people who have been through something that is so unique that we really are like brothers," Holland told THR Magazine. "We have a great group chat and we catch up every now and then."
Holland described filming his top-secret scenes with Garfield and Maguire in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" as "wonderful." The film achieved significant box office success, grossing $1.922 billion globally against a $200 million budget. Holland also expressed regret over his youthful naivete in not reaching out to Garfield when he was first cast as Spider-Man in 2015.
