Summary
- Garfield’s status for Spider-Man 4 remains uncertain, but recent hints suggest he won’t be involved.
- Spider-Man 4 should focus on a more grounded storyline and character development for Tom Holland’s iteration.
- Holland needs to take the spotlight in the upcoming film to further develop his character and keep the franchise alive.
The build-up to Spider-Man 4 has been rocky so far, with script issues causing problems in the developmental process. However, that hasn’t stopped audiences from building up their excitement for the upcoming installment in the Spider-Man franchise, as Tom Holland returns to the titular role as the popular superhero.
The upcoming movie is shrouded in mystery in terms of the plot and any potential surprise appearances, which the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become notorious for in recent times. After Spider-Man: No Way Home, the big question is whether the multiverse will be tapped into again and if Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire will return. While that’s a mystery, Garfield recently hinted about his status, which could be a positive situation for the MCU in general.
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What Was Andrew Garfield’s Update?
Whether the two former Spider-Man stars will appear again is likely going to be kept a secret until Spider-Man 4 hits the cinemas, as was the case with the previous movie. Marvel Studios won’t want to let this secret out ahead of time because it will be a big surprise during the course of the movie, and the post-word of mouth will likely be strong enough to get the necessary attention as it did in the past. However, as things stand, it is believed that neither man is set to star in the film, and even though that could change, audiences aren’t anticipating them at the moment.
During a recent interview with GQ, Garfield spoke about his Spider-Man 4 status and said, “I’m gonna disappoint you, yeah, no. But I know no one’s gonna trust anything I say from now on.” Of course, the popular actor is self-aware enough to know that audiences won’t believe him simply saying he won’t be in the film as that was his line during the build-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home, and then he was in the film. While the idea of Garfield not returning might disappoint some fans, it’s actually a favorable situation regarding the overall MCU.
Spider-Man 4 Needs To Be Grounded
Spider-Man: No Way Home was a grand-scale event due to the multiverse nature of the film. Not only were there two past Spider-Man returning, but several older villains popped up, plus Doctor Strange’s appearance. The film had huge stakes that ramped up the danger factor and ensured there was tons of drama from start to finish. That’s something that helped that particular movie stand out, but Marvel cannot maintain that level of excitement and drama for every Spider-Man film in the future as it’s unsustainable. Those huge crossover movies are best saved for Avengers projects or the occasional film, and that’s why Spider-Man 4 needs to be more grounded, going back to the streets to focus on what makes Spider-Man such a fun character.
Bringing back the more vulnerable side to his personality and the school element sets Spider-Man apart, and allowing that to return with street-level villains would shake things up nicely for the franchise. To do that, Marvel doesn’t need to bring back the likes of Garfield and Maguire because the focal point can be what the current Spider-Man is doing. This would also work well for the story that’s taking place. This version of Peter Parker should be working on making MJ and Ned remember who he is, which they no longer do due to the spell that Doctor Strange casts. He also no longer has access to the Stark technology, and that should be reflected in the movie. Fighting slightly less intimidating villains would work well with how the character will be presented, and that’s going to help ground Spider-Man once again.
Tom Holland Needs To Be The Focus Of Spider-Man 4
The focus of this movie also needs to be on Holland and his acting. While he still got plenty of time to shine in Spider-Man: No Way Home, everyone was talking about the cameo appearances of former franchise stars rather than him. That’s not necessarily positive, given that Holland is in the current role and is someone Marvel will look to use for years to come to keep the character alive. That’s why not adding other versions of Spider-Man would be the right call to make this time for Marvel.
While there might be a time and a place for Garfield to return, potentially in Avengers: Doomsday when lots of cameo appearances are expected, Spider-Man 4 isn’t the right movie. The focus needs to be on Holland and how his version of the character is going to develop. Marvel has put the character in a unique place, and being able to develop that further is something that people actively want to see. To tell that story properly, it would be beneficial to keep everything as simple as possible, and unfortunately, that doesn’t include Garfield.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of the biggest names in entertainment today. The superhero first appeared in the Marvel comic Amazing Fantasy #15 before becoming a leading figure in the Marvel comic-book universe.
Spider-Man has also featured in numerous films and a plethora of video games, most notably Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.