Spider-Man: Andrew Garfield Passes The Torch To Tom Holland

Spider-Man has had a long troubled journey on the silver screen, beginning with the Tobey Maguire web slinger, which ended abruptly with Spider-Man 3 (2007). The franchise was rebooted with Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, but that franchise only saw one sequel before it fizzled out, leaving Peter Parker to find new life with Captain America: Civil War. Now, as Garfield hangs up his red and blue costume, he welcomes Tom Holland without the sour grapes one might expect.

Andrew Garfield Gracefully Passes On The Spider-Man Legacy

As much as Garfield wishes Tom Holland well with his debut as Spider-Man, he must also look on his successor with a measure of envy. After all, Andrew was supposed to pick up Marvel’s Spider-Man from Tobey Maguire and take the famous web slinger to new heights, yet he was dropped after only two films.

In a recent interview, Garfield confesses that he never really stepped into the role and made it his own. Andrew says he never felt like Spider-Man, and, for him, he always felt like an imposter, an actor playing a part.

“[I was] struggling with trying to match up with something that I’d elevated so high in my mind. Elevated beyond what I could attain, what I could achieve.”

In that sense, Andrew says he fully understood and identified with Spider-Man’s alter ego. Garfield explains that, much like himself, Peter Parker never quite felt up to the task of taking on the role of superhero. Mr. Garfield says neither he, nor Parker, felt like they were enough, and no matter how much effort they each put forth, in the end, it just wasn’t enough to save the franchise.

Spider-Man To Spider-Man: Garfield Thinks Holland Will Do Well In Captain America: Civil War

Even if Garfield wasn’t quite the right fit to become Spider-Man, he seems able to recognize the necessary qualities in others. Specifically, he says he’s a fan of Tom Holland’s acting and adds that he has the physical attributes that will make a believable superhero of him.

“He [Tom Holland] was in this movie, The Impossible, and he was just this incredibly powerful, sensitive, just wonderful young actor,” says The Amazing Spider-Man star. “And [he’s] a dancer, so his body’s the right [form].”

While Holland will first be seen as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, he will again reprise the web slinger in a solo Spider-Man reboot, which is due out in 2017. Joining the franchise for the second Spider-Man reboot will be Disney Channel actress Zendaya. Although the reboot will not be retelling the Spider-Man origin story, which most of us know by heart at this point, it will give the franchise a younger look. Marvel is taking Spider-Man back to high school.

“I can’t say anything else other than I’m going to be in it,” Zendaya told Ellen DeGeneres, confirming that she has been cast in the upcoming reboot.

It’s still unknown how Zendaya will fit into the Spider-Man story. Some Marvel fans are assuming she will play Mary Jane or Gwen Stacy, but she may play another love interest altogether. It’s also possible that Zendaya may play a villain in the Spider-Man reboot, which would make for an interesting twist.

While Zendaya won’t reveal anything about her Spider-Man character, she does say she’s very excited about the opportunity. Zendaya says that even though she has been acting in programs for The Disney Channel, she’s as unknown as anyone in Hollywood and that this will be her first feature film.

“I auditioned and auditioned and auditioned and [broke] down those walls because a lot of people do have that pre-conceived notion of who I am based off previous things I’ve done, so you got to really break that down and go hard, put in the work, take all the meetings, take all the auditions,” said Zendaya.

Captain America: Civil War is scheduled for an April 27 theatrical release.

The Spectacular Spider-Man, starring Tom Holland, is scheduled to premiere in theaters on July 6, 2017.

[Image by Columbia Pictures/Marvel Studios]