British actor Andrew Garfield has reiterated his belief that Spider-Man could be gay, 13 years after he first publicly called for the comic book superhero to explore his sexuality.
Speaking in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 43-year-old actor doubled down on his view that the Marvel character is inherently inclusive and accessible to all fans.
"I just still believe that anyone can be in that suit," Garfield told the publication. "That's the point of why it's such a kind of universally beloved character.... because you don't see skin color, you don't see gender, you don't see sexuality. Anyone can project themselves into that suit."
Garfield starred as Peter Parker and his superhero alter-ego in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man and returned for its 2014 sequel. The major franchise role catapulted the actor into the top tier of Hollywood talent.
Reflecting on his original 2013 statements regarding the superhero's sexual orientation, Garfield characterized his initial comments as "an exercise in rebellion" and noted that he "felt passionate about it" at the time.
"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," he explained.
Garfield is currently promoting his new historical drama The Uprising, which opens in theaters on September 10.
Inclusivity and Early Discussions
During his original tenure as the web-slinger, Garfield went as far as discussing potential changes to Peter Parker's story with The Amazing Spider-Man producer Matt Tolmach. In 2013, he revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he had had a conversation about gender-swapping Peter Parker's love interest, Mary-Jane.
"Why can't we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality?" Garfield told the publication at the time. "It's hardly even groundbreaking! … So why can't he be gay? Why can't he be into boys?"
Garfield even suggested that actor Michael B. Jordan could step into the role as a male love interest in a queer Spider-Man story. Jordan was then a rising star who found fame on the television series The Wire.
"He's so charismatic and talented," Garfield said of Jordan during the 2013 interview. "It'd be even better - we'd have interracial bisexuality!"
Franchise Transition and Multiverse Return
Garfield left the Spider-Man franchise when Marvel rebooted the property to align with its slate of Avengers movies, casting Tom Holland in the lead role.
Although Garfield cast his final web in a standalone Spider-Man movie 12 years ago, he got the chance to wear the web-themed suit once more in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
In that Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, he and previous Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire teamed up with Holland after the multiverse was broken open, causing characters from alternate realities to arrive in Peter Parker's universe.
In 2023, Holland revealed that the trio has maintained a close bond since filming the superhero crossover. The 29-year-old Englishman told THR Magazine that he stays in regular contact with Garfield and Maguire through a special group chat.
"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 the publication. "We have a great group chat and we catch up every now and then. It's called the Spider-Boys."
