Spider-Man 3 won't feature Andrew Garfield, actor says – is the hype out of control?

Spider-Man
(Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Andrew Garfield, who played Peter Parker in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel, has denied that he will reprise the role in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home

Speaking to Happy Sad Confused's Joshua Horowitz, the actor was pretty clear in his denial of the constant rumors, which have suggested both him and Tobey Maguire will reprise their Spidey roles in the third MCU movie – something current Peter Parker actor Tom Holland has also denied. 

"There isn’t anything to ruin, bro!" Garfield says, explaining he hasn't had the call from Sony about reprising the part. "I had to just quickly cut you off – there’s nothing to ruin! It’s so crazy! Dude, it’s fucking hilarious to me, because I do have this Twitter account, and I see how often Spider-Man is trending, and people freaking out about a thing."

Asked again to rule out his involvement, Garfield was clear. "Listen, I would've gotten a call by now, that's all I'm saying." 

Very little is known about this movie to date – it's scheduled to release in December, but actors Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina have both said publicly that they're in the film, reprising their past villain roles as Electro and Doc Ock respectively. This has created a lot of speculation that the movie is dealing with parallel universes, or perhaps incorporating the Spider-Verse universe in live-action, somehow.

The rumors, however, have been getting out of control – actor Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdock in Netflix's Daredevil show, has also been rumored to appear in the movie. This would be a surprise, since the Netflix shows have widely been considered separate to the MCU movies canon. Wild rumors have even suggested Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn, aka Green Goblin, will also re-emerge in this movie.

You'll find out for yourself when the movie hits theaters on December 17, 2021. 

Is this the most overhyped movie ever?

It does feel like particularly engaged Marvel fans are setting themselves up for trouble with the level of hype for this movie. The prospect of a Multiverse-flavored storyline – one we know will feature Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange – basically means that anything can happen, in theory. 

Garfield does seem very firm, here, but in a movie that features a villain from his era of Spider-Man, you can see why onlookers still hope he might pop up in the film. As people have pointed out, even if he was in the film, it's unlikely he'd just spoil the surprise in a middle of a friendly interview.

Really, though, it's best not to dwell on any of the rumors for this movie. Some of them have turned out to be true – like Molina appearing in the movie – but the wilder ones are bound to be false. Going in with expectations in check, or trying not to read too much about the movie's plot, seems like a good move. 

Samuel Roberts

Samuel is a PR Manager at game developer Frontier. Formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor, he's an expert in Marvel, Star Wars, Netflix shows and general streaming stuff. Before his stint at TechRadar, he spent six years at PC Gamer. Samuel is also the co-host of the popular Back Page podcast, in which he details the trials and tribulations of being a games magazine editor – and attempts to justify his impulsive eBay games buying binges.

Read more
A collage image of Tom Holland's Spider-Man looking annoyed and Christopher Nolan holding an Oscar
Spider-Man 4's release date has been pushed back – and the Marvel movie's delay is all Christopher Nolan's fault
Miles Morales falls through an interdimensional portal in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Calm down everyone, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's directors reveal doesn't mean what you think it does
T'Challa walks towards Killmonger and his men after downing an enemy ship in 2018's Black Panther film
'It's news to us': Black Panther 3 producer responds to rumors that the Marvel movie's titular hero will be played by a different actor for the third time
A collage image of Daredevil and Spider-Man looking at each other and separated by a white line
Marvel fans are convinced that the new Daredevil: Born Again trailer includes a Spider-Man Easter egg, but I'm not buying it
A collage of Daredevil in Daredevil: Born Again and Tom Holland's Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home
Daredevil: Born Again episode 2 just gave me hope that the titular hero will join forces with Spider-Man in the MCU, but it won't happen on Disney+
Sam Wilson walks through a dark corridor with Cap's shield in Captain America: Brave New World
'It sets you up for what comes next': Captain America: Brave New World director offers cryptic reply to Marvel fan theories that it paves the way for Avengers: Doomsday
Latest in Entertainment
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Irish boxer TJ Doheny receives an undercard bout, ahead of the WBO super welterweight world title fight in March, 2023
Ball vs Doheny live stream: how to watch the boxing from anywhere now, full undercard, start time, weigh-in results
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match in February 2025
Liverpool vs Newcastle live stream: how to watch Carabao Cup final 2025 online
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Lando Norris driving around a bend during practice for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch this season’s first F1 race online from anywhere
A collage of Tom Holland's unmasked Spider-Man and Sadie Sink's Max in Stranger Things season 4
Marvel reportedly casts Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in Spider-Man 4, but I don't want her to tackle the roles she's rumored to play
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough