Andrew Garfield Renews Call for a Gay Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield has reiterated his support for a gay Spider-Man, saying the character should be open to people of all genders, races and sexualities.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead of the release of his new film The Uprising, Garfield reflected on comments he made in 2013 while promoting The Amazing Spider-Man 2. At the time, he questioned why Peter Parker could not explore his sexuality and suggested that Mary Jane Watson could be portrayed as a man.

“I just still believe that anyone can be in that suit,” Garfield said. He argued that Spider-Man’s universal appeal comes from the ability of audiences to see themselves in the character.

Garfield also recalled proposing Michael B. Jordan as a possible successor in a gay Spider-Man story, describing the idea as a form of “rebellion” and an effort to challenge conventional expectations surrounding the character.

Spider-Man has since become more diverse across other forms of media. In 2022, Marvel introduced Web-Weaver, Cooper Coen, as its first explicitly gay Spider-Man. The character debuted in Edge of the Spider-Verse #5.

However, the live-action films have continued to portray Peter Parker’s romantic relationships with women. Tobey Maguire’s films featured Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, Garfield’s films starred Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, and Tom Holland’s movies paired Peter with Zendaya’s MJ.

With Holland’s fourth Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, released in July, the future of the live-action franchise remains open. Holland has previously indicated that he has a clear plan for eventually passing the role to another actor.

Garfield’s latest film, The Uprising, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 11.