Andrew Garfield, a two-time Oscar-nominated actor and jury member at the Marrakech Film Festival, recently shared how he consciously worked to steer conversations away from his superhero roles. Speaking at the Moroccan event, Garfield emphasized that despite this effort, he remains deeply grateful for his time as Marvel’s web-slinger—and believes even Martin Scorsese owes something to The Amazing Spider-Man.
“I had to work very hard to get people to ask me less about Spider-Man. I’m still working on it, of course—it’s an imperfect process,” Garfield said. The actor was nominated for an Academy Award two years ago for his performance in the musical Tick, Tick… Boom! and five years earlier for the war drama Hacksaw Ridge. That same year, he also starred in Martin Scorsese’s historical and religious drama Silence, a stark contrast to his Spider-Man films.
Garfield expressed gratitude for his experiences in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and its 2014 sequel, crediting those films for opening doors to work with acclaimed filmmakers like Scorsese.
“I think Marty was probably able to make his passion project because the Jesuit priest traveling to 17th-century Japan was played by the same guy who was Spider-Man. The fact that Silence got made with a little help from Spider-Man is a beautiful thing,” Garfield reflected.
Garfield will next appear alongside Florence Pugh in We Live in Time, set to hit Hungarian cinemas at the end of December, and earlier this year, he filmed a thriller, After the Hunt, with Julia Roberts.
The director of After the Hunt is Luca Guadagnino, who also serves as the president of the Marrakech Film Festival jury. Known for his outspoken criticism of what he calls the “industrial taste” dominating the film industry, Guadagnino reacted surprisingly warmly to Garfield’s comments about Spider-Man.
“I actually like Spider-Man. He’s a charming superhero,” said the Italian filmmaker. “When Sam Raimi directed the first film, I was 28 or 29 years old, and being a bit megalomaniacal, I dreamed of being asked to direct a Spider-Man film myself.” Turning to Garfield, Guadagnino added, “I would have gladly directed your Spider-Man films after Raimi’s trilogy.” (Source: Variety)
