Andrew Garfield has recently commented on the age difference between him and his iteration of Spider-Man inThe Amazing Spider-Man, noting how odd it is. After Sam Raimi ended production of aSpider-Man 4starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, Sony Pictures opted to reboot the franchise instead of handing off the fourth film to a new director. Andrew Garfield starred as Spider-Man in 2012’sThe Amazing Spider-Man, portraying Spider-Man as accurately as Maguire had, though Garfield’s iteration takes inspiration from different eras of theSpider-Mancomic mythos.
Inan October 2024 interview with Josh Horowitz, Andrew Garfield discussed his audition for the Spider-Man role following the decision to reboot the franchise.Garfield recalls having doubts about securing the role, specifically noting his age and how he would be potentially playing a high schooler, despite being in his late 20’s. While Garfield would go on to play a well-received and believable iteration of the young superhero, his comments speak to a common occurrence in major Hollywood films.
What Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Age Comments Mean
Andrew Garfield worried about his chances of getting the Peter Parker role, with Garfield being 27 years old by the time filming began forThe Amazing Spider-Man. Garfield’s first outing as Spider-Man, notably, took place entirely during Peter Parker’s time as a high school student, with Peter being a junior throughout the events of the film.Peter would only graduate high school in the first act of 2014’sThe Amazing Spider-Man 2.Despite Garfield’s age difference with his iteration of Peter Parker, however, he played the role convincingly.
Peter Parker’s high school years were only shown briefly in Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire’sSpider-Man Trilogy, with Peter Parker graduating around the halfway mark of the first film.
Our Take On Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Age Comments
Andrew Garfield’scomments regarding his age compared to Peter Parker’s inThe Amazing Spider-Manare understandable, yet he was hardly the first adult actor to play a teenager in a superhero movie.Tobey Maguire was also in his 20s during the filming of 2002’sSpider-Man, though he was, notably, slightly younger – with filming commencing when Maguire was 25 years old. In both cases, however, Garfield and Maguire’s respective performances were well-loved enough for their age differences to be hand-waved by most viewers. While the two were clearly not in their late teens, they were nevertheless believable in the roles.
The superhero genre has far more egregious examples of character and actor age differences.For instance,Batman Forever– despite making the right choice by introducing Robin to the franchise – had Chris O’Donnell (24 years old at the time of filming) playing Dick Grayson, who is typically in his early teens when he becomes Batman’s partner. Andrew Garfield’s age difference with Spider-Man inThe Amazing Spider-Man, while an understandable concern, was ultimately not a major issue. The actor looked young enough for the role and played it convincingly for viewers.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Cast
The Amazing Spider-Man follows high school student Peter Parker as he uncovers the mysteries of his parents' disappearance. As Peter discovers new aspects of his father’s past and faces the dangerous Lizard, he must make significant decisions about his identity and role as the superhero Spider-Man.
