Culture 4 min read By Lauren Baxter
Andrew Garfield renews push for a gay Spider-Man: «Anyone can be in that suit»
Andrew Garfield has doubled down on his 2013 comments about Spider-Man potentially being gay, saying he still believes anyone should be able to wear the suit.
Andrew Garfield is standing by his years-old suggestion that Spider-Man could be gay, telling Entertainment Weekly in a new interview that he still believes the character should be open to anyone. The Oscar nominee, who played the webslinger in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, first floated the idea in 2013 while promoting the second film.
Back then, Garfield told the outlet that he had discussed with producer Matt Tolmach the possibility of gender-swapping Peter Parker's love interest, Mary Jane. «I was kind of joking, but kind of not joking about MJ», he said at the time. «What if MJ is a dude? Why can't we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? It's hardly even groundbreaking!… So why can't he be gay? Why can't he be into boys?»
Now, more than a decade later, Garfield has confirmed he has not changed his mind. «It was an exercise in rebellion that I felt passionate about. I just still believe that anyone can be in that suit», he told the same outlet in an interview published Monday. He argued that the character's enduring appeal lies in his universality, noting that Spider-Man is one of the most beloved figures in fiction precisely because his identity is not fixed.
«That's the point of why it's such a kind of universally beloved character, one of the greatly beloved characters in the history of fiction», Garfield said. «You don't see skin colour, you don't see gender, you don't see sexuality. Anyone can project themselves into that suit.» He added that he likes the idea of a space where everyone is honored and included, describing his original comments as an act of saying, «Well, why not?» He concluded that anyone with a strong opinion on the matter, in either direction, is revealing something about themselves.
Garfield's remarks come as he promotes his new film, The Uprising, which is set for release in UK cinemas on October 9. The actor has remained a fan favorite in the Spider-Man franchise, having returned to the role in 2021 for Spider-Man: No Way Home, a multiverse team-up alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire. That film became a cultural event, bringing together three generations of Spider-Man actors on screen for the first time.
The conversation about a gay Spider-Man has resurfaced repeatedly over the years, with fans and critics alike debating the possibility. Garfield's latest comments are likely to reignite that discussion, particularly as Hollywood continues to grapple with questions of representation in major franchises. While Marvel has introduced LGBTQ+ characters in its comics and on screen, no version of Peter Parker has been depicted as gay in live-action film to date.
Garfield's interview also touched on his broader career, including his upcoming projects. In June, Luca Guadagnino's film about OpenAI, which stars Garfield, was dropped by Amazon just months after the company announced a $50 billion investment in the AI firm. The film, titled Artificial, has since been acquired by Neon and is scheduled to premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 5 at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.
