With Spider-Man 4 being officially confirmed for the MCU, fans have started to speculate whether it will emulate its predecessor and star previous iterations of Spider-Man, and I’m now convinced that this is the case following Andrew Garfield’s latest comments. Garfield was last seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home after Doctor Strange’s botched use of the Runes of Kof-Kol brought Spider-Man variants from across the multiverse into Earth-616 alongside a litany of live-action Spider-Man movie villains. Garfield’s Peter Parker then returned to his universe after aiding in collecting and subduing these villains in a climactic final battle.
Andrew Garfield reprised his role alongside Tobey Maguire, and it’s safe to say that the concept was a huge success. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third-highest-grossing movie of the MCU, raking in $1.9 billion for Marvel and Sony, a haul beaten only by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The movie proved the money-spinning power of nostalgia, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that Sony and Marvel intend to replicate this success by pulling the same move for Spider-Man 4. In fact, I’m now convinced this is the case after Andrew Garfield inadvertently raised suspicions.
Why People Think Andrew Garfield Is In Spider-Man 4
Garfield’s Spider-Man Is Popular And Profitable
Andrew Garfield’s reprisal was universally lauded and an incredibly savvy move from Marvel and Sony, whose Spider-Man collaborations have consistently banked huge numbers for the studios. The success of Spider-Man: No Way Home led many to wonder, myself included, whether Sony would subsequently capitalize on the hype and release The Amazing Spider-Man 3 after Garfield’s franchise stopped short of becoming a trilogy. He is, after all, young and spry enough to continue embodying the role even if it would likely be as an older version of Peter Parker as a possible mentor to a successor like Miles Morales.
The Amazing Spider-Man franchise was reportedly gearing up to make the first Sinister Six movie, which Spider-Man: No Way Home came closest to.
Yet the hype surrounding Garfield’s return is only diminishing as time progresses, and there is nothing but radio silence on the side of Sony regarding a sequel starring either Garfield or Maguire. Instead, however, Spider-Man 4 was confirmed late last year and is the only upcoming Spider-Man movie to be given a release date – July 24, 2026. Like I said, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Sony decides to squeeze a little more life out of Garfield’s celebrated return, and it looks as though Spider-Man 4 is the only stage on which to do it.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man 4 Cameo Comments Sound Suspiciously Familiar To His No Way Home Denials
Garfield Denies That He’s Returning For Spider-Man 4 – But We’ve Heard This Before
Unsurprisingly, Andrew Garfield has already been quizzed on the possibility of his return to the MCU as rumors continue to swirl. This was recently brought up again in an interview with GQ, where he was asked about the validity of such rumors. Garfield’s response was pretty clear, stating that he was going to disappoint fans with an emphatic “no.” He swiftly acknowledged, however, that most people wouldn’t believe him. His full quote is as follows:
“I’m gonna disappoint you. Yeah, no. But I know no one’s gonna trust anything I say from now on. If it felt in line with my soul and was gonna be fun. Maybe I’m gonna have like five kids at some point, and I’m gonna need to start saving up for the school tuition or something.”
Garfield is 100% correct. As the rumor mill was kicked into overdrive in the lead-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s release, Garfield repeatedly eschewed suggestions that he was a part of the cast, even going so far as to blame digital trickery for pictures of him around the set during filming. I’m not shocked to see that he is so self-aware, therefore, and thanks to his previous proficiency in pulling the wool over the audience’s eyes, I’m disinclined to believe him this time around.
A Return From Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man In The Multiverse Saga Feels Inevitable
The Multiverse Saga Hinges On Variants
I think it’s time to accept that Garfield’s return is inevitable. The fact that Spider-Man 4 takes place after Avengers: Doomsday, which is slated for May 1, 2026, is impossible to ignore. Avengers: Doomsday is the first climactic movie of the Multiverse Saga and the prevailing theory is that movies nestled between it and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars will be heavily focused on the multiverse. In this context, it would be almost nonsensical to omit Spider-Man variants, particularly if Spider-Man 4 takes place in the MCU’s version of Battleworld – a world composed of various realities.
Without any further story details it’s almost impossible to speculate, but I’ll happily accept another multiversal romp if it means seeing Garfield reprise the role again.
I’ll admit that I’m slightly miffed by the fact that this will circumvent the street-level Spider-Man story that many were hoping for, but I also can’t deny that it just makes sense. While enthusiasm for the multiverse has started to wane lately, it would be remiss of Marvel to not fully capitalize on the concept within MCU Phase 6, and I think Spider-Man 4 has every opportunity to emulate the success of its predecessor. Without any further story details it’s almost impossible to speculate, but I’ll happily accept another multiversal romp if it means seeing Garfield reprise the role again.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
Source: GQ
