Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man series may have been released to mixed reviews, yet they feature some perfect Spider-Man moments. The first Spider-Man movie reboot, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), presented audiences with a new set of actors following the decision that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 starring Tobey Maguire would not happen. The Amazing Spider-Man was followed by a sequel, 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but a third Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movie never happened.
Between an overly complicated Spider-Man origin story and several setups for potential spinoffs, The Amazing Spider-Man’s series never achieved the potential that its great cast, led by Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, offered. Still, both The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 nailed key aspects of Spider-Man’s character, both in terms of story and visuals. From Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man comedy to a deleted scene that would have made TASM 2 better, here are seven perfect Spider-Man moments in the Andrew Garfield TASM movies.
7 The Amazing Spider-Man’s Car Thief Scene Nailed Spidey’s Comedy
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy may have nailed the titular character on many levels, yet it lacked some of Spider-Man’s quips and overall comedic tone. Though Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man could be funny, that was never one of the character’s defining traits. As such, leaning on Spider-Man’s humor was the key for Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parket to set itself apart from Maguire’s. Fortunately, the comedy was something that The Amazing Spider-Man’s take on the character nailed. This is exemplified in the scene Spider-Man runs into a car thief he believes to be Uncle Ben’s murderer, with Peter mocking the criminal throughout their entire interaction.
6 Peter Saves Saves A Kid At The Bridge (& Truly Becomes Spider-Man)
The Amazing Spider-Man takes an interesting route regarding how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man. Similar to the Ultimate Universe, the spider that bit Peter was the result of a genetic experiment set up by Oscorp, which by itself made Spider-Man’s origins a little less accidental. Instead of recreating what Sam Raimi did in Spider-Man, in which Peter becomes the altruistic hero as soon as he creates the Spider-Man alias, The Amazing Spider-Man sees Garfield’s Spider-Man use the costume and the powers solely for revenge at first. The first impression Spider-Man makes in that universe is not necessarily as a superhero but as a vigilante tracking down car thieves.
Garfield’s Peter Parker puts on the suit relatively early in The Amazing Spider-Man, but he only becomes Spider-Man during the Lizard’s attack at the bridge. A giant lizard man running around New York had nothing to do with Peter’s quest for the man who killed Uncle Ben, yet Spider-Man had learned from his uncle that those who can do something good have the responsibility to do it. The Amazing Spider-Man’s bridge scene is the first time Peter Parker uses his powers to save others and not for revenge, a moment that culminates with Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man saving a kid from a car that was about to fall from the bridge.
5 The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Opening Sequence Is Spidey At His Best
The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s opening sequence, excluding the flashback prologue at the beginning, is arguably the best Spider-Man swinging scene ever put on film. In terms of visuals, it perfectly translates what Spider-Man swinging around New York in Marvel Comics feels like, with Spidey’s moves feeling exactly like how the character is supposed to move. The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s opening sequence also translates what a typical day in Spider-Man’s life looks like, as Spider-Man had to stop to soon-to-be Rhino from stealing dangerous items right as Peter Parker’s graduation was about to start. In addition, it reveals a first look at the highly comic-accurate TASM 2 suit.
Not even the MCU Spider-Man movies, which were made years after The Amazing Spider-Man 2, have managed to deliver a Spider-Man swinging scene as captivating and entertaining as the one from TASM 2. Something about Garfield’s new Spider-Man suit, which looked visually stunning yet still appeared to be homemade and flawed, helped sell a sense of realism that only added to The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s opening sequence. Spider-Man’s interactions with Rhino and later with Gwen Stacy over the phone are also great, and they build up from The Amazing Spider-Man’s comedy. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has many flaws, but its opening sequence is Spider-Man at his best.
4 Spider-Man Fights Electro At Times Square (& It Feels Like A Comic Book)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s opening sequence is not the only action piece in the movie that feels like a Spider-Man comic book. Spider-Man’s first fight against Electro, a fight that Spider-Man almost prevented from happening, highlights the best things about The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With a great cast and visuals, the film elevated the usual “Spider-Man fights the newly created villain” trope and delivered a sequence that, while not necessarily unique, was highly entertaining. Seeing Spider-Man trying to help Max felt like something from the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, yet the actual brief fight between Electro and Spider-Man was visually more stunning than anything in previous movies.
3 Spider-Man Fails To Save Gwen In Perfect Adaptation
Gwen Stacy’s death, one of the most impactful character deaths in Marvel Comics history, given how definitive it felt, was adapted to the big screen with The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The dynamic between Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy was a highlight of The Amazing Spider-Man series since their very first scene, something that only added to the tragedy of Gwen’s death in the second movie. It was difficult to predict whether The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would actually kill Gwen Stacy, even though the marketing leading up to the film’s release teased the Brooklyn Bridge a few times.
Though Gwen’s death in TASM 2 didn’t happen at the Brooklyn Bridge and didn’t involve Norman Osborn, it was still an almost perfect recreation of how Gwen’s death played out in the comics. Instead of Norman Osborn, it was Harry the Green Goblin who Spider-Man had to fight and whose attack on Gwen led Peter to his greatest failure. Audiences were used to seeing Spider-Man succeed at saving everyone from every possible situation, which gave Gwen Stacy’s death in TASM 2 a higher sense of realism and made it all even more tragic. Gwen’s death also highlighted how great Garfield’s performance as Spider-Man was, even more so in emotional moments.
2 Spider-Man Returns (After Losing Gwen)
Gwen Stacy’s death changed Peter Parker forever, something that Andrew Garfield’s "Peter 3" highlights in Spider-Man: No Way Home, yet The Amazing Spider-Man still managed to end on a positive note. The city of New York, and more specifically the Spider-Man fan Peter had assisted earlier in the film, needed help, which prompted Spider-Man to return. Granted, it was only after hearing Gwen’s graduation speech that Peter found the strength to put on the Spider-Man suit and return to action. Although the actual Spider-Man vs. Rhino fight was never shown, The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s ending highlights Spider-Man’s resilience.
1 1 Perfect Andrew Garfield Spider-Man Scene Was Cut
One great Andrew Garfield Spider-Man moment was cut from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. An alternate TASM 2 ending that was later released would have seen the return of Richard Parker, who had not actually died. Peter Parker’s father would have appeared to Peter right as the character was visiting Gwen Stacy’s grave, which, in this version of the ending, would have been the key for Spider-Man to deal with his grief. Andrew Garfield gives an emotional performance as Peter Parker in that scene, plus it would have been the first time the phrase “With great power comes great responsibility” would have actually been said in The Amazing Spider-Man series.
Key Release Dates
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Release Date:2023-05-05 -
The Marvels
Release Date:2023-11-10 -
Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date:2024-07-26 -
Marvel's Thunderbolts
Release Date:2024-12-20 -
Blade (2025)
Release Date:2025-02-14 -
Deadpool 3
Release Date:2024-05-03 -
Marvel's Fantastic Four
Release Date:2025-05-02 -
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Release Date:2026-05-01 -
Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date:2027-05-01
