Andrew Garfield Is Wrong: His Spider-Man Is The Best In No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home was full of crowd-pleasing moments, but one of the biggest surprises was Andrew Garfield stealing the show as the movie's best Spider-Man. In the past, Marvel fans criticized Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man because he was simply too cool as Peter Parker. Spider-Man: No Way Home showed otherwise in the long-conflicted Spidey's return to the big screen.

Gwen Stacy's death in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 pushed Peter Parker into complete darkness from the accumulated guilt of Uncle Ben and Gwen's deaths. He temporarily quit as Spider-Man, and when he eventually returned, it was a far more brutal version of himself, revealing that he stopped pulling his punches. Gwen's death destroyed Peter's sense of morality along with whatever teenage innocence was left after Uncle Ben's death. Peter's perception of himself changed too, becoming riddled with self-doubt while seeing himself as a failure. It would be an understatement to say Gwen's death was a tragedy for Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man.

Once Garfield's Peter Parker was magically summoned into the universe inhabited by Tom Holland's Peter Parker #1 in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it became clear Peter #3 was still not himself. Even at his worst, he provided so much of the movie's comedy with quick-witted quips and an excessive number of self-deprecating jokes, even by MCU standards. Eventually, Tobey Maguire's Peter #2 had a little pep talk with Peter #3 and told him he was wrong about being the worst right before the climactic final battle, culminating in a cheesy "You're amazing" joke. It was really foreshadowing because later, Peter #3 was so amazing he finally took the crown as No Way Home's best Spidey by saving MJ (Zendaya). That scene was long overdue closure and self-validation for Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man. It also best exemplified what makes Spider-Man such a fan-favorite hero.

Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, and Andrew Garfield in Spider Man: No Way Home.

The scene with MJ and Garfield's Spidey was deep because it mirrored Peter's failed attempt at saving Gwen Stacy. Once Peter #3 landed on his feet with MJ safely in his arms, his face said it all. The movie-stealing moment was both heartbreaking and heartwarming; it was a triumphant display of closure and self-validation that should have happened long ago. Spider-Man's relationship with tragedies is part of what makes him a compelling character. Maguire's Peter did it in his trilogy. Holland's Peter did too by the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Meanwhile, Garfield's Peter was left hanging for eight years because a possible The Amazing Spider-Man 3 was canceled after The Amazing Spider-Man 2's lackluster performance.

Closure can be powerful character development when done right. Tony Stark's final act of heroism in Avengers: Endgame was tremendous because his closure was complete with his death. Iron Man's Endgame sacrifice fixed his past mistakes, and ultimately, it ended up being the defining pop culture moment of a massively successful movie. Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man achieved that too. However, Peter Parker #3's journey was slightly different but just as rewarding as Tony Stark's. Spider-Man: No Way Home cleverly used Peter #3 primarily as very effective comedic relief for the vast majority of the movie. However, even when he was filled with so much self-doubt and insecurities, it didn't stop him from jumping after MJ as she fell to her imminent death. He instinctively tried to do the right thing, and by saving MJ, he atoned for his own past mistakes. Whether they were actually his fault or not.

Peter #3 saving MJ was the highlight of an already memorable movie. That scene, and Peter #3's journey to get there, was so good that fans demanded The Amazing Spider-Man 3 after seeing Spider-Man: No Way Home. Andrew Garfield perfectly embodied both Peter Parker and Spider-Man: an amazing, awkward teenager with great power and great responsibility who just tries to do what's right.

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