Viewers continue to rave about the multiverse-shattering Spider-Man: No Way Home, and for good reason. The film combined more than 20 years’ worth of Spider-Man lore into a single film that somehow managed to flawlessly weave fan service into a genuinely heartfelt, thrilling, and charming storyline.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Please proceed with caution if you have yet to see the film.
Many of the film’s most popular moments occurred between the three separate Spider-Men that appeared, played by the MCU’s Tom Holland alongside the Spidey from the early 2000s, Tobey Maguire, and the early 2010’s version of the wall crawler, Andrew Garfield. The trio of Spideys shared a wonderful and unique chemistry that made their scenes together the highlight of the film for many viewers.
Garfield’s appearance in particular generated a great deal of buzz. While his Amazing Spider-Man films are some of the lowest-rated Spidey releases, his performance as Peter Parker was widely praised by fans. This, combined with his genuine love for the character, made him a fan-favorite and left many disappointed when he wasn’t given the chance to close out his own Spider-Man trilogy.
His return in No Way Home was seen as a redemption arc of sorts for many viewers, particularly given his timely rescue of the MCU’s MJ. His appearance in the film prompted a surge in demand that he return for another film as Spider-Man, a role that many feel he encompassed perfectly but was robbed of due to poor writing and bad decisions on Sony’s part.
The furor surrounding Garfield has culminated in the demand to see him appear in Sony’s next Venom flick, particularly given the new connection both characters now have to the MCU. It is widely assumed that Venom will finally face off against the web head in his next film, and many people are clamoring for that Spider-Man to be played by Garfield.
Venom 3 will reportedly venture into the multiverse, which opens up a huge amount of possibilities, one of which could be the return of Garfield. Plus, industry insiders are already claiming that the film will see the Lethal Protector take on a version of Spider-Man from the Sony universe. Even Andy Serkis, who directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, has hinted that a stand-off between Venom and Spidey is “inevitable.”
“It’s going to happen, the question is when,” he said. “We don’t want to rush it.”
This has led many fans to unilaterally decide that Garfield will return to the role in the next Venom release. There has yet to be any confirmation of this from Sony’s higher-ups, but the fans have spoken ⏤ loudly and distinctly. They want to see Garfield re-don the mask, and they’d love to see him face off against Tom Hardy’s Venom.
If the people at Sony are listening to their fanbase, they’d be fools to ignore the demands. While Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man movies retain relatively low ratings, his encapsulation of the role remains singular and iconic. He was an excellent Peter Parker and he deserves the opportunity to give his version of the character some closure.
Venom 3 could present the perfect opportunity for him to do so.