Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is swinging back into action on July 3! Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man gives a fresh spin on teenager Peter Parker’s journey to becoming the web-slinging hero. The story is different from the Spider-Man films that came before. It’s the first movie to explore Peter’s relationship with his late parents. The film also takes a look at Peter’s relationship with his book-smart classmate, Gwen Stacy. And, of course, Spider-Man gets a new villain with which to do battle, too—the Lizard.
Actor Andrew Garfield plays Spidey in the 3-D movie. He gave TFK the scoop on what it means to him to put on the famous red-and-blue suit.
TFK:
It hasn’t been that long since director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies were in theaters. Why do you think this is a good time for this film?
ANDREW GARFIELD:
It’s always a good time for Spider-Man! I think people relate to Spider-Man because he’s an ordinary kid. He has trouble with girls, he has trouble with his aunt and uncle, he’s not a billionaire, not an alien—he’s just a kid. So I think people are always in the mood for a Spider-Man movie. It’s like reconnecting with an old friend.
TFK:
You’re a longtime Spider-Man fan. You’ve said before that you could relate a lot to the character growing up. How did you channel this into the character we see on screen?
GARFIELD:
I think I really understand who Peter Parker is on the inside because on the inside, he’s just an ordinary kid. I felt that as long as I remembered that, that was the most important thing. Everything else about the character would come out right.
TFK:
Can you describe the moment when you put on the suit for the first time? What was going through your head?
GARFIELD:
I thought, “Wow, this is really happening.” You know you’re going to be Spider-Man, you’re doing the training, but when you see yourself in the suit, it gets real.
TFK:
Marc Webb, the director, says he wanted to “ground the stunts,” instead of relying entirely on computer-generated animation. What did this mean for you as the actor who had to perform these stunts?
GARFIELD:
It meant that I had to train six days a week for six months! Strength, agility and core training and watching what I ate... I had to be in the best shape of my life to play this amazing role.
TFK:
If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
GARFIELD:
I would have spider-strength, the ability to climb walls and spider-sense.
TFK:
As we all know, with great power comes great responsibility. So would your younger self approve of how this filmed turned out? What do you think young Spider-Man fans will enjoy about the film?
GARFIELD:
I’m really excited about the movie. If I met my younger self, I think he’d have said, “Well, yeah, of course you grow up to be Spider-Man; I know that.” I think he’d sit in the theater and love the whole thing. I think young Spider-Man fans will like seeing a side of Spider-Man they haven’t seen before—and they’ll see more than ever that he’s just like them, and they’re just like him.
The Amazing Spider-Man is rated PG-13. The movie will also be playing in IMAX 3-D theaters. Also starring Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans and Denis Leary.