Exclusive: A former attorney for Marvel says Andrew Garfield likely would be able to participate in The Amazing Spider-Man 3 from a legal standpoint.
Andrew Garfield likely would be able to participate in a potential Amazing Spider-Man 3 from a legal standpoint. Garfield recently appeared in Marvel and Sony’s multiverse blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way Homereprising his role as Peter Parker for the first time since the latter studio’s The Amazing Spider-Man films. He starred alongside fellow Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland. Since then, there has been rampant speculation about whether Garfield could return once again for The Amazing Spider-Man 3.
Though both 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel didn’t receive much fan acclaim when they premiered, Garfield’s iteration of the iconic superhero has been viewed in a far more positive light. With Spider-Man: No Way Home Giving his Peter the opportunity to fix some past mistakes, fans have called on Sony to bring the actor back for another film. Rumors have also abounded about the development of The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but if anything really is happening behind the scenes, nothing has been announced to the public. For his part, Garfield has signaled his willingness to play Spider-Man again, but has no updates.
Now in an interview with Screen RantTom Bacon, former Disney and Marvel Studios attorney Paul Sarker gives his opinion on whether Garfield could return as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Sarker can only comment on the legality of such a situation, as he has no perspective on the creative side of things. He explains:
Anything’s possible from a legal standpoint. That does not mean it’s possible from a business or creative standpoint, but legally as lawyers we often respond to the direction and requests of business and creative teams. I know Sony has the exclusive rights to Spider-Man. In theory, if Andrew Garfield wanted to be part of this franchise moving forward, in Amazing Spider-Man 3, and there was a budget for it … Legally, the sides could work out whatever paperwork needed to be done to make that happen. .
But I think, from a creative point of view, Andrew Garfield may not want to do it. I think he’s gone on record saying he’s gonna take a break from acting, he may not be in the area creatively where he wants to be making Amazing Spider-Man 3. But I think, if all the other factors were pointing that way, legally there’d be a way to get it done.
Garfield most recently played the role of detective Jeb Pyre in Under the Banner of Heaven, a true-crime series for FX and Hulu. After the show aired, Garfield announced he is taking a break from acting to “recalibrate“and when exactly he’ll return to the screen is still unknown. Nevertheless, interest in The Amazing Spider-Man 3 hasn’t lessened in the months since No Way Home‘s debut. Now, based on Sarker’s comments, it sounds like this potential project might not have too many obstacles standing in its way.
As Sarker notes, there is no legal issue preventing Garfield from starring in The Amazing Spider-Man 3. However, one thing to consider is that The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s critical reception was not the best. It received a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the only film featuring Spider-Man to receive a “Rotten” rating on the site. This may leave Sony and Marvel more hesitant to make The Amazing Spider-Man 3 with Garfield, even if fans are currently enthused by the idea. This is compounded by Garfield’s current break from acting, something that may make locking him into a contract to play Spider-Man more difficult even if it would be possible in terms of the legal relationships between Sony and Marvel. There are many things still standing in the way of The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but from a legal standpoint, it’s fine to move forward. Only time will tell if it does.
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