ginned interlude: Spider-Man 'Belongs To Everybody,' Andrew Garfield Says

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Spider-Man 'Belongs To Everybody,' Andrew Garfield Says

'I approached the character like any fan would: with real reverence and terror,' the 'Amazing Spider-Man' star tells MTV News.
By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Andrew Garfield
Photo: MTV News

With the release of the new trailer for "The Amazing Spider-Man," fans got their first extended look at Andrew Garfield's take on the wall crawler before the movie hits theaters in July. He's darker and a bit more sarcastic, but with a series reboot coming so soon after the three films directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire, comparisons between the two are bound to dominate much of the conversation.

Garfield doesn't necessarily see the need for comparison and told MTV News' Josh Horowitz that he would have a hard time describing any differences.

"I can't answer that, really. I don't know. I know that I saw the Sam Raimi/ Tobey Maguire version before it was legally out. I was so excited to see it, I got a pirate copy," Garfield told MTV News before a screening event Monday. "I was blown away. [Tobey has] been Spider-Man in my imagination since then, in my mind's eye."

The star explained how "The Amazing Spider-Man" was made with the series' history in mind and how that added to the story.

"Thinking about those movies outside of just knowing the history that was supporting our movie, we are just another chapter in the legacy," he said. "I approached the character like any fan would: with real reverence and terror and attempt to do it justice."

Garfield has never kept his own fandom a secret, having even appeared at San Diego Comic-Con in store-bought Spidey regalia. That passion played a big part in how he thinks about the role.

"I do feel like he's in me, like all true fans do," he said. "That's what being a fan is of a character like this: feeling like there's no separation between you and them and that you have ownership over them. Ultimately, you have no ownership over it, because he belongs to everybody."

When it comes down to it, the actor in the suit doesn't actually matter, according to Garfield. "The symbol is bigger than any actor playing him and any particular movie or comic book," he said. "The symbol of the mask, the symbol of the suit, it doesn't even matter who's in it, as long as somebody's in it to keep the symbol alive. That's what's important to me."

But as Uncle Ben said, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Though it may not matter to Spider-Man fans who is in the suit, getting up every morning to play the man is a different story.

"In terms of how I approached it, I just approached it every day I woke up. My first thought was 'Oh, boy,' " Garfield said. "Then my second thought was, 'Remember, just go from a place of being a fan and caring as deeply as you do.' You have to just let go and trust from there on. If people like it, people like it."

Check out everything we've got on "The Amazing Spider-Man."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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