The highly anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home was ultimately a satisfying cinematic experience for many moviegoers, and the cast themselves also seemed to enjoy both watching and working on it. The returning Andrew Garfield, for one, really appreciated the chance to don his Spidey suit again. However, the lead-up to the movie’s release was a little bumpy for him, as he was constantly forced to lie about his involvement (even when asked by Emma Stone). And as it turns out, his Tick, Tick... Boom! director, Lin-Manuel Miranda, questioned him as well. With this, Miranda revealed the awkwardly funny way Garfield responded after being asked about the Marvel movie.
Like so many of us, Lin-Manuel Miranda grew up a fan of superheroes and currently enjoys the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So it was only natural that he would be curious when the lead star in his directorial debut was reportedly linked to Spider-Man: No Way Home. During his recent appearance on The Tonight Show, the Hamilton creator divulged that Andrew Garfield responded in an odd albeit on-brand way:
So the day it leaked he might be involved, he was on my set, we were still filming. And between shots, I kind of quietly went over to him and was like, ‘Andrew, are you…in the new Spider-Man? His exact reaction was, ‘What?! Shut up! Shut up! Hahaha! Shut up!' And I walked away thinking, ‘Oh, he's in the new Spider-Man.'
The Eyes of Tammy Faye star wasn’t too convincing to a number of people when he was making the press round over 2021. But as time went on, the actor seemed to be more comfortable with fibbing about his work on the superhero film. Apparently, Lin-Manuel Miranda seems to think the same and cited an interview the actor did with Jimmy Fallon as an example:
Then, when I saw him on your show, he was a total pro at denying it. But he had to get there.
The No Way Home leaks became more consistent in the final weeks ahead of its premiere, but Andrew Garfield ultimately stuck to his guns. He also had plenty of support from Sony during that time. Garfield previously revealed that the studio told him not to worry about additional leaks, as it would do what it could to keep things quiet.
When it came to actually joining the project, the Social Network alum revealed that he said yes due to the script’s themes of mentorship and brotherhood. And of course, he couldn’t deny the sheer fun that would come with his Peter Parker meeting Tom Holland’s and Tobey Maguire’s. Though he was initially nervous about putting the suit on again, he eventually got back into the swing of things (pun intended). The “therapy session” director Jon Watts held for the three Spider-Men ahead of their first scene together also seemed to help ease any nerves or concerns.
Andrew Garfield was certainly one of the movie’s breakouts, and fans are now hoping he’ll return following No Way Home. The actor is game for reprising the role, but nothing has been announced at this point. So it’s hard to say if we’ll definitely see his Spidey again. Nevertheless, it’s probably fair to assume that if he does sign on for more, he’ll spend plenty of time denying it before anything is confirmed, hilariously leaving Lin-Manuel Miranda and other fans in the lurch in the meantime.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters and, if you’d like to learn more about what lies ahead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, check out CinemaBlend’s schedule of upcoming Marvel movies.
