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Andrew Garfield Says Tobey Maguire's Participation in No Way Home Was 'a Big Part' of Returning to Spider-Man

Spiderman reunion
Spiderman reunion

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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Marvel's latest Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

It didn't take much for Andrew Garfield to join Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In fact, the actor said Wednesday that his only requirement for reprising his role as The Amazing Spider-Man's Peter Parker for a multiverse plotline in the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise was that his predecessor be involved too.

"I was just waiting to see if Tobey [Maguire] was gonna do it, and if Tobey was gonna do it then I was like, 'Well I have no choice,' " Garfield said during a joint video interview with Maguire and the MCU's current webslinger Tom Holland.

"I follow Tobey to the ends of the earth. I'm a lemming for Tobey," he joked, adding: "But that was sincerely a big part of it when I was approached about it."

Once he began to hear about the story that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and producer Amy Pascal had planned, Garfield said he was even more hooked.

RELATED: Spider-Man: No Way Home Flies Into the All-Time Top 10 at Domestic Box Office

Tobey Maguire; Andrew Garfield; Tom Holland
Tobey Maguire; Andrew Garfield; Tom Holland

Marvel/Sony Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock; Moviestore/Shutterstock; Chuck Zlotnick/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

"The intention feels very pure here," he recalled thinking during his initial meeting. "It feels like a great creative idea and a great creative story. It wasn't like they were just asking us to come and say 'Hi' and then leave again, but have our presence be in service to Tom's journey and where he is as Peter Parker."

He admitted, "It exceeded my expectations."

Garfield didn't exactly have an easy time keeping the plot of No Way Home under wraps, given his concurrent press tour for his critically acclaimed turn as Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick... Boom!. During several interviews, Garfield denied being part of the latest Spider-Man film.

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"I definitely think I had the hardest time," he said Wednesday, to which both Maguire and Holland agreed. However, Garfield told his fellow spider men that he was able to justify lying "for the sake of that audience reaction."

Once he saw the film himself, Garfield said he was very glad that he'd been able to keep the secret.

"I watched the movie with Tobey for the first time, and I was in pieces. This is a deep movie. This isn't just fan service...I was torn open by the journey that Tom went on," he said.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

RELATED: Andrew Garfield Would 'Love to Continue Working with' Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland on Spider-Man

Less than a month after hitting theaters — and despite the pandemic damper on the moviegoing market — Spider-Man: No Way Home became one of the top 10 highest grossing films of all time at the domestic box office, surpassing an estimated $722 million and counting, according to Box Office Mojo.

Earlier this month, Garfield said he "would love to continue working with Tobey and with Tom," after the trio heroically (and, at times, hilariously) banded together in No Way Home to bring harmony to the multiverse. He also touched on potentially donning the Spidey suit once more — but said the conditions would have to be just right.

"I am definitely open to that," said the Tick, Tick ... Boom! actor. "It would have to be something very unique, very special and serving to an audience and in service of the character."

"There's something playful and unique and odd and unexpected to be done. I'm not sure what is but if we can figure it out it would be so much fun," Garfield added.