Andrew Garfield Reveals Studio Reactions to No Way Home Leaks

Actor Andrew Garfield recently told interviewers how Sony Pictures reacted to No Way Home leaks.

By Nathan Kamal | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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Actor Andrew Garfield recently told interviewers how Sony Pictures reacted to No Way Home leaks. The most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, was feverishly anticipated in 2021. Accordingly, there was a non-stop barrage of rumors and leaks about the film before its release. While trailers and promotional art were upfront about the various returning villains, marketing was more shy about other surprises. In particular, past (and future?) Spider-Men Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire denied appearing in the movie. According to Garfield, when images of them on set started leaking online, Sony had advice: just deny it. 

I worked so hard to keep it secret that I was in Atlanta shooting. All these leaks were happening, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, guys, what the hell is going on? I’m working so hard here to stay secret, and then here’s an image of me with Tobey!’ And they’re like, ‘No, no, we’re gonna keep it quiet.’ ‘OK, I’ll keep denying it.’ I was happy to do it, but it was a lot of work on everyone’s part. It obviously gave people a big thrill in the theater, and what more do you want from a theater experience than a thrill?

Andrew Garfield in an interview with The Wrap

It is honestly hard to fault Sony Pictures for that advice. In recent years, the ongoing battle of studios trying to keep details of movies secret vs fans trying to figure out spoilers has become constant. On one hand, it can be fun to know what’s going to happen in, say, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. On the other hand, people freak out when they know what’s going to happen in, say, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It is often a no-win scenario for major studios like Sony. So it is no surprise that they would essentially tell Andrew Garfield to carry on a disinformation campaign.

spider-man: no way home

For his part, Andrew Garfield has also said that it ended up being a lot of fun. In an interview with The Wrap, he described the media experience as being like a giant party game. Which is good work if you can get it. Of course, it has all paid off for Sony, Andrew Garfield and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. Spider-Man: No Way Home is now Sony’s highest-grossing film, by a significant margin. It has now overtaken James Cameron’s Titanic as one of the highest-grossing films ever. After the relatively modest grosses of 2021’s Eternals, it seems clear that was just a hiccup to the mighty MCU machine.  

And it’s a good thing people are still going to see No Way Home in theaters. Reports have shown that many torrent streams of the movie containing harmful malware have begun circulating online. So unless you want your computer to be mining the cryptocurrency Mondero behind your back, stay away from those torrents and watch it legally. 

For his part, Andrew Garfield is experiencing quite the career renaissance. After the comparative disappointment of the Amazing Spider-Man films with Sony, he is once more on the rebound. His return as one version of Peter Parker was received far better than his own starring features. He just won a Golden Globe for starring in Netflix’s Tick, Tick…Boom!. In that film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, he portrayed Jonathan Larson, the creator of the musical Rent to great acclaim. Garfield has a pair of TV mini-series already slated on his IMDb, but he’s sure to have higher-profile roles for at least a while. Rumors have also been persistently swirling that he may return to the role of Spider-Man again in the future. And considering how much he seems to have enjoyed the media circus of No Way Home, it seems like a real possibility.