Tobey Maguire’s praise was much needed for Andrew Garfield after his friend discouraged him from being Spider-Man.

Throwback to the time when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield actually came together, ahead of starring in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Interviewing Garfield after he was cast as the new Spider-Man in 2012, Maguire expressed his excitement for The Amazing Spider-Man films.
Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have both played their own versions of Spider-Man under Sony Pictures. But surprisingly, Maguire claimed to be overly excited for Garfield’s version because of Marc Webb’s association. Further, appreciating the actor for replacing him as Peter Parker, Maguire’s praises lifted Garfield’s spirit following his friend’s criticism.

Tobey Maguire’s Appreciation for Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man

After appearing in three Spider-Man movies under Sam Raimi’s direction, Tobey Maguire handed over the mantle to Andrew Garfield. The 40-year-old English American actor thereafter filled in the spot of Peter Parker aka the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man films.

Following his casting as the new version of Spider-Man for the 2012 iteration, Andrew Garfield appeared for an interview with Tobey Maguire. The duo sat to speak fondly about the experience and the performance in the 2012 issue of VMan via Vulture. Therein, Maguire expressed his appreciation for Garfield and his work.
Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in Spider-Man

“Actually, when it was coming together, I was particularly excited at two moments: One was when [director] Marc Webb got involved. I think he’s an interesting and cool choice. And then I was certainly curious as to who was going to play Peter Parker. When I heard it was you, I was literally like, Fucking perfect!”

Working under Sam Raimi for three movies, Tobey Maguire was happy to see a change in direction for the next iterations of Spider-Man. More than anything, he expressed genuine excitement for Andrew Garfield’s casting.

Tobey Maguire Lifted Andrew Garfield’s Spirit With His Praise

Being in the entertainment industry for years, Tobey Maguire is well aware of the difficulties that are associated with filling in the shoes of a predecessor. Especially when it’s a fan-favorite character, there are higher expectations and prejudices associated, which undoubtedly affects the performance of the actor and the success of the film.

Therefore, realizing the difficulties that Andrew Garfield must have been through to fill his shoes as the next Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire lauded the actor with praise and appreciation. That’s when Garfield revealed being obsessed with the first Spider-Man movie and even practicing lines from it with a friend. But surprisingly his friend demoralized him during the process.
Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man

“[He told me] ‘You could never be f*cking Spider-Man.’ I was so humiliated and upset. But, um… f*ck you, Terry!”

Receiving his much-needed appreciation from his Peter Parker predecessor, Andrew Garfield gained back his confidence and started believing in himself once again. Tobey Maguire’s genuine appreciation for the actor lifted his spirit.

The Amazing Spider-Man films are available on Disney+