Andrew Garfield

The internet did what it does best after the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day dropped. Fans hit pause and started connecting dots that may or may not exist. One of the biggest theories floating around claims that Andrew Garfield was digitally removed from a key shot in the trailer . Now, Garfield himself has stepped in to address the situation, and his reaction is exactly what you’d hope for. The moment in question shows Tom Holland ’s Spider-Man facing off against The Hand, with a suspicious amount of open space in the frame. For fans who still have Spider-Man: No Way Home fresh in their minds, it immediately sparked déjà vu. That film famously hid both Tobey Maguire and Garfield from trailer footage before their big reveal. So naturally, people assumed history might be repeating itself. Garfield, however, isn’t buying into the theory at all. "This feels like a reach, to be honest. What do you mean there's room for other characters? There's literally just space under Spider-Man," the bemused actor replied. "They're all heading to Spider-Man. Well, there's room for more characters in every frame of the film, probably! [Laughs]" Clearly amused by how far fans have taken the idea, Garfield doubled down with a response that walks the line between shutting it down and stirring the pot just a little. "This is insane. This is absolutely ludicrous, conspiracy theory-level attempts at like investigative journalism. You've lost your damn minds," Garfield continued, before jokingly (we think) adding, "You noticed that I didn't say I wasn't in it, right? [Laughs]" At this point, there’s no solid indication that he’ll show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day . Still, Marvel fans know better than to rule anything out completely. Rumors continue to swirl about Garfield popping up in Avengers: Secret Wars , while Maguire has been tied to Avengers: Doomsday . Whether those threads eventually lead to another Spider-Men crossover is anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, Holland’s Peter Parker is heading into a very different phase of his life. Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up four years after the events of No Way Home, with Peter now fully on his own after making the ultimate sacrifice to erase himself from the memories of everyone he loves. He’s older, isolated, and fully committed to being Spider-Man in a city that doesn’t even know his name. That fresh start doesn’t come easy. As crime escalates across New York, Peter finds himself pushed harder than ever. The pressure begins to take a toll in unexpected ways, leading to a strange physical change that could threaten his very existence. At the same time, a new wave of danger rises, setting the stage for one of his toughest battles yet. The film’s cast includes Holland, Zendaya , Sadie Sink , Jacob Batalon , Jon Bernthal , Tramell Tillman , Michael Mando , and Mark Ruffalo . It’s directed by Destin Daniel Cretton , with a script from Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers , and produced by Kevin Feige , Amy Pascal , Avi Arad , and Rachel O'Connor . Whether Garfield is secretly lurking in the shadows or fans are just seeing what they want to see, one thing’s clear: speculation around Spider-Man movies isn’t going anywhere. It’s going to be funny when we are watching the film in theaters and this scene pops up and there are no other characters filling that empty space. Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026.

Speculation is rife over a return to the Marvel franchise

"This feels like a reach to be honest."