Andrew Garfield Ranks Tobey Maguire as His Top Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield has placed Tobey Maguire at the top of his personal Spider-Man rankings, with Tom Holland second and himself third. During an appearance on The Capital Show while promoting his upcoming film Artificial, Garfield explained that Maguire's portrayal influenced him when he was studying acting, while praising Holland as an ideal choice for a new generation.

The discussion revisited a long-running debate among fans about the three actors who have played the web-slinging superhero in major live-action films. According to interviews reported by Yahoo and AOL on October 9, 2026, Garfield answered the hosts' ranking question without hesitation.

When asked to rank Holland, Maguire and himself from best to worst, Garfield gave his first choice clearly.

"Toby's always going to be my number one." Garfield said.

The actor explained that his preference dates back to his own training. Maguire led the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man film trilogy from 2002 to 2007, establishing an interpretation of Peter Parker that influenced Garfield before he took over the role.

Garfield described how he studied Maguire's performance while attending drama school.

"Yeah, because I was in drama school and I would like, practice his lines in the mirror. So Tobey's always my number one." Garfield said.

Although Garfield ranked himself last, he expressed strong appreciation for Holland's work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War before starring in his own series of films, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Garfield praised Holland's suitability for the role, emphasizing that each actor represents a different generation of the character.

"I think Tom is the perfect person for it for his generation. And I think he's absolutely incredible." Garfield said.

Maguire's trilogy introduced a widely recognized big-screen version of Peter Parker, while Garfield brought the character back in The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012 and its 2014 sequel. Holland's portrayal later connected Spider-Man to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, allowing the character to interact with other established superheroes.

The three actors reunited in Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, bringing their respective versions of the superhero together in one film. The crossover renewed attention to Garfield's portrayal and gave audiences an opportunity to see the three interpretations share the screen.

Garfield has also expressed admiration for Maguire in previous interviews. Comicbasics reported that, while promoting We Live in Time in October 2024, Garfield again identified Maguire as his favorite on-screen Spider-Man and recalled practicing his lines as a young actor.

His current promotional work centers on Artificial, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Simon Rich. Garfield plays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in the drama, which depicts the five-day crisis in November 2023 when the company's board removed Altman before he returned to the position.

The film also features Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati, Yura Borisov as Ilya Sutskever and Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk. According to Comicbasics, Neon acquired worldwide distribution rights after Amazon MGM Studios dropped the project, and the film screened at the New York Film Festival and London Film Festival before its planned US opening on December 25, 2026.