Spider-Man: No Way Home - 13 Fascinating New Details The Writers Just Revealed
8. Garfield Wanted To Explore The “Dark Path” His Peter Went Down
The last time we saw Garfield's Spider-Man, he was reeling from the death of his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, at the hands of the Green Goblin.
Though he does suit-up again at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, that loss is something he can't just shake off - and the idea that his Peter is still "tortured" is something that Garfield wanted to bring to No Way Home.
This is because it allowed his Spider-Man to relate to Holland's on a deeper level, with both characters having suffered a loss that's still gnawing at their insides. In Holland's case, that's the death of Aunt May, also at the hands of the Green Goblin:
"Andrew really loved the idea of he’s still tortured over what happened in Amazing Spider-Man 2 and where that left him, and how they could bring that to Tom. 'We can empathize with you. We do know what you are going through. If anyone in the world knows what you’re going through, it’s us.'”
One of the most satisfying moments in the film is when Garfield's Spidey is able to overcome that torture by breaking MJ's fall, an idea that - according to McKenna and Sommers - was brainstormed by director Jon Watts.