Andrew Garfield has not sent Tom Holland a congratulatory message about Spider-Man: Brand New Day yet. The explanation has nothing to do with a Spider-Man rivalry. He simply has not watched the movie.
Garfield was asked about Holland’s huge summer while attending the September 2 premiere of his historical action drama The Uprising at the DGA in West Hollywood. “I don’t want to be disingenuous,” he told Variety, explaining that he wants to see Holland’s work before reaching out to praise it.
That applies to both of Holland’s major 2026 releases. Garfield has not managed to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey either, but said he plans to message his former No Way Home costar after watching both films.
The conversation then moved to the Marvel question Garfield has been answering for months: whether his version of Peter Parker is returning in Avengers: Doomsday. His first response was emphatic. His follow up, after being reminded of what happened before No Way Home, gave fans considerably more room to speculate.
Garfield Wants to See Holland’s Work Before Congratulating Him
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Garfield said he recognizes the scale of Brand New Day‘s success without pretending that box office numbers alone tell him what he thinks of Holland’s performance. “A movie making money and people going to see it is an incredible thing,” he said, adding that he is excited to watch the film and will contact Holland once he has actually seen the work.
The distinction is especially noticeable given just how enormous the movie has become. Box Office Mojo lists Spider-Man: Brand New Day at more than $2.3 billion worldwide, with nearly $900 million coming from North America. Sony’s official movie page lists Holland alongside Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando and Mark Ruffalo, with Destin Daniel Cretton directing.
Garfield said he is not surprised audiences continue turning out for Spider-Man because the character feels accessible rather than distant. He described Peter Parker as both ordinary and extraordinary, arguing that viewers can easily project themselves onto someone who is fundamentally decent while carrying responsibilities far beyond an ordinary life.
Garfield Says He Is ‘Not’ in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Variety then asked Garfield directly whether he appears in Avengers: Doomsday. His answer was simple: “I’m not.” That is consistent with what he has been saying publicly about the movie, including an even stronger denial in 2025 when he answered another question about a return with “No, unequivocally” and an expletive.
The difficulty is that Garfield established a very specific history with Marvel secrecy before Spider-Man: No Way Home. He repeatedly denied that he was returning as Peter Parker before audiences eventually saw him appear alongside Holland and Tobey Maguire in the 2021 multiverse crossover.
When Variety reminded him of that history, Garfield smiled instead of trying to make his latest denial more convincing. “You’ll find out, I suppose, one way or another,” he replied. Disney’s official cast list currently includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and numerous other Marvel performers, but Garfield is not among the names listed.
There Is Still No Official Garfield Confirmation
Garfield’s absence from Disney’s published cast does not prove that Marvel could not be withholding a surprise appearance, but there is currently no official evidence placing him in the movie. His stated position remains that he is not part of Doomsday, and anything stronger would move from reporting into speculation.
The rumor is unlikely to disappear before the movie reaches theaters because Garfield’s No Way Home denials gave audiences a reason to treat even direct answers cautiously. This time, however, there has been no equivalent confirmation, and his “one way or another” remark stops well short of admitting that he is hiding a role.
Avengers: Doomsday opens December 18. Until then, the only Garfield performance audiences can confirm is much closer: The Uprising, directed by Paul Greengrass, opens September 11 and follows a rebellion against King Richard II.
‘The Uprising’ Put Garfield Through a Different Kind of Action
Garfield told Variety that he performed most of his own stunt work for the historical film, which required repeated fight sequences rather than superhero effects. He joked that he is “not a young guy anymore” and said the physically demanding shoot involved plenty of ice packs for his knees.
Focus Features describes the film as the story of commoners rising against the rule of King Richard II, with Garfield starring alongside Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman and Katherine Waterston.
For now, that is the project Garfield is actually promoting. His next Spider-Man appearance remains unconfirmed, no matter how familiar his latest Marvel denial may sound.