Andrew Garfield wanted Michael B Jordan as Peter Parker’s male love interest in a wild Spider Man idea

Andrew Garfield once floated a surprising idea for Peter Parker while promoting The Amazing Spider Man 2, suggesting that the superhero could explore his sexuality and even proposing Michael B Jordan as a hypothetical male version of Mary Jane Watson.

The comments, originally made in 2013, have resurfaced online and are drawing renewed attention from Spider Man fans. Garfield was discussing the possibility of changing Peter Parker’s established romantic dynamic when he suggested that MJ could be a man and that the character could explore being attracted to men.

The idea was presented partly as a joke, but Garfield also made clear that he was interested in the creative possibility. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly during the promotional campaign for The Amazing Spider Man 2, the actor questioned why Peter could not be gay or bisexual.

Garfield also had a specific actor in mind for the imagined role. He named Michael B Jordan, praising the actor’s charisma and talent before joking about the potential interracial pairing. Marc Webb, who directed The Amazing Spider Man 2, was also asked about the suggestion at the time and acknowledged Jordan’s name.

The comments were never developed into an actual storyline. Garfield’s Peter Parker remained romantically involved with Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, throughout the two films directed by Webb. Their relationship became one of the defining emotional elements of the series, particularly in The Amazing Spider Man 2.

Mary Jane Watson was also part of the plans for the franchise, although her role took a different path. Shailene Woodley was cast as MJ and filmed scenes for The Amazing Spider Man 2, but her appearance was ultimately removed from the finished film. As a result, MJ never became Peter’s on screen romantic partner during Garfield’s run as the character.

Garfield first appeared as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider Man in 2012 before returning for the 2014 sequel. The series ended after two films, with Sony Pictures later moving towards a new version of the character after reaching an agreement with Marvel Studios.

Tom Holland subsequently became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider Man, debuting as Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War in 2016. Garfield later returned to the role alongside Holland and Tobey Maguire in Spider Man: No Way Home, which connected multiple cinematic versions of the character.