Zendaya And Andrew Garfield Reflect On That Heartfelt No Way Home Scene

Not that long ago, Sony called it quits with Andrew Garfield's version of Peter Parker after "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" failed to make an impression. Fans were disappointed that the character's arc was never completed, especially in the wake of Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone) death. 

Garfield may have been out, but Spider-Man lived on in Tom Holland, who soon enough swung through the mean streets of New York when he wasn't hanging out with the Avengers. As we all know by now, though, when it came time to wrap up Holland's first Spidey trilogy with "Spider-Man: No Way Home," Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige decided to tap both previous Spider-Man actors — that's Garfield and his predecessor, Tobey Maguire — for some multiverse action. The film made over a billion dollars at the box office (via Box Office Mojo) and is considered one of the best MCU offerings to date.

The crossovers in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" provided more than just fan service. Because while it was great to see the trio of Peter Parkers interact with one another, "No Way Home" captivated many because of how it expanded upon each character since we last saw them. This was particularly the case for Garfield's version of Spidey, as director Jon Watts delivered a scene that not only redeemed the character but also allowed him to grow — and that's the moment where his Peter saves MJ (Zendaya) from falling off the Statue of Liberty, and then bursts into tears. The heartfelt "No Way Home" moment is a callback to "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," where Peter fails to save his love, Gwen, from a similar fate. 

Now that the film has been out for some time, Garfield and Zendaya have opened up about the pivotal scene's importance.

During Variety's latest "Actors on Actors" slate, the outlet strategically placed Zendaya and Andrew Garfield together, allowing the duo to gush about their time on "Spider-Man: No Way Home" together. The Marvel actors naturally ended up talking about their big, shared scene, which is widely considered one of the best moments in the film (via CinemaBlend).

Discussing the movie to Zendaya, Garfield said, "It's about brotherhood. And I love the idea that maybe Tom's Peter would've suffered the same fate as Andrew's Peter if Andrew hadn't have somehow come into that universe and learned from the mistakes of the past — and made sure that my younger brother and his love didn't have the same fate."

In fact, back in January 2022, Garfield previously admitted to Variety that catching MJ was the moment that sold him on appearing in the crossover film. 

Zendaya, for her part, loved the scene just as much. Reflecting on her first read of the script, she said. "I remember when I read that, it made me very happy." And in continuing their discussion, Zendaya revealed that the emotional scene was the first the duo shot together. "'I met you yesterday. Thanks for catching me. You have to cry. Sorry,'" Zendaya hilariously explained. 

Garfield described the process of shooting the scene as intense, which appears to be a blessing, as he considered the rest of the shoot to be giddy and joyful. Clearly, the heartfelt "No Way Home" scene was a huge moment for everybody involved, and while it remains to be seen what "Spider-Man" projects may be in store for Garfield going forward, it's fantastic that his Peter received the closure he desperately deserved.