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The short answer
The third instalment, once pencilled in for June 2016, vanished when the studio decided to start again from scratch. The late-2014 hack exposed talks with Marvel Studios, and the deal signed in early 2015 relaunched the character with a new actor. Here is how it all unfolded.
After the mixed reception of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014, fans naturally expected a direct sequel with Andrew Garfield to wrap up this darker, edgier take on the web-slinger. Instead, the project was abruptly cancelled by Sony. So what really happened? Why did The Amazing Spider-Man 3 never see the light of day?
Behind the backstage rumours and the abandoned announcements, this story reveals a run of strategic choices, internal tensions… and a Hollywood context that completely changed the game. This first part looks back at the abrupt end of Garfield's Spider-Man, and the machinery that led to it being dropped.
A Spider-Man in full relaunch… but a fragile one
In 2012, Sony relaunched the franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man, barely five years after the end of Sam Raimi's trilogy. Andrew Garfield played a Peter Parker who was edgier, more teenage and more tormented than ever. The reboot divided opinion, but it intrigued.
The first film posted a solid worldwide box office (758 million dollars) and set up a more modern universe, with Gwen Stacy as its central figure, a dark aesthetic and a very “Ultimate Comics” approach. Everything looked ready for a new trilogy…
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: an ambitious but overloaded film
In 2014, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 went bigger. Much bigger. The film introduced Electro, the return of Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin, the first hints of the Sinister Six, and the Oscorp labs as the central hub…
But this narrative overload damaged the coherence. Despite a praised performance from Garfield, and the now-iconic scene of Gwen Stacy's death, critics found the film confusing. The result:
- 🎬 Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%
- 🎟️ Box office down: 708 million dollars (against 758 for the first film)
- 💬 Fan reaction: mixed, disappointed by the pile-up of subplots
👉 And yet Sony had already officially announced the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 3 for June 2016. But that date… would never arrive.
A sequel cancelled mid-expansion
At that point, the studio had planned:
- 🧪 The introduction of new villains (including Scorpion and Kraven the Hunter)
- 🧬 A possible return for Gwen Stacy in the guise of Spider-Gwen
- 🕷️ The development of a Spider-Man Universe at Sony with spin-off films (Venom, Sinister Six...)
But behind the scenes, things were getting tense. The financial results disappointed. The schedule became too ambitious. And above all, a crack opened up: Disney's MCU was starting to crush all competition…
A cold war between Sony and Marvel Studios
When The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out, the tension was palpable among audiences, critics… and even the internal teams at Sony. The sprawling universe they had hoped for struggled to convince. In parallel, Marvel Studios was rolling out Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and the launch of the major MCU phases.
Sony could feel the wind changing. The studio tried to catch up, speeding up its announcements (a Sinister Six film, a Venom spin-off), but without the coherent, step-by-step structure of the MCU it all felt rushed. And then an unexpected event changed everything.
The 2014 Sony hack: a shockwave
In late 2014, Sony Pictures fell victim to a massive hack. Among the stolen data: internal emails revealing disagreements between producers, abandoned projects, and above all… secret discussions with Marvel Studios.
Yes, the first talks between Sony and Kevin Feige about bringing Spider-Man into the MCU were confirmed. The public discovered that Spider-Man could join the Avengers. The hype went through the roof instantly.
👉 The reaction online was unanimous:
- 🔥 Fans wanted Spider-Man finally "saved" by Marvel
- 🎯 Andrew Garfield was judged “incompatible” with the Disney universe
- 💥 The idea of a complete reboot started to spread
Kevin Feige enters the game
Faced with the chaos, Kevin Feige stepped in, and Sony chose to abandon The Amazing Spider-Man 3 altogether.
Behind the scenes, several factors weighed heavily in the balance:
- Andrew Garfield was reportedly sidelined after missing an official Sony event in Brazil, seen as a "lack of commitment"
- The producers wanted a "clean slate" to win Disney over
- The ASM3 scripts did not win everyone over (Gwen's resurrection, clones, an already confusing multiverse…)
And so, in early 2015, Sony made the historic deal official: Spider-Man joins the MCU. The reboot was launched, Tom Holland was cast, and the web-slinger appeared for the first time in Civil War.
But what Marvel gained… is exactly what Garfield's fans lost.
Fan frustration: the Spider-Man that never was
For a large part of the audience, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 has become a symbol: a sacrificed project, a hero cut off mid-flight. Gwen Stacy's tragic ending, Peter's more mature arc. But in 2015, with the arrival of Tom Holland, Garfield's universe was buried without ceremony. No conclusion. No farewell scene. Just a disappearance. And that void would feed a growing frustration…
The "Garfield Cut": viral nostalgia
The internet refused to let go. Hashtags appeared very quickly:
- 📢 #SaveTASM3
- 🕷️ #MakeTASM3
- 🎬 #BringBackAndrewGarfield
Fans were demanding a sequel, an ending, some respect for this alternative version of Peter Parker. All the more so since Garfield's popularity kept growing after acclaimed roles in Silence, Hacksaw Ridge and Tick Tick Boom. Many regret that Sony never made the most of his potential.
No Way Home: the unexpected comeback
And then… a miracle. In 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought this lost Spider-Man back to life. Garfield returned in a performance hailed as one of the best moments in the film. He plays a Peter who is more broken, more vulnerable, still haunted by Gwen's death. In some scenes he even steals the show from Tom Holland.
👉 That return set everything off again:
- 🔥 A new generation discovered Garfield and adored him
- 📈 Google searches for "Amazing Spider-Man 3" exploded
- 📬 Sony received thousands of messages demanding a sequel
The public said it loud and clear: Garfield deserves his conclusion. Not a reboot. Not a cameo. A real film. A real final arc.
A more grown-up Spider-Man… for a more grown-up audience
The strength of Garfield's Spider-Man is his melancholy. He does not live in the comfort of the Avengers. He loses. He falls. He gets back up. And that humanity speaks to an audience that has grown up too since the first films.
Towards a possible return… or a legend frozen in time?
Ever since No Way Home, the rumours of a real Amazing Spider-Man 3 have multiplied. Andrew Garfield has said several times that he "loves playing Peter Parker" and would be "open to a return, if the script is good". And at Sony, the parallel universe is developing at full speed with Venom, Morbius and soon Kraven the Hunter.
👉 Insiders even mention:
- 📽️ A solo Garfield film in the Venom universe
- 🤝 A temporary Sony / Marvel alliance around a live-action Spider-Verse project
- 🎬 A potential appearance in Secret Wars (2027)
But as things stand, nothing is confirmed. And fans swing between feverish hope and melancholy acceptance.
An abandoned film that became a cult classic
The Amazing Spider-Man 3 never came out… but it is more alive than ever in the minds of fans. It embodies that more adult, rawer, more emotional version of the hero. It has become an unmade cinematic myth, in the same league as Ben Affleck's Batman or Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars IX.
👉 And if you want to relive that unique atmosphere, dive into our full page on Spider-Man's enemies
🕸️ While you wait for TASM3… live your ideal Spider-Man
Whether you are a fan of Garfield, Tobey or Holland, you can bring your favourite version of the web-slinger to life:
- 🎭 Discover our Spider-Man costumes inspired by the different films
- 🕶️ Get the TASM look with our Spider-Man T-shirts, stylish and official
Boutique-Spiderman.fr is more than a shop: it is the whole world of the web-slinger in all its diversity, for demanding fans, devotees and nostalgics alike.
