Matt McDaniel over at Yahoo.com had the chance to talk with Marc Webb at the Wondercon. The main topic of discussion surrounded Peter Parker, and Webb’s decision to have Andrew Garfield play him.
Matt McDaniel: For you, what was the moment when you just knew that Andrew was the right guy to play Peter Parker?
Marc Webb: We tested a lot of really talented, wonderful young actors. And there was a moment when — I mean this sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. We were doing a scene that’s not in the movie, where he was eating a cheeseburger and telling Gwen to like calm down or to — trying to put her at ease, while he is eating food. And the way he ate this food — it was such a dumb task — such a dumb independent activity that you give to an actor to do, and he did it. [Laughs] I just felt like we were in a diner. We were in the back of the soundstage and I felt like there’s something in the way he embodied and committed to that really tiny minutia — I just hadn’t seen before. I can’t explain exactly what I felt like it worked, but that was it.
And then beyond that, I just felt he was a new face. That people didn’t have a lot of baggage [with him]. He sort of checked all the boxes. And there was this humor that he had and that he can do, and there was this emotional weight that he can do, but there’s also a physical capability that he can do. I think the moment was just watching that over and over again. There was something just compelling about his behavior, his physical behaviors that I thought people would really react to. I think that there’s the language of the script, which is words, often in dialogues. And then there’s the behavior that those words have to emerge from. And he’s a master of understanding of what’s going on underneath the surface.
They also touched base on some of the reactions surrounding the darker portrayal of Peter Parker.
MM: What reactions have you gotten from the fans to the trailers and other footage you’ve released that have surprised you?
MW: I think initially there was a little bit of hesitation amongst the community because they didn’t know what we were doing. And when the materials — when we have gone out and showed people the materials, people have really started to warm up to us, and I think that there’s been — recently, especially since the last trailer — there’s been this real groundswell of support. And when they see Andrew and Emma, there’s something that feels new and really special about it that’s fun.
I can’t say it’s totally surprising because when we were shooting it, you could feel that we’re doing something that felt real and different and new and it had its own identity and I think people are coming around to that.
To check out the rest of the interview, head on over to Yahoo. It’s a really great read. To get you in the mood for the upcoming film, check out the International Japanese Trailer below. It has a few more shots of the Lizard as well as a little more story tying Connors to Peter’s parents.