Fela Kuti inspired my moves in Spider-Man – Andrew Garfield

Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield has revealed that the music and revolutionary spirit of late Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti influenced his portrayal of Spider-Man, particularly the way he moved in the superhero suit.

Garfield, who played Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man films and later returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home, made the disclosure during an appearance on the YouTube programme Track Star, in an episode testing his music knowledge.

The actor explained that he creates a playlist for every character he plays as part of his preparation process.

When he first landed the Spider-Man role, he began listening to Fela Kuti.“I create a playlist for every character I play. So I started listening to Fela Kuti when I first got Spider-Man, and there was something about the sound and the rhythm that was really useful to me for that character,” he said.

Garfield noted that Fela’s music helped him connect with both the physicality and the justice-seeking side of the character.

“There was something about suddenly being in touch with the body, but also justice-seeking, because obviously he was a revolutionary figure,” he explained.

He added that the influence extended directly to his performance in the suit: “And the way that I moved in that film, in the suit, has some inspiration from Fela and his music.”

Garfield said he was drawn to the power in Fela’s sound and sought to reflect a similar energy in his portrayal of the superhero.