Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield has revealed that the music and revolutionary spirit of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti influenced the way he approached his portrayal of Spider-Man.
Garfield, who played Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), said Fela’s sound and rhythm became part of his preparation for the role, helping him explore the physicality, confidence and energy required to inhabit the superhero character.
Speaking during an appearance on Track Star, Garfield explained that he creates a music playlist for every character he plays. When he was cast as Spider-Man, Fela Kuti quickly became part of that process.
“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,” Garfield said.
The actor said Fela’s music also helped him connect with Spider-Man’s physical presence and his pursuit of justice, drawing a connection between the musician’s revolutionary persona and the moral dimension of the superhero.
“There was something about suddenly being in touch with the body, but also justice-seeking, because obviously he was a revolutionary figure,” he explained.
Garfield went further, revealing that Fela’s influence could be felt in the way he physically moved while wearing the Spider-Man suit.
“And the way that I moved in that film, in the suit, has some inspiration from Fela and his music,” he said.
The revelation builds on comments Garfield made during the promotion of The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, when he also mentioned listening to Fela Kuti while preparing for the role and developing the confidence, agility and physical freedom he wanted to bring to Spider-Man.
Fela’s influence resurfaced in Garfield’s September 2026 Track Star music session, where “Water No Get Enemy,” the 1975 classic from the album Expensive Shit, featured among the songs discussed during the programme.
More than two decades after Fela Kuti’s death, the revelation offers another glimpse into the enduring reach of his music. His Afrobeat rhythms, distinctive physicality and revolutionary spirit continue to find audiences and creative applications far beyond the Nigerian music scene.
For Garfield, Fela was not simply music for a playlist. His sound became part of the actor’s process of understanding the body, energy and sense of purpose behind one of Hollywood’s most recognisable superheroes.
