British actor Andrew Garfield has revealed that legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti heavily influenced his portrayal of Spider-Man.
The Amazing Spider-Man star made the disclosure while appearing on Trackstar Show’s YouTube series Testing Andrew Garfield’s Music Knowledge. Garfield explained that he routinely builds a unique playlist for every character he plays, and Fela’s music became a key part of his creative process after landing the superhero role.
“I create a playlist for every character I play, which is a lovely, fun thing to do anyway. 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.
Beyond the infectious grooves, Garfield said Fela’s revolutionary spirit helped him connect with Spider-Man’s sense of justice and physicality.
“There was something about suddenly being in touch with the body, but also justice-seeking, because obviously he was a revolutionary figure,” the actor explained. He added that the influence was visible in his movement while wearing the suit: “And the way that I moved in that film, in the suit, has some inspiration from Fela and his music.”
Garfield admitted he was captivated by the raw power in Fela’s sound and wanted to channel a similar energy into the character. “I was like, I don’t know what it is about this guy’s power that I want to somehow reflect in this guy’s power.”
The track playing during the segment was Fela’s 1975 classic “Water No Get Enemy” from the album Expensive Shit.