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Kim Hollis: Do you think that Andrew Garfield is a rising star, or is he just another guy in a suit a la Brandon Routh? Similarly, do you think Emma Stone has the same heat now that she did a couple of years ago?

Brett Ballard-Beach: I have no real yen to see the current ASM series so that may temper my answer. I like Andrew Garfield, a lot more than I thought I once would, and in roles as diverse as The Social Network, Never Let Me Go or The Red Riding trilogy, he brings quirkiness, vulnerability, and not a little bit of unlikability, and I find that combo intriguing and perplexing. He is not someone I think should be in a tentpole franchise. I like Emma Stone as well but to answer the heat question: no. Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley have hit the zeitgeist and stolen thunder by playing action-oriented female protagonists. That may not be to Stone's liking but I don't think she does her talent any favors by "just" playing the romantic lead.

Edwin Davies: I'd put him squarely in the Brandon Routh camp, though I'd say that you could probably put Tobey Maguire there as well. Both men acquitted themselves well playing Peter Parker, and arguably Garfield is better in the role even if the films around him are far worse, but neither of them has or had much marquee value out of the suit. I kind of feel that Garfield was more of a rising star before the first Amazing Spider-Man film came out, back when people were saying it was a travesty that he didn't get an Oscar nomination for The Social Network, and he seemed like a promising young star waiting for a breakout role. He got that role in Spider-Man, but now he's just the guy who isn't Tobey Maguire. I feel that the same thing has happened to Emma Stone to an extent, in that she was definitely ascending before being cast as Gwen Stacy, but now she's saddled with a franchise that no one really cares about, and that has diminished the variety of roles that she seems to be taking. I get the feeling that both will do better work and become more interesting stars once they are free of Spider-Man.

Bruce Hall: Brandon Routh seems like a nice guy, but in my opinion there's no comparison here. Andrew Garfield is simply a better actor, and while I don't see him as a star, I believe he will continue to have success independent of Spider-Man. Color me mostly ambivalent about this new incarnation of Spider-Man, but I do like Garfield in the role a lot more than I thought I would. He's one of the bright spots in a somewhat uninspiring franchise that exists almost exclusively for its own sake.

I won't make any predictions, but I can see Andrew Garfield still enjoying solid C- level success many years from now, whereas I can see Brandon Routh making me a Venti White Chocolate Mocha.

Felix Quinonez: I always feel a bit torn about the impact taking a superhero role has on an actor's career. Yes, it gives them a level of recognition and audience awareness that they couldn't have dreamed of before. When an actor takes on one of these roles their careers become hot. But because of the contractual arrangements, usually, they wind up playing the character for so long that the buzz dies down by the time they're free to really pursue other roles.

But with Andrew Garfield, he already had buzz going before becoming Spidey and I think once he hangs up the webs he will have some of that buzz. But I really don't think having played Spider Man will knock his career out of the stratosphere.

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