Why did Andrew Garfield leave Frankenstein?

Guillermo Del Toro's epic take on Frankenstein has finally dropped on Netflix, with Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac receiving plenty of praise for their performances in the film.

The 2025 gothic period drama is already generating plenty of awards buzz, but fans might be surprised to know that another A-list actor was actually supposed to take on a leading role.

Andrew Garfield, best known for his performances in films like The Amazing Spider-Man, Hacksaw Ridge and The Social Network, was originally cast in the star-studded Netflix film.

Keep reading to find out why the star never appeared in Frankenstein, who replaced him and who else appears in the widely-discussed movie.

Andrew Garfield was originally set to play The Creature in the 2025 adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

However, he was forced to drop out of the role in early January 2024 due to scheduling conflicts, which were caused by the Hollywood strikes of 2023.

Director Guillermo Del Toro and make-up artist Mike Hill had only nine weeks to adapt a new look for Garfield's replacement, as they had originally spent nine months perfecting his take on The Creature.

Speaking to Vanity Fair about the tight turn-around, Del Toro admitted: "You can't be under more pressure than that."

Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi stepped in to replace Andrew Garfield in the role of The Creature opposite Oscar Isaac, who plays Victor Frankenstein.

Ultimately, this proved to be an excellent decision, as the actor has been receiving plenty of buzz for his performance.

Reviewer Peter Travers wrote: "As the Creature, Jacob Elordi conveys innocence, strength, sexuality and crushing sorrow."

While reviewer Kristen Lopez added: "Visually, Frankenstein is a feast of impeccable costumes and production design. And the first hour of the movie is thrilling, with Isaac in fine form. The second half is muted, but still has a power to it, coupled with a unique performance from Elordi."

Alongside Elordi and Isaac, other castmembers include famous horror actress Mia Goth, Inglourious Basterds star Christoph Waltz, All Quiet on the Western Front's Felix Kammerer and Game of Thrones legend Charles Dance.

The Netflix synopsis for Frankenstein reads: "A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation."

Frankenstein is available to stream on Netflix now.