Andrew Garfield pictured in Spider Man suit

British actor Andrew Garfield is a step closer to hitting the silver screen donning one of the most famous costumes in cinema when he appears in the next instalment of Spider-Man.

Colombia Pictures have released the first image of the 27-year-old in the blue and red suit, which bears slight design alterations compared to the one worn by Tobey Maguire, who portrayed the character in three previous films.

Garfield has recently appeared in Lions for Lambs, Boy A, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and The Social Network and by the time he appears as Peter Parker in the 2012 release, a five year wait for Spider Man fans will be over.

Speaking to Details magazine recently, Garfield said of his preparation for the character: "I want to feel stronger than I've ever felt and I want to feel more flexible.

"I want to feel powerful. You don't want to just be a pack of meat - it has to be an open body. It does something to your psyche, and it does something to the way you move."