As you may have noticed, superhero movies are very, very, very popular. With each new film there comes a high degree of excitement and anticipation, and also a period in which the studio works to find the right person the play the eponymous hero. With lesser-known properties like Guardians of the Galaxy, thereâs less passion with regards to what kind of actor fans think is the perfect fit for a character like Star-Lord. But with something like Spider-Man, everyoneâs got an opinion.
Youâre no doubt aware that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios came to an agreement recently that will see the two teaming up on a new Spider-Man film set for release in 2017, but the new iteration of the character will first be introduced in Marvelâs Captain America: Civil War. The casting of this new Spider-Man is paramount, as not only will he be leading his own franchise at Sony, but heâll be a part of the immensely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, so both parties obviously want to make sure they find the right actor.
We learned yesterday that Sony, who has final say over the casting of the character, is aiming to cast an actor who is younger than the 31-year-old Andrew Garfield (who was 28 when he first signed on for The Amazing Spider-Man). They are also planning on taking the character back to high school in the new Spidey films, so we have a bit of a narrower focus when it comes to considering candidates to play Spider-Man.
The most important thing to remember at this time is that we do not know anything about this Spider-Man. We have absolutely no idea what kind of Spider-Man this is, let alone whether itâs Peter Parker, Miles Morales, or a different iteration of the superhero altogether. As such, we canât definitely say âoh such-and-such is completely wrong for the character.â Some may fit better than others with our preconceived notions as to who Spider-Man is, but keeping an open mind is key.
With that being said, Iâve put together a list of 7 actors that I think deserve consideration for the role. They are all in the rough age range to play a high school Spider-Man, but again, Garfield was 28 when he pulled off teenage Peter Parker, so age is flexible.
As last nightâs report revealed that Logan Lerman (Fury) and Dylan OâBrien (The Maze Runner) are names that have already popped up as being under consideration, Iâve left them off of this list (I wouldâve included Lerman, by the way). And in the planning stages for this feature, there was considerable supporting amongst the Collider staff for Jack OâConnell (Unbroken) and Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), so consider them âhonorable mentionsâ.
Youâll notice from this list that Iâve singled out actors of a variety of ethnicities. Iâm going to say up front that I donât think only a white actor can play Peter Parker, and thereâs always the possibility that Marvel and Sony opt to use Miles Morales instead, a Spider-Man in the comics who is from African-American and Hispanic descent. So Iâm not separating these candidates between those who could play Parker and those who could play Moralesâall are worthy of filling the suit regardless. I think a color blind casting of Parker or whomever this next Spidey is would be refreshing and, in tandem with The Fantastic Four, the beginning of a hopeful new trend.
Without further adoâ¦
Click Over to Page 2 for 7 Actors That Could Play Spider-Man
Suraj Sharma (21)
Sharma is rather new to the acting scene, but he made a big splash in his feature film debut Life of Pi. The fresh-faced actor was able to carry Ang Leeâs adaptation alone for much of its runtime, more than proving his skills as a thespian. And he showed a different, darker side of himself in a recurring role on the most recent season of Showtimeâs Homeland. The guy has an innocence about him thatâs sweet and charming without coming off as naïve, but thereâs also a maturity to his demeanor as well that I think would work nicely with Spider-Man.
Thomas Mann (23)
This is a guy whose name you might not be too familiar with, but youâll certainly recognize his face. He had some solid supporting turns in films like Project X, Fun Size, and Beautiful Creatures, but heâs poised to break out further in this yearâs Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, the most buzzed-about film from yearâs Sundance Film Festival. Having seen Me and Earl I can vouch for Mannâs chops, and he shows in the film that heâs able to effortlessly swing from comedy to drama within the span of a few secondsâa necessity in the MCU. Heâs got a bit of an awkwardness to him that makes me think heâd be a swell fit for high school Spidey, but itâs an affable goofiness, not off-putting. If Sony and Marvel are going for more of an âoutsider teenagerâ vibe for the character, Mann seems like a solid fit.
Nick Robinson (19)
But if Sony and Marvel want someone a bit more âcoolâ or rebellious, Robinson may be the way to go. Some may know him from his series regular role on the ABC Family sitcom Melissa & Joey, but Robinson got his first big starring role in the 2013 indie The Kings of Summer. This year he tackles his first franchise with a supporting turn in Jurassic World (starring MCU member Chris Pratt), so heâll have experience both as a filmâs lead and with a large-scale, studio blockbuster. The guy did an excellent job of selling an odd arc in The Kings of Summer (the movieâs like a reverse Step Brothers), and he feels like a burgeoning young talent on the verge of breaking out. One can also imagine him effortlessly trading quips with Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans in the MCU.
Keith Stanfield (23)
This guy has been one to watch since his breakout turn in the 2013 indie Short Term 12, and heâs been very busy in the interim. He had a small but memorable (and heartbreaking) turn in last yearâs Selma, and he plays Snoop Dogg in this yearâs NWA film Straight Outta Compton. His acting chops are formidable, and with Short Term 12 he proved he can convincingly play someone of high school age, albeit with a bit of an edge. Again, we have no idea what Sony and Marvel are planning for this new Spider-Man, but Stanfield would be a really exciting choice.
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Luke Pasqualino (24)
Hereâs another name you may not know, but if youâve seen Snowpiercer, then youâve seen Pasqualino in action. He played the resourceful character Grey in last yearâs dystopian sci-fi film, showing off his action skills as he flew down the length of the train with burning torch in hand. Heâs got a pretty lengthy resume for a young actor, with regular turns on the UK series Skins and The Musketeers, as well as a leading turn as young William Adama in the TV movie Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. If Sony and Marvel want to go acrobatic with this new Spidey and hire an actor who can convincingly pull off some of the sure-to-be-swingtacular stunts, Pasqualino is certainly one to consider.
Shameik Moore (19)
This one is the liveliest of the candidates listed here. Moore is, again, a new talent, but he has a regular role on the Cartoon Network series Incredible Crew and gets his first starring role in the Sundance indie Dope, which is where he came to my attention. He plays a 90s-obsessed ânerdâ in that film with gleefulness, spunk, and a slight do-gooder awkwardness that makes me think heâd be an excellent choice for a young Spidey. Iâm aware that most of you probably arenât familiar with his name just yet, but trust me on this one.
Anton Yelchin (25)
Probably the most widely known name on this list, Yelchin could be a fascinating left-field choice for the role. You know him from his turns in Star Trek, Like Crazy, and Fright Night, and his eclectic filmography shows off some tremendous range. Heâs not an obvious pick to play a teenaged Spidey, but I think heâd be an interesting addition to the current lineup of superhero leads. The guy also has some finely tuned comic timing (as seen in the Trek films) that would come in handy while bantering with the folks in the MCU.
And that about wraps it up. Obviously this isnât a complete and final list, but these are a few of the talented young actors that first came to mind when I was thinking about the new Spider-Man. What say you, readers? Care to throw support behind one of the aforementioned actors, or do you have other alternate suggestions? Sound off in the comments below.
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For more on the new Spider-Man, peruse the recent links below:
- New SPIDER-MAN Movies Going Back to High School; First Spidey Contenders Emerge
- Sony Still Moving Forward with SPIDER-MAN Spinoffs; Kevin Feige Not Likely to Be Involved
- 3 Ways Spider-Man Could Enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Details of the Sony/Marvel Deal Revealed; Looking to Cast Younger Actor
- SPIDER-MAN Swings Into the MCU; Will First Appear in a Marvel Movie Before New Solo Film
- New SPIDER-MAN Movie Scheduled for July 28, 2017; Marvel Shifts Release Slate for Future Films