With Spider-Man set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we thought we’d share a few of our potential casting choices for the character.
It’s been a long time coming for Spider-Man to return home to Marvel, and though we’re sad to see Andrew Garfield go, we’re kind of excited at the possibility of a fresh start for the character. But with so many directions Spider-Man could go in, where do we begin to decide who should take up the mantle next?
We’ve broken our choices down into three sections, to cover all of our bases: Teenage Peter, the character we’re arguably most familiar with thanks to both Maguire and Garfield; Adult Peter, who was most notably present during the Civil War storyline in the comics; and, finally, Miles Morales, who becomes Spider-Man after Peter’s death in the Ultimates universe.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on where Marvel and Sony might take the character, and your own casting choices. So don’t forget to leave us a comment and let us know! Without further ado…
Where You’ve Seen Him: Teen Wolf, The Maze Runner
O’Brien has made no secret about his desire to play Peter Parker on the big screen. With as much passion as he has for the character, you know he’d be treated with the care and dedication he deserves in his hands.
But does he have the acting chops to match? O’Brien’s work as Stiles on Teen Wolf, has seen him go from comedic relief, to villain, and back again with unbelievable ease. His strong, central performance in The Maze Runner also proved that he could balance both dramatic and understated moments with his action sequences, all of which would be important to tackle Spider-Man.
Where You’ve Seen Him: Percy Jackson, The Perks of Being A Wallflower
No stranger to a blockbuster or two, Lerman has been holding his own against some admittedly huge stars for years — something that’d be sorely needed when starring in a movie with Robert Downey Jr. et al.
Whilst his work on Percy Jackson showcased his ability to take on a big-budget franchise, his role in Perks gave him the room to deliver one of his most heartfelt and dramatic performances to date. He’s certainly one of the industry’s brightest young talents, and is much improved from his early days on screen. Spider-Man would be a perfect culmination of everything he’s learnt.
Where You’ve Seen Him: Ned Declassified, Franklin & Bash
This choice may be a little less obvious, but Werkheiser definitely has the look down for Peter Parker. He’s not quite as tried and tested as many of the other actors on this list, but Marvel has a habit of making stars — rather than hiring them from the offset.
His recent work on the Franklin & Bash episode “Deep Throat” — which we highly recommend checking out — saw Werkheiser as a high-school journalist that certainly gave off some strong Peter Parker vibes. We’d love to see what he could make of the role if given the chance.
Where You’ve Seen Him: Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler
Back when rumors of Maguire’s unlikely return to play Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2 were running rampant, Gyllenhaal seemed all but set to take over the role.
That particular rumor never came to pass, but we’d love to see Gyllenhaal take on an older and more seasoned Peter Parker. He definitely has the tried and tested acting ability behind him to tackle the meaty subject matter coming up in Civil War. He also fits Parker’s aesthetics particularly well.
Where You’ve Seen Him: (500) Days of Summer, Inception
Sure, Gordon-Levitt has appeared over on the DC side of comic-book adaptions before, but what’s to say he couldn’t jump ship now that Nolan’s Batman trilogy is done? It almost feels inevitable that we’ll eventually see Gordon-Levitt in a Marvel movie.
(500) Days of Summer proved that he can nail humor with a dry, sarcastic edge, but he’s also a well-season dramatic actor — both in blockbusters, and critically-acclaimed independent movies. We could see Gordon-Levitt easily stepping into the role of an elder Peter, and he’d certainly provide us with a memorable performance.
Where You’ve Seen Him: How to Train Your Dragon, This is the End
This may not be the most obvious choice, but we feel as though Baruchel would be a nice fit for a more adult Peter Parker. He’s a fantastic comedic actor, and his voice work on How to Train Your Dragon proves that he knows how to inject some hard-hitting emotion into a scene.
We’d love to see him step out of his comfort zone a little and really sink his teeth into Spider-Man. He has the right look, the inherent geekiness, and Marvel are well known for taking their chances on some lesser known (and sometimes unknown) names in the industry.
Where You’ve Seen Him: Community, Ultimate Spider-Man (kinda)
Donald Glover is no stranger to having his name bandied about when it comes to the role of Spider-Man. During the #Donald4spiderman campaign in 2010, Stan Lee even famously backed him to take up the mantle. With a recast on the horizon, now would be the perfect time to see Glover join the franchise.
He’s even the voice of Morales in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, making him already familiar with the character. The only thing working against his favor is his age — at 31, he’s much older than the Morales from the comics. But what’s to say they can’t adjust the role to suit?
Where You’ve Seen Him: Harry Potter, How to Get Away with Murder
Enoch came crashing back onto the scene in Shonda Rhimes’ How to Get Away with Murder, and has swiftly become a fan-favorite. And it’s no wonder, with the way he’s kept us on the edge of our seats week on week. He’s certainly been able to showcase his dramatic (and sometimes comedic) acting on the show, which makes us confident in his ability to play Morales.
He’s also familiar with the workings of a franchise, and his experience on Potter would definitely come in handy if he made the move to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Where You’ve Seen Him: Attack the Block
Sure, it’s entirely possible that Boyega will be tied up with Star Wars for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t make us want him for Spider-Man any less.
You need only look to Attack the Block for our reasons why. Boyega perfectly encapsulates every facet we’d want to see on our screens from the webslinger — from sometimes shy and a little unsure, to ready for action in an instant. He’d tackle Morales’ reluctance to take up the Spider-Man mantle and growth into a hero with ease.