It’s about time. After months of speculation, Marvel and Sony have finally agreed on who will play Spider-Man in the third cinematic incarnation of the character. The studios also found a director.
Tom Holland, who starred in The Impossible with Naomi Watts and appeared in the PBS mini-series Wolf Hall, will star as the web-slinger. Holland is just 19, so that falls in line with rumors that Marvel was looking for a younger Spider-Man after Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield had the role in previous films.
The casting isn’t a complete surprise. Holland has been mentioned in several reports about shortlists for the role. However, many suspected that Asa Butterfield (Hugo) was the top pick. But by early this month, it looked like their opinion of him had changed.
Jon Watts, who directed Kevin Bacon in the 2015 Sundance movie Cop Car, has been picked to direct. His previous experience includes several shorts and videos for The Onion. He also helmed 2014’s Clown. His hiring certainly continues Marvel’s love of getting indie directors early in their career to helm blockbusters.
Although the new Spider-Man movie will be a Sony production, it will be done in cooperation with Marvel and will be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, Holland is expected to make his Peter Parker/Spidey debut in Captain America: Civil War next year. The solo film will be released on July 28, 2017.
“As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life,” Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige said in a statement. “ We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”
“Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world. With [Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman], we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” co-producer Amy Pascal added.
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image of Tom Holland courtesy of INFphoto.com