We can’t yet tell you who is playing Peter Parker and his costumed alter ego, Spider-Man, in the planned Marvel franchise reboot that the studio will make with Sony. But for today, at least, we can take one name off of the list of potential candidates wanting to slip into the legendary role, thanks to a tweet from an actor who was in the running.
Chandler Riggs plays Carl on AMC’s The Walking Dead. He took to Twitter to reveal that he’s not getting the part of Peter Parker, and he hashtagged #CaptainAmericaCivilWar for a couple of different reasons. From all that we know, Spider-Man will make his MCU debut in Joe and Anthony Russo’s Cap sequel. The movie is filming in Atlanta as we speak (where Riggs is from). And so whomever they cast as Spider-Man will have to appear in a few scenes in Civil War, and then start preparing for his role in the 2017 solo movie that Marvel’s developing with Sony.
Now, if Chandler Riggs is hearing that he did NOT get the part, that likely means that the studios have settled on the actor that they DO want to cast in the role. The most recent reports have put Asa Butterfield (of Ender’s Game and Hugo) and Tom Holland (of The Impossible) as the leaders of the pack to land the coveted superhero gig. Some web sites that track this process religiously claim that Butterfield has been telling people the job is his. But we also know that Spider-Man doesn’t have to report to the Civil War set until July – after San Diego Comic-Con, even – so the casting process might linger for a little while longer.
Chandler Riggs seems like he would have fit the mold of what Marvel potentially is looking for in their new Peter Parker. He’s 15 years old, and Marvel has said that they want a high-school-aged actor who can grow into the role of Spider-Man over the years. He has that lanky, gangly look of a dweeby Peter Parker. I don’t watch The Walking Dead, though. Can the kid act?
As filming continues on Captain America: Civil War, I’m guessing we’ll learn the identity of the actor hired to play Spider-Man before this month is out. It’s too big of a secret to keep under wraps, so stay tuned.
