9 Actors Who Could Replace Tobey Maguire in the Rebooted Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire was very nearly replaced in Spider-Man once before when he balked at making the second film, forcing Sony to line up Jake Gyllenhaal as insurance. Still, we can't recommend that Gyllenhaal get excited by today's news that Sony will be recasting Peter Parker in the next installment, as the studio's intended high school reboot will almost certainly limit its potential casting pool to actors 18-25. Who's got the inside track, then? Movieline's gone ahead and picked out nine young thespians whose spider-sense should be tingling right now.
Johnny Simmons
Age: 23
Why It Could Work: As he showed in Jennifer's Body, Simmons has the kind of bashful, croaky charisma that evokes Maguire himself. Give him a haircut and he could almost be a dead ringer.
Why It Might Not: Hasn't yet proven himself in a lead role.
Logan Lerman
Age: 17
Why It Could Work: The Percy Jackson star turns 18 in a little over a week and certainly is the most convincing high-schooler on this list.
Why It Might Not: If Percy becomes a big hit, 20th Century Fox will want to rush Lerman into a sequel as soon as possible (which will limit his availability).
Aaron Johnson
Age: 19
Why It Could Work: Johnson is the right age and has the right look, and he's got the nerdy superhero thing working for him in the upcoming Kick-Ass...
Why It Might Not: ...but it also works against him. How can Johnson have two separate superhero franchises where one practically parodies the idea of the other?
Zac Efron
Age: 22
Why It Could Work: Aside from the unavailable Twilight duo of Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, Efron possibly has the most marquee value of any male actor in his age group. After leaving High School Musical, he's ready for his next franchise and certainly athletic enough to convince as Spider-Man.
Why It Might Not: Is Efron too big a star for the franchise? Sony might want a relative unknown that the studio can pay peanuts, not an actor who'd command an eight-figure paycheck right off the bat.
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Comments
Chris Colfer, with a twist.
Anton Yelchin could seem like a good idea. Unlike that movie.
Actually, I had Anton in my original piece and I think it accidentally got cut from the post's publication. (I'd imagine people were wondering why there were 8 suggestions instead of the promised 9!) It's back now, so take a look.
What, no Sam Worthington?
You know my thoughts on Sam!
worthington could never pass as a teenager.
the better (in terms of appearing the age) would be "what no Pattinson" (or Lautner if that's your team)
personally I think they should go for a more indie approach and find some fellow that is known on TV or as supporting roles and not another big name.
I think Zac will be more suitable than any..!
This conversation is so depressing ... there was nothing wrong with Maguire and Raimi. Nothing. Raimi ran because the studio wanted to jam the new flick with villains - rarely a good thing.
Rebooting a solid franchise with great talent makes no sense ... unless you're desperately chasing the tween set. And didn't the "Spidey" films make a ton of dough as is? Why fix what's not broken? Sad all around.
I think Zac would do. He was good in 17 Again, much better than I expected after those crappy HSM movies.
someone recommended Joseph-Gordon Levitt... I like the idea
If Zac Efron is chosen I refuse to watch the movie then. Zac is a good actor but this role just doesnt seem like him to me. He just isnt the face I wanna see when the mask comes off.
You should use a newer Zac Efron pic. That one is gross and 3 years old. He looks so much fitter now, see http://i47.tinypic.com/dcdj02.jpg
Honestly, James Franco is the best choice. I'm aware he's cast already as Harry Osborn in the series; the writers will just have to get really creative.
What about Zach Gilford from the TV show "Friday Night Lights." He's become a talented/versatile actor. On FNL you see he's capable of the nerdy, dorky and "just doesn't fit in" way about Peter Parker and then he conveys confidence, subtle arrogance/sarcasm and athletic ability known of Spiderman.
Since they're rebooting the franchise they should start with a lesser known actor and/or cast so the film is about the story and characters surrounding Spiderman rather than the actors.
Just as important to the reboot as who plays Peter Parker/Spiderman is the reboot of their inner monologues. The great story of Spiderman is Peter Parker didn't have a mentor/role model to learn the ropes from. The inner monologue allows viewers deeper perspective/understanding how a dorky teenage Peter Parker learns, understand and embraces these newfound abilities and the great responsibilities which compliment them.
"Is Efron too big a star for the franchise? Sony might want a relative unknown that the studio can pay peanuts, not an actor who’d command an eight-figure paycheck right off the bat."
Eight-figure paycheck?! LOL, only in Zac's dreams.
What about the Dude From New Moon?
He's only 17 right...whats his name...
Taylor Lautner.
would be a hit with the girls
Jake should have been Peter Parker in the first place.
Peter Parker is supposed to be geeky, but handsome once he'd come out of his shell, as can be seen in Spiderman comics. Macguire never fit that bill and always looked like an awkward geek. Gyllenhaal was a perfect fit to cover both sides of Parker.
I don't see the point in a reboot though. Even though S3 was terrible, the other two were fine.
Efron would be interesting.
The character itself brings the fanboys but Efron could bring the fangirls on top of it. He's been way better post-HSM than people give him credit for.
This item should be retitled "What The Hell Is Wrong With Your Hair? Kids Today!"
Well, Zac Efron certainly has that healthy orange of a radioactive spider bit victim!
Yea, Zac would be perfect. It'll also draw more chicks in too. Also, don't use foreign actors for somethng so American! Getting sick of tat!
I like Zac Efron, but he's just too cliche for this franchise. I would much rather see someone new, and there were great choices on this list. I have a soft spot for Johnny Simmons. I thought he was extremely likable in "Jennifer's Body," which I thought kicked ass.
But I'm also against this "reboot/do-over" idea completely.
Penn Badgley! he can be Peter Parker
If they're looking for a somewhat unknown actor, I would highly recommend Reiley McClendon for the role. He's been in a couple of movies, but is probably more well known for some remarkable guest spots he's done on TV series. One of the most memorable was in the episode "Identity" of "Law & Order: SVU" in which he played identical twin boys, one of whom had - unbeknownst to either him or his brother - been raised as a girl. Reilly does a magnificent job of not only playing against himself, but also in creating 2 very distinct characters, one of whom believes he's female.
He's only 19, but he's been acting since he was about 8 years old, is pretty good looking and can handle the range a role like Peter Parker/Spiderman would require.
Agreed. Even though I didn't care for SM3, I don't think that one dud film out of a three-part series calls for a reboot! They just need to make the next one awesome. If they reboot the series (I'm getting so sick of that), I don't think I'll bother to watch them.
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