See full gallery on TechnoBuffaloEver heard the name Tom Holland? You will. He’s just been cast as the new Spider-Man, the role of a lifetime for a young actor; Holland is just 19, and means he’ll be a perfect fit for Marvel’s vision of a younger web slinger.
Holland’s appointment is surprising given the lineup of names that were rumored to be in the running. Compared to some of the candidates that might have been chosen, Holland’s portfolio is relatively light, with perhaps his most notable role coming in 2012’s The Impossible, which also stared Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts.
But that means very little to Marvel. The studio said it saw something special in Holland when he performed screen tests.
“It’s a big day here at Sony,” said Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, Tom Rothman. “Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job. The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding. I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception… For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actor, but Tom’s screen tests were special. All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”
Now that Spider-Man is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character is available to show up in future Marvel movies, as well as his own solo film, which is already scheduled to come out on July 28, 2017. There have been rumors the character will have a brief cameo in Captain America: Civil War, giving us a taste of what Holland has to offer in the role.
As one of the most beloved characters, Spider-Man has been a big presence in Hollywood over the past few years, though the recent reboot put out by Sony wasn’t quite as successful as everyone had hoped. With Marvel in charge, there’s an opportunity to cement the character’s status as an integral part of the MCU.
In addition to Holland’s casting, Jon Watts has been picked to direct. Watts has a new film coming out called Cop Car, which is set to hit theaters on Aug. 7, 2015.
Source: Marvel