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Spider-Man 4 casting rumors a tangled web

January 14th, 2010
Author David Pepose

First, a disclaimer — I don’t believe this, considering there’s absolutely no primary sources on any of this. But maybe you’ll enjoy the lulz or something. Then again, I thought the same thing when I heard about Sony rebooting this franchise, so you never know, right?

A couple of gossip sites, including Daily Fill, are reporting that Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson could be on the short list to play the all-new, all-younger Peter Parker in the 2012 Spider-Man film. I think that even if they could surgically remove Pattinson’s evocative haircut, it might be a tough sell — but then again, check out these clips from the Bad Mother’s Handbook, in which he played quite the geek:

Other names that Daily Fill used were Michael Cera (I just felt a great disturbance in the Force typing that, as if millions of fans suddenly cried out in terror, and then were suddenly silenced) or Chace Crawford (a name I’ve seen pop up a couple of times in regards to this, actually). What say you, Rama readers? Who would you pick to play your friendly neighborhood webslinger?

 
25 Responses to “Spider-Man 4 casting rumors a tangled web”
  1. EvolutionAngel Says:

    Zack Ephron! Yeah I said! lol

  2. Myron Says:

    I know I am going to catch a lot of heat for this but they should actually cast someone between 16 and 18 for the role. Then each sequal could catch Peter at the different stages of his life without the audience suspending their belief too much during the later movies.

  3. Billy Says:

    Well, seeing as how the plan is for a teen-aged Peter Parker, I wouldn’t cast any of the mentioned actors, all obviously in their mid twenties. Just a thought.

  4. Martin Says:

    Michael Cera ruins every movie he’s in.

  5. Scott William Foley Says:

    He’s too old, but I’d love to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt try on the booties. (What do you call them?)

  6. chris Says:

    Spiderman would be so hot.

  7. J. Dinkhouse Says:

    Somebody new who can be funny! Dammit!

  8. darthphere Says:

    Anton Yelchin.

  9. Vinnie Bartilucci Says:

    Wow, that made my eyeballs throw up.

  10. hguwj Says:

    CAUGHT IN A WEB REMOVED FROM THIS WORLD.

  11. Kev Says:

    I’d be happy with him in the role, after watching the video he could certainly pull off Peter in high school, and he’d bring the Twilight fans with him. But he is a little bit too old, and I’m not sure if he’d want to join another franchise after Harry Potter and Twilight.

  12. John Pontoon Says:

    Here are my fave replacements for Tobey Maguire:
    1. Mark McGwire
    2. Mark Ruffalo
    3. Barney Rubble
    4. Recently deceased performance poet Bingo Gazingo (plot would obv have to derive from “Marvel Zombies”)
    5. Jay Reatard (ibid.)

  13. Shaun Says:

    Leavitt might work, as he can play young… But Yelchin? Honestly? I know I’m one of the few who didn’t like the Abrams Star Trek movie(I finally saw it awhile back), but even so Yelchin was dreadful. No way I’d go see him play Spidey.

  14. Shaun Says:

    Sorry, Levitt. Gordon-Levitt, that is.

  15. jennifer Says:

    If sony pictures would like to waste money on a movie that quite obviously will flop then i say replace with anyone. As it won’t really matter spiderman fans have obviously became comfortable with Toby Mcguire as the main star. And any other actor will bring the franchise down. Sony i urge you to rethink your actions or can the 4th installment all together.

  16. Sean Says:

    They should cast Mitchel Musso as Parker, I think he could pull it off well.

  17. Wendell Says:

    I’m not trying to be negative here, but…

    (in my opinion)

    …regardless of the lead actor (new director or even the selection of the next villain), the Spiderman movie franchise reached its peak with Spiderman 3 and (IMO) it’s highly unlikely that any new Spiderman movie will break or even reach box office records it achieved previously. Despite unprecedented box office success, (due largely in part to the quality of the advertisement and hype, more than the movie itself), Spiderman 3 was a colossal failure, as far as content and substance are concerned and personally, I just don’t believe that the franchise will EVER see the stellar box office numbers it experienced [with Spiderman 3]. Even if Robert Pattinson gets the lead role for Spiderman 4, the tweenie-boppers (IMO) aren’t going to be AS anxious or excited to see their heartthrob as the nerdy Peter Parker or the spandex wearing Spiderman, as they were when seeing him in Twilight.

    What Sony is over-estimating and miscalculating by gambling to use Pattinson (or any heartthrob for that matter) in the lead role is that such interest and groupie appeal thereafter are NOT guaranteed solely on the use of THAT type of actor, but that the tweens see him in what they perceive to be an authentic love story. Despite Sam Rami’s best efforts to convey the chemistry and love between Peter Parker and Mary Jane on the big screen, the Spiderman movies are not recognized for their “theme of love”, whereas Twilight is. Twilight is this generation’s Romeo & Juliet and Pattinson’s popularity sky-rocketed as a result of his role in it, primarily because he is a YOUNG, good looking actor in the lead role of a very strong love story. It wasn’t because of his acting abilities, it was because of the movie’s love-theme factor, which the Spiderman franchise failed to portray. Another example of the love factor…Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic. Dicaprio rose to “Tween Godhood” in Titanic, because his [lead] character was the YOUNG, artistic, hopeless romantic in an endearing love story. Pattinson experienced the same success with Twilight, whose tween-factor will NOT necessarily garner the same results when portraying a character who is, for the most part a “geek” and spends time swinging through New York city as a costumed superhero. I don’t believe that the Pattinson/tween-heartthrob factor is going to work in a superhero-type movie, because typically, action and adventure are the primary themes of these types of movies, not love and it’s the love factor that brings the female tweens to see their heartthrobs in movies, not action and adventure.

    All that being said, whether Sony uses Pattinson or not, the Spiderman movies have unfortunately seen their best days. From here on out, the franchise won’t achieve (or surpass) box office numbers like it did with Spiderman 3.

    Just my opinion.

    I do wish Spiderman 4 the best success though, simply because I enjoy superhero movies. I support the [comic book] character(s) however, more so than I do the studios, directors or actors who bring them to life on the big screen or TV.

    Longtime comic book reader/fan.

  18. soonson Says:

    WTF is this! ridicuolus!
    that Everwood kid Gregory Smith should be spider man

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  20. Spiderman Coloring Pages Says:

    I wish they would get unknowns for all the roles, save the money and use it on the special effects instead. after all the hero wears a mask (or he should)

  21. lance s. Says:

    hey sony i agree with the last post,,,,u think replacing an actor whos does 3 movies as spidey with some lackluster bonehead who cant act,,,,stick with tobey,,,otherwise yr lookin at a bigger FLOP than andy dicks career. furthermore we as spidey fans are comfy with tobey as said before he is the “perfect” choice as a young peter parker….so get your act together sony pictures,, i dont care what anyone says if u cant finish a franchise with its main star,,then dont even shoot spidey four cuz i wont go watch it..thank you.

  22. lance s. Says:

    i have two words for you Sony Pictures
    “smoke and mirrors” do what u can to get tobey mcquire back in as the timid hero peter parker. you have the responsibility to cater to the fans stick with what u kno,,,didnt spiderman bring in some major pocket change on the first movie? well,,,,,sounds like a winning team in my opinion plus its good business

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