2020 has been a rough year, but it has also been an exciting time for fans of the DC and Marvel franchises. News and rumors about Batman crossover casting, the Zack Snyder Justice League, the upcoming “The Flash” film, and updates on the Robert Pattinson Batman film have been released with lightning speed.
There has been plenty of speculation about the Untitled Spider-Man sequel as film as casting updates and rumors flood the internet. With the current cast confirmations, it is likely the film will be a Spider-Verse adaptation. Like the 2018 animated “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse”, we will see more than one Peter Parker/ Spider-Man. Three different actors have played the character since 2002, in seven films. That offers the possibility that dozens of actors could reprise their roles. Here is what we know right now.
Confirmed
Tom Holland has officially been cast to play Parker/ Spider-Man. Holland has been the most recent actor to portray the superhero in two films: “Spider-Man Homecoming”, and “Spider-Man Far From Home” film. His casting was the most obvious and one of the first confirmed.
Andrew Garfield, who portrayed Spiderman in two films (2012 and 2014), has also been cast. This casting announcement seemed to confirm that it would be a multi-verse adaptation.
Another interesting cast confirmation came when Kirstin Dunst was announced for the project. Dunst played Mary Jane Watson in three films (2002, 2004, and 2007), opposite Toby Maguire. Upon this announcement, fans began to wonder if Maguire would reprise the Spiderman role as well.
Zendaya has been cast to play MJ and has appeared in that role in the recent Tom Holland Spider-Man films. Most of the supporting cast from “Homecoming” and “Far from Home” return as well. This includes Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, and Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson.
A number of additional casting announcements further support the theory that the film would cross over to previous films. Jamie Fox has been cast as Electro. Fox’s portrayed this villain in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in 2014. Alfred Molina has been cast to reprise his role of the villain Doc Ock (Dr. Otto Octavius) from the 2004 “Spider-Man 2” film. Finally, Benedict Cumberbatch has signed on to play Doctor Strange. While not a former franchise character, it makes sense that a beloved Avengers character could help support Parker/ Spider-Man in the film.
Rumored
Both Willem Dafoe and Dane DeHaan are rumored to return as the Green Goblin/ Norman Osborn. Dafoe’s Green Goblin in the 2002 “Spider-Man” has long been considered the most haunting and formable foe Spiderman has faced.
Emma Stone is said to be close to signing on for a return as well. She portrayed Gwen Stacy in the 2012 and 2014 films opposite Andrew Garfield. Her character’s return would be particularly interesting as Gwen died in the 2014 film. The 2018 Spider-Verse film featured Gwen as a female Spider-powered character. Stone in a Spidey suit would cause major excitement and bring a big-name actress to the project.
According to Murphy’s Multiverse, which has accurately leaked Marvel secrets in the past, Charlie Cox has been cast as Daredevil. Cox played the role on the Netflix series that ran from 2015-2018. A contract clause prevented Cox from reprising the role for two years. That clause expired in November and Cox is now free to return. If Cox did sign on, we could hope for other Daredevil screen content. Could there be a feature film in the future? Cox would not be the first to have had a Daredevil film. Ben Affleck was Daredevil in the 2003 film of the same name. The movie was poorly reviewed and is often forgotten in the Superhero film universe. For now, it seems likely we will see Daredevil aiding Spider-Man in next year’s Spider-Man film. Daredevil’s day job could clearly come in handy. What superhero does not occasionally need the help of an attorney?
A Tobey Maguire return as Spider-Man is the most exciting recent rumor. Maguire’s Spider-Man has long been the fan-favorite. It has been nearly fifteen years since he last appeared in the role. Maguire portrayed the character in three films, starting in 2002, but has since done more work behind the scenes, as a producer, than in front of the camera. According to Just Jared, Maguire was spotted at a costume fitting in Los Angeles. It is clear Maguire is wanted, but will he join the project and reprise the role after all these years?
There is so much we still do not know about the new film, set for a December 2021 release. We will continue to follow the casting updates as they are confirmed.
Written by Michelle Haab
