Earlier this week, the Latino review announced that they had heard a rumor of several people who had ALREADY been cast in the new Spidey solo film, which only just found its director, Peter Parker, and writers.
GIven that the Latino Review has a pretty good track record, anyone who follows the movie industry has to consider that Marvel may want the director and Vacation-turned-Spider-Man writers, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, to implement these people in the film no matter.
The rumored actors and actresses, along with the parts they are reportedly playing, are as follows: Jason Biggs as Scorpion, Billy Zane as Vulture, Hugh Laurie as J. Jonah Jameson, Miranda Cosgrove as Betty Bryant, Tyler Posey as Ned Leeds, Timothee Chamalet as Harry Osborn, Forest Whitaker as Robbie Robertson, Jacob Latimore as Flash Thompson, Rachel Fox as Mary Jane Watson, and Sami Gayle as Liz Allan.
Don’t worry, I’ll go through each person one-by-one, but here is the reality of the situation: If Marvel comes CLOSE to a John Hughes-esque superhero film with the Vacation writers, this film will clear a billion dollars no sweat. The writers, who are going to be more important on this film than the Marvel producers and Russo Bros., are “expected” to craft a film that grounds the character in a way that makes him relatable and funny. Who wouldn’t want Ferris Buehler’s Day Off meets Spider-Man 2? And who wouldn’t want to be a part of such a film? This will be the third Spider-Man in the last 15 years, but it will finally be produced and made with Marvel having some input and control. Having Spidey back in the MCU will be a pop culture event.
Honestly, I would be willing to be that half of these people ARE cast in the final film. Chamalet was rumored to be on Marvel’s first round of potential Peter Parkers, so Marvel and Sony know what he is capable of. He also looks like a rich kid with daddy-issues, but audiences know he can handle his own through projects such as Homeland and Interstellar.
Tyler Posey is a Teen Wolf-regular who is a bit older than the supposed high schoolers at 23, but he is the star of Teen Wolf, a series that gets favorable reviews and Posey is often singled out for his work. While he may not have Holland’s gravitas, he seems to have a bit more experience than the young-uns.
Tyler Posey in Teen Wolf
Billy Zane and Jason Biggs are not the oddballs that everyone may think. Zane has bounced around in films and tv projects from time to time, nothing really sticking out apart from The Phantom. Biggs is obviously of American Pie fame, but also is a part of the main cast of Orange is the New Black, a show that is not going anywhere anytime soon. Zane would be pretty inexpensive and Biggs’ previous work continues to reaffirm my belief that Marvel cares more about the comic book fans of Hall H who see these films than the ordinary cinemagoer.
Rachel G. Fox is such a specific, unknown actresses that they must have seen her audition or she must be somebody’s niece, as she is most likely to be known from her work on Desperate Housewives, a show that concluded in 2012. She does come off as relatively attractive and energetic to play Mary Jane Watson, and her work on such a serious show may mean she has the “thing” to channel the effects of MJ’s troubled family dynamic.
Miranda Cosgrove is my favorite casting choice as Betty Bryant on this list, but I don’t see her going back to high school at 22. Between iCarly and Drake & Josh, she could be in danger of being perpetually known as a high schooler. However, she is listed as the lead in a really interesting NBC comedy (I never thought I would write that sentence again) called Crowded. She would probably be one of the more expensive options on this list, as it looks like she has been consistently in demand and working since her days as Megan Parker.
Sami Gayle, a member of the cast of Blue Bloods, would be an interesting option, as she has worked with more experienced actors on that television show alone, an important quality to have in the MCU. But, considering how much Liz Allan and MJ factor into Peter Parker’s life, Marvel may wait to see what script Goldstein and Daley come up with before even looking for these actors.
I take issue with Jacob Latimore as Flash Thompson. I don’t have anything against the 18 year old African American actor-rapper-dancer, as I don’t really know of his work or music videos. However, Thompson is known and played as the dumb jock who is the victim to Peter Parker’s first experiments with his powers. To have a black character serve as a bully of a white kid we are supposed to sympathize with creates a caricature that Marvel has seemingly been unable to avoid as of late. Latimore may have that “it” factor that entices Marvel to consider keeping him around for a few films. Or he may just be a relatively inexpensive 18-year old actor who can work long hours on a set of a big budget movie.
Forest Whitaker seems like a good choice for a Robbie Robertson, if an actor of his caliber plays JJ. In the comics, Robertson and JJ go back and forth on how to best operate the Bugle, and seeing Laurie and Whitaker trade quip after quip could certainly leave audiences rolling around begging for more.
Hugh Laurie is the slam dunk, high priced option this film could use. He’s a very accomplished, versatile performer whose gruff demeanor as House could easily transfer to the excited and gruff J.Jonah Jameson. ‘Nuff said.
So, I think Chamalet, Laurie, Fox, and Zane are guarantees. Zane and Fox would not be as expensive as the other two. Chamalet is probably looking for a superhero franchise and Marvel already knows what to expect from him. Laurie would probably be paid the most and it could prove to be an interesting project for Dr. House. I would also warrant Biggs as being a strong possibility, but I haven’t seen Orange is the New Black and thus am unsure which direction he intends to steer his career.
Posey, Gayle, and Cosgrove are maybes. Posey is already a tv star on MTV’s Teen Wolf, and the show might go on past its guaranteed season six. Gayle is rumored for a character that isn’t a necessity for a Spiderman movie. Cosgrove will want to see a script first. She’s spent too much time in the business to just willy-nilly agree for a Marvel movie. Same goes for Whitaker, though he could be too expensive for the part he is asked to play.
I’m not sure it’s smart for Marvel to cast a black teenage boy as a character who is known as the face of all bullies for Peter Parker. Maybe I’m reading too much into the casting rumor, but hey, I’m not a producer.
As for the reported plot? It sounds very plausible. Mechanized suits would allow the MCU to incorporate Stark Industries, or even an Iron Man cameo, which would tie in Peter Parker to the MCU at large. Biggs’ comedic skills, when lent to the Scorpion, potentially allows the writers to emphasize that the villain is a joke he is so incompetent. I’m not sure how Zane would play Vulture, but hopefully these villains build personal connections with the audience before they are put away in the 11th hour.
But remember: this is all an immense, probably unhealthy, amount of speculation of a film that does not even have a script yet. What do you think? What actors and actresses do you want to see in the Spider-Man film in 2017? Let us know in the comments below!
