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In 2002, Tobey Maguire became the first to bring a live-action Spider-Man to the screen, followed by Andrew Garfield in the 2012 reboot. In 2016, Tom Holland took on the role when Spider-Man officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Despite now being widely acclaimed as the best Spider-Man, Holland almost didn’t land the part. The casting process was challenging, with over 1500 actors auditioning. Given the collaboration between Disney and Sony, pleasing two major studios added complexity to the decision.
Holland, a relatively unknown actor at the time, secured the role through successful screen tests alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. Having played Spider-Man in six films, Holland has become synonymous with the character. However, it’s interesting to consider the alternate possibilities, as many other young and well-known actors were considered for the role before Holland ultimately clinched it. As of November 5, 2023, additional names of actors who almost played Spider-Man in the MCU have been speculated.
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Actors Almost Cast as MCU Spider-Man
Asa Butterfield
When it came to casting Spider-Man in the MCU, the final contenders were Tom Holland and Asa Butterfield. Both actors did a screen test with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans for Captain America: Civil War. Asa Butterfield, known for his role in Sex Education, really wanted the part of Peter Parker but lost out on it.
In a 2020 interview with Collider, Butterfield expressed his disappointment, saying, “Every so often, there’s a part you really want, and you put your heart and soul into it, and you don’t get it. It’s tough and it’s disappointing, but something better often comes out of it in the end.” Despite not getting Spider-Man, he went on to do Sex Education, stating, “I wouldn’t have been able to do both of those at the same time.”
Butterfield acknowledged Tom Holland’s excellent portrayal of Peter and the success it brought to the character in the MCU, saying, “Tom did amazing things with Peter, and he had an entirely different portrayal of him, and I think it’s worked so well in the universe and in that part, and I don’t think I could do it.” Despite the initial disappointment, Butterfield embraced a positive outlook, concluding, “So I think all things work out in the end.”
Dylan O’Brien
Dylan O’Brien, the Maze Runner franchise lead, gained early online attention in 2015 when Marvel and Sony revealed plans to introduce a new Spider-Man to the MCU. Despite fan enthusiasm for him to play Peter Parker, O’Brien wasn’t seriously considered for the role. This was due to his ongoing commitment to filming Teen Wolf, making it logistically challenging to take on both projects simultaneously.
Logan Lerman
Logan Lerman, much like Dylan O’Brien, gained significant traction as a fan-favorite choice for the role of Spider-Man online. Despite widespread enthusiasm and speculation, it seems that he never formally tried out for the part, as revealed in a 2020 GQ interview where Lerman expressed his lack of interest in taking on a superhero role.
Nat Wolff
Similar to the speculation surrounding O’Brien, the internet was abuzz with rumors in 2015 suggesting that Nat Wolff, propelled by the success of his movie Paper Towns, was among the top choices for the role of Spider-Man. Contrary to the hearsay, Wolff clarified in an interview that he had never been approached for an audition. Interestingly, he learned about the rumors from his younger cousin.
Liam James
In contrast to the three earlier candidates on our list, Liam James found himself in contention for the role of Spider-Man alongside Tom Holland. Although there is no public record of him discussing the audition process, James, known for his role in the 2013 film The Way, Way Back, has seen success in his career. Despite not landing the role of Peter Parker, he secured a prominent position as one of the main characters in Netflix’s sci-fi series, The Deadly Class, which aired from 2018 to 2019. Additionally, he played a role in the 2023 HBO limited series, The White House Plumbers, which focused on Nixon’s political operatives during the Watergate scandal.
Dylan Minnette
Dylan Minnette, best recognized as Clay in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, revealed in a BuzzFeed interview that he auditioned for the role of Spider-Man but didn’t put forth his best effort. At that point in his career and life, he felt unprepared to fully commit to such a significant role. Minnette expressed admiration for Tom Holland’s outstanding performances as Spider-Man, acknowledging that Holland was the perfect fit for the part. Fortunately, Minnette’s career took a positive turn, finding success with his alt-rock band Wallows, which released its second album, “Tell Me That It’s Over,” in 2022. In the acting realm, he also secured roles in projects like Scream (2022) and the acclaimed miniseries The Dropout, depicting the story of Elizabeth Holmes.
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Timothée Chalamet
While Timothée Chalamet is currently a highly sought-after actor globally, he was relatively unknown in the industry when he auditioned for the role of Peter Parker. Despite being shortlisted and going through auditions, he ultimately lost the part to Tom Holland. Chalamet revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “I read twice, and I left sweating in a total panic.” Interestingly, Tom Holland, who secured the role of Spider-Man, has expressed interest in seeing Chalamet as a potential antagonist in future Spider-Man projects.
Judah Lewis
Judah Lewis, one of the youngest actors to audition for Spider-Man: Homecoming at the age of 14, could have portrayed Peter Parker at his actual age. Despite Lewis’s consistent roles in films like The Christmas Chronicles and Babysitter, the role ultimately went to Tom Holland. While Lewis’s age might have been more fitting for the character, it likely posed scheduling challenges as younger actors often have restrictions on their filming hours, and the production needed someone capable of full days on set.
Charlie Plummer
Charlie Plummer, despite being considered for the role of Spider-Man and having showcased his acting skills from a young age in Boardwalk Empire, didn’t secure the part in the end. While he may not have embodied Peter Parker in the same way as Tom Holland, Plummer has found success in other projects. He notably starred in the well-received Looking for Alaska miniseries and earned praise for his outstanding performance in National Anthem, a 2023 drama film directed by Luke Gilford, where he explores queer identity as a rancher in a rural setting. Despite missing out on the Spidey role, Plummer’s career has flourished with diverse and compelling roles.
Charlie Rowe
Charlie Rowe, the second actor named Charlie on this list, gained popularity among fans when the shortlist of screen-tested actors was unveiled in 2015. Not only does he share the same age as Holland, but he is also a fellow Londoner and the only actor, apart from Holland, to undergo screen tests twice.
Despite being disappointed about not securing the role, the star of “The Salvation” handled the situation gracefully. He expressed his congratulations to his friend Tom Holland, tweeting, “Well done @TomHolland1996, glad that Tom’s a mate, pleased for him. I thought I could’ve made quite a good Spider-Man.”
Matthew Lintz
Matthew Lintz, known for his role in The Walking Dead, originally auditioned as the youngest actor for the role of Peter Parker. Although he was deemed too young for the MCU in 2015, he eventually became part of it in 2022 by portraying Bruno Carrelli in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.
Josh Hutcherson
Josh Hutcherson’s career has been notable, starting as a child star in films like “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Zathura.” He gained worldwide recognition for his role as Peeta Mellark in “The Hunger Games” series, which concluded in 2015. Interestingly, around the time he secured the part in “The Hunger Games,” Hutcherson also auditioned for the role of Spider-Man in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Despite his audition, the role ultimately went to Andrew Garfield. Although Hutcherson wouldn’t have been part of the official MCU Spider-Man, there’s a hypothetical scenario where he could have been a multiverse variant meeting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Andrew Garfield
After Andrew Garfield played Peter Parker in the second reboot of the popular film series, there were discussions about him reprising the role for future sequels. However, plans changed when Sony and Marvel Studios decided to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As part of the integration, Garfield was informed that he would be replaced in Captain America: Civil War and subsequent solo reboots, with Tom Holland ultimately taking on the role.
Interestingly, in 2012, there was a close call for Garfield’s Spider-Man to be part of the MCU when The Avengers nearly featured a visual Easter egg of Oscorp Tower from the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man film in the New York City skyline. This small inclusion could have had significant implications for both the Spider-Man franchise and the MCU as a whole. Despite the earlier changes, Garfield’s much-discussed appearance alongside Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home has sparked hopes among fans that he might return to the iconic role once again.
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