Those of you who checked my previous fan casts will know for my casts I’ve taken on a bit more a generic view with casting, those of you who don’t, just to make it clear; rather than cast one specific film entry in a franchise I decided to cast of characters I’d expect to be around in a ‘5 year’ window of the Marvel universe/existence of the Avengers (yes, I’m inspired by the New 52), and who will hopefully crop up in Marvel’s future films.
Spider-Man is one of my favourite superhero and fictional characters around, but if I'm being honest I couldn't help but feel disappointed by his recent outing in The Amazing Spider-Man. It definitely got some things right, but ultimately it was a poor successor to the Sam Raimi series- here’s just hope the sequel rectifies things. My dislike with the last Spider-Man film mainly comes with it's bipolar attempt at using the Christopher Nolan approach to a character that it doesn't really fit with- Webb (despite having humour present) seemed to try and be too dark and gritty; clearly drawing influence from The Dark Knight trilogy. If I had my way, I’d have a very different tone in mind for a Spider-Man reboot; think Kick-Ass meets Chronicle with a little bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer style thrown in every now and then- this frankly, would be a perfectly balanced tone for any Spider-Man film.
So, like a lot of people I’m a big fan of the Ultimate Spider-Man series and hope it still influences whatever incarnation of the character and his universe that is next portrayed on the big screen. Anyway, as a final thought before we get started, I also want to mention, rather than having a rehashed origin story I’d prefer to be introduced to a young Spider-Man (who I’d imagine to be in his late teens) who’s been active for a little bit (basically the same thing that was done with The Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon), and so have cast accordingly.
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Dylan O’Brien as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
O’Brien is a pretty young up and coming actor. I’ve seen him in a few things now and it’s pretty clear he’s an entertaining young and versatile actor. He can do comedy and drama pretty well and it looks like he’s got the potential to do a lot more. The fact that he naturally gives off a ‘Peter Parker vibe’ just really sells it for me though, plus he’s played similar characters before as seen in
Teen Wolf and
The First Time, so personally speaking I would love to see what he could do with the role.
Anyway, just wanted to mention with my take on Spider-Man I’d like for both mechanical web shooters and organic ones to be present. Confused? Well, let me explain; upon becoming Spider-Man, I imagine Peter makes his web shooters and so on, however, when he eventually makes contact with the symbiote, given that it tries to bond with him, I imagine it ‘merges’ his web shooters with his physiology, resulting in (you guessed) it organic webbing.
Ethan Hawke as Richard Parker
Hawke is a really underrated actor who definitely brings a lot of presence and weight to his roles, no matter how small. Whilst some of you think this might be kind of strange casting choice given that Hawke is somewhat of a pretty intense actor, I think he’s more than capable of really shining in the role and think he’d definitely bring the right kind of presence needed for this role; his work in
Daybreakers and
The Purge in particular just made me think he’d really work here.
Richard Gere and Jaime Lee Curtis as Ben and May Parker
Both Gere and Curtis are pretty solid veteran actors. I’ve seen them both in a bunch of things, but ultimately I cast them as not only do they come off as intelligent and wise, but I think they’d provide the right kind of ‘parental presence’ for these roles, and also a good balance against one another and just really shine as the couple that raised Spider-Man.
Britt Robertson as Gwen Stacy
Robertson is a relatively unknown young actress with a lot of potential. Like with O’Brien, I’ve seen her in a few things now and it’s clear she’s got some talent and is definitely someone to watch; her roles in
The First Time and
Under the Dome in particular made me think she’d work well in the role. Also, the fact that her and O’Brien have worked well together in the past and happen to be an item just sells it for me, as with a role like Peter’s first true love, you’d need a really good pairing to make it work.
Alden Ehrenreich as Harry Osborn
I’ve seen Ehrenreich in a few things now and it’s pretty clear he’s a rising talent. He can play the dark and brooding intellectual with ease and he brings a certain weight and wisdom to his roles which I think would apply greatly to this role and do nothing but just make the character more interesting and allow him to own it.
Lucas Till as Frederick ‘Flash’ Thompson
Some of you might be against this casting decision, but Till’s proven himself to be a pretty solid young actor. Admittedly, I was introduced to him through
X-Men: First Class, which he was cool in, but he’s done nothing but improve my opinions of his talents with his work in films like
All Superheroes Must Die and
Stoker, the latter in which he basically played a douchier version of the character pretty well. Personally speaking, I think he’d really be able to elevate the role and just give the character a lot more depth and likability.
Holland Roden as Mary Jane Watson
I’ve only seen Roden in
Teen Wolf, but she’s definitely proved her talents there. She’s a capable young actress and is pretty damn hot and has somewhat of an ‘Emma Stone/Jane Levy’ vibe going for. Ignoring that though, I mainly cast her as despite her talents she’s worked well with O’Brien and has pretty solid chemistry with him, so personally speaking, I think she’d be a solid MJ to O’Brien’s Peter Parker.
Aaron Eckhart as George Stacy
Whilst this casting decision isn’t quite as original as I’d have liked it to be, it’s definitely a really good casting choice and one that I hope will materialise someday. Eckhart is a brilliantly underrated actor; one of the best Hollywood has to offer, but unfortunately very overlooked. His work in
The Dark Knight,
Battle: Los Angeles and
The Expatriate in particular he’d own in this role.
Jim Carrey as John Jonah Jameson/J.J. Jameson
This might seem like somewhat of a strange casting choice, but I stand by it. Carrey is a very versatile and capable actor. Given that Carrey is no longer as young as he once was, to me it just seems fitting to cast him here, especially with his roles in
Me, Myself & Irene and more recently
Kick-Ass 2. Whilst he’s more commonly known for his comedic abilities, he can definitely play eccentric, dark and is more than capable with drama, so if cast I think Carrey would be able to bring a lot more depth to the role and be more than just a stereotypical ‘angry boss’ and just really just help better flesh out the character.
Orlando Jones as Joe Robertson
I’ve seen Jones in a few things now and it’s pretty clear he’s a solid supporting actor. I think he could bring a grounded and level headed approach to Carrey’s JJJ, and also just bring a good balance of comedy and drama to the role; his work in
Evolution and small role in
Everybody Hates Chris in particular made me think he’d be a solid fit for the role.
Lee Tergesen as Ben Urich
Tergesen is a pretty underrated actor; I've seen him in a few things now and it's pretty clear he can strike a fine balance between comedy and drama. Despite that though, he has a very natural kind of intelligent, world-weary and humble/reserved kind of attitude that he tends to bring to his characters and personally speaking, to me, this seems very suitable for this role so I'd love to see what he could do here, especially given his work in
Oz and
Generation Kill.
Analeigh Tipton as Betty Brant
I’ve seen Tipton in a few things now, and it's clear she's a solid young actress. From what I've seen, she seems more capable with comedy than drama, but hell, in a supporting role like this that's essentially all that's really necessary, so quite frankly I think she'd work it.
Denzel Washington as Nick Fury
Replacing Sam Jackson? Not an easy job, but if there is one actor in Hollywood who could surpass him as super spy Nick Fury it’s Washington. He’s a badass and has proven himself time and time again and with roles in films like
Training Day and
Safe House in particular showed me what he could do as Fury and I loved his characters in both films so would love for him to eventually get the role.
Anyway, just like to mention; including Fury here might seem like a bit of a weird decision, but I like how he was included in
Ultimate Spider-Man, due to the whole Oz serum and how he was semi-protective of Peter due to his connection with the Parkers, so would like to see this come into play in some form.
Amber Heard as Felicia Hardy/Black Cat
What can I say? The way I see it, for the role of Black Cat you basically need to cast someone who could play Catwoman, but comes off a little younger. Quite frankly, Heard fits this criteria very well. She has the necessary sex appeal and presence for this role and is talented actress who’s definitely more than just a pretty face, so in a role like this I think she’d really be able to flesh out the character well and just really surprise people with what she could do.
Richard Jenkins as Phineas Mason/the Tinkerer
Whilst Jenkins is better known like Carrey for his comedic talents, he’s more than capable of doing drama and playing darker characters very well, but I cast him primarily as he just naturally comes off as wise and intelligent. His work in
Let Me In and
The Cabin in the Woods in particular made me think he’d do great in the role.
Ray Stevenson as Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin
Stevenson is a badass actor. A giant of man who genuinely comes off as an individual who could break you mentally as well as physically. He’s got the presence, the voice, the look (kind of; just shave his head and all) and a certain coldness to him that I think would really help him make the character his own. If cast I imagine his take on the Kingpin to be like a cross between Isaak Sirko (his character from
Dexter), Gus Fring (of
Breaking Bad) and Michael Corleone (of
The Godfather trilogy); in other words an epic adversary for Spider-Man to face.
Simon Merrels as Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin
Merrels is somewhat of an unknown actor, but he caught my attention with his brilliant work in
Spartacus: War of the Damned. Admittedly, I haven’t seen him in anything else, but his role as Marcus Crassus was basically a more subtle version of Norman Osborn. Quite frankly, he genuinely comes off as intelligent and ruthless and has a very regal and gritty presence to him which just makes me think he’d be more than capable of rivalling Willem Dafoe’s take on the character and hopefully providing us with a very memorable villain.
Only think I’d like to mention, is whilst I used the image of the Ultimate version of the Green Goblin, I would still like the character to use a glider and other tech the character is known for despite having genetically induced goblin appearance. In this respect, I’d like for the character (and any other goblin related characters) to be more like the character Menace, as in he actually transforms into a humanoid goblin because of the Oz formula but uses his tech- I just think it’d be a better alternative to the Power Ranger goblin or weird rubber face alternative.
Jared Harris as Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus
Again, this is another casting decision that isn’t quite as original as I’d have liked it to have been, but hell, I stand by it. Harris is a pretty solid actor and knows how to play intelligent and ruthless like a boss; his work in
Mad Men and
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows essentially had him play a more subtle version of the character, so if given the chance, I’d be more than willing to seem take on this role.
James Frain as Quentin Beck/Mysterio
I’ve seen Frain in a bunch of things now, and whilst his filmography is somewhat bipolar in its quality, Frain does bring a certain level of consistency with his acting; he can play eccentric, creepy, intelligent and manipulative characters very well. Admittedly, I’ve yet to see him play these types of characters amazingly well, but I feel that Frain has some untapped potential which he could greatly unleash in this role.
Jaime Hector as Max Dillon/Electro
Admittedly this casting decision is inspired by Jaime Foxx being cast in the role, but I still stand by it. Hector is a pretty underrated actor with a lot of untapped potential, whilst he’s not as known or charismatic as Foxx, for a role like this that’s not really a requirement; frankly, as seen per his work in
The Wire and
Heroes he can play badass, sociopathic and shady characters well, so I’d be more than happy seeing him take on the role.
Scott Adkins as Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter
For a while Adkins was rumoured to be Batman. Quite frankly, I thought the idea was preposterous. He’s certainly not a bad actor, but ultimately he’s not qualified for a role like that. However, given Adkins physical capabilities and his work in the
Undisputed films as Yuri Boyka, I’d say he’s more than qualified to play Kraven and think he’d be able to bring some grit to the role and just make the character come off as a little more credible.
Anyway, just like to mention, unlike his weird jungle-leotard look, I’d prefer Kraven to look a little more mercenary like; his appearance in the videogame
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions would be a great place to draw influence from –
Click Here to See
Andrew Scott as Dmitri Smerdyakov/the Chameleon
I’ve only seen Scott in
Sherlock but he left a long lasting impression on me with his role as Moriarty. He’s a very talented actor and is clearly very capable and versatile and has a clear talent for playing shady intellectuals, so I’d be more than willing to see what he could do here.
Brian Bloom as Mac Gargan/Scorpion
I’ve only seen Bloom in
The A-Team, but like with Scott, his work there left a lasting impression on me. Put simply, he’s a solid actor but he comes off as very capable as an intimidating and sleazy thug, that and the fact that he has a very intense look just makes me think he’d be able to do something interesting with the role and just give us a badass villain we’d love to hate.
Jason Clarke as Aleksei Systevich/the Rhino
Since seeing him in
Lawless and
Zero Dark Thirty I’ve become a big fan of Clarke. He’s a powerhouse of an actor and just really talented. He can play sleazy, tough, intimidating, manipulative and charismatic all at the same time and I think he’d really make the role his own and just prove to be a very memorable and interesting villain.
Dominic Purcell as Flint Marko/Sandman
Admittedly, this is somewhat of a generic casting decision, but [frick] it, it works. Purcell is somewhat of a bipolar actor, as the quality of his acting varies radically given what project he’s in, but for a role like this it’d be hard to go wrong, especially given the fact that the character is basically a super powered thug who’s often trying to make a quick buck. So, in light of this, given Purcell’s work in
Prison Break and
Killer Elite I’d say he more than qualifies for the role, especially as he’s a pretty big and imposing dude.
Michael Cerveris as Adrian Toomes/the Vulture
I only know Cerveris from his work in
Fringe, but he left a lasting impression on me. He’s clearly a talented actor, but there he brought a unique kind of presence to his role; he came off as genuinely very intelligent but also creepily calm and cold. Whilst this isn’t necessarily how I would describe the Vulture, it was clear indication that Cerveris is a talented individual and given the fact that he’s bald and looks a little creepy, I’d love to see what he could do in the role.
Greg Bryk as Roderick Kingsley/the Hobgoblin
Bryk’s a bit of an unknown actor but I cast him here as I think he’s pretty damn underrated and also because he knows how to balance grit, intelligence, creepiness and detachment all very well. His small role in
A History of Violence and work in
Xiii in particular made me think he’d do well in the role and serve as a worthy successor to the ‘goblin throne’.
Henry Ian Cusick as Curt Connors/the Lizard
Cusick is a pretty talented actor who I’d say isn’t getting as many roles as he should. He’s a very capable actor and has a knack at playing intelligent, calm and just genuinely interesting characters very well as seen per his work in
Lost and
Scandal. Personally speaking, if cast I think he’d really shine in the role really just be very good at humanizing the character and making him relatable.
Anyway, just want to say, from the above pic you guys might have guessed I like the beasty looking Lizard; well, frankly throughout his presence in the Spidey films I’d like to see the character start of slightly more human (a little bit like what we go in
The Amazing Spider-Man, but cooler) only to evolve and become the more monstrous incarnation of the character we now know.
Ryan Kwanten as Eddie Brock/Venom
Casting this role was pretty tough for me, but in the end I found Kwanten and quite frankly I think he’d be perfect. First of all, Kwanten is cut as [frick], so physically he’s perfect. Either way, with his work in
True Blood I think it’s safe to say Kwanten’s already played a ‘dumber’ version of the character before and given the fact that he technically already played the character kind of well in the short
Venom: Truth in Journalism makes me think he could be great if given more to work with. Essentially, Kwanten can play badass, arrogant, pig-headed, charismatic and even sleazy and an asshole very well, so I think definitely be able to bring a multi-faceted take on the character and make him more than just some CGI monster.
Only other thing I’d like to mention though, rather than a bio-suit or straight up symbiote, I’d like the character to be introduced as cross between the two; essentially, an alien symbiote that was modified by Richard Parker into a symbiotic bio-suit, only for to gain true sentience after bonding with Peter- personally speaking, not only do I think this would satisfy all fans but it’d be a nice way of tying into one of the best aspects of the Ultimate universe.
Joe Gilgun as Cletus Kasady/Carnage
Gilgun is a pretty cool actor who has a knack for playing sleazy, eccentric and borderline crazy assholes pretty well. I’ve seen him in a few things now and I think he’d really be able to bring a darkly fun appeal to the role and just serve as a fun and badass villain, especially after seeing him in
Misfits and
Lockout.
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So, that’s my ideal cast for Spider-Man. I hope you enjoyed checking it out, and if you did look out for my Fantastic Four cast!