On July 17, Marvel Studios debuts its newest big-screen superhero in Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll and Evangeline Lilly. The film marks the end of Marvel’s “Phase Two” of movies and directly sets up some of what we’re in store for when their next phase kicks off next May 6 with Captain America: Civil War… which, for the first time ever, will include Spider-Man.
When we see the Webslinger next he’ll be part of the Marvel cinematic universe, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between Disney, which owns Marvel Studios, and Sony, which owns the film rights to Spider-Man. Fandango spoke to Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige ahead of Ant-Man’s release (stay tuned for our full interview coming soon) and asked what it was about young Tom Holland (The Impossible) — cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man just last week — that landed him one of the biggest superhero gigs around.
“It was a universal decision,” Feige told us regarding the casting of Holland. “We do a lot of tests and a lot of meetings so we can really try to find someone who becomes a unanimous choice. And in this case, it was Tom,” he said.
On what it was about Holland that makes him the right choice for Spider-Man: “He’s just amazing!” Feige told us. “And he can do his own flips, which is just an added bonus. We didn’t cast him for that reason. We cast him because he’s an amazing actor and he’s going to have all of those flavors that Peter Parker needs to have.”
Feige is referring to Holland’s own acrobatics, which he’s been showing off on Instagram of late.
As far as whether this Spider-Man deal means we could see future deals that allow, say, the X-Men and Fantastic Four to work their way into the Marvel cinematic universe, Feige hasn’t gotten there yet.
“In this case it’s just about Spidey,” he said. “And I’m very grateful to Amy Pascal, Sony and Tom Rothman to let us be a part of it.”
Stay tuned for the rest of our exclusive chat with Kevin Feige — where we talk all things Ant-Man, as well as its potential sequel — later this month. Ant-Man hits theaters on July 17. And for more on Marvel's newest film, check out our report from the set.
