Obviously the biggest news of the year so far revolves around Sony squashing Spider-Man 4 and deciding to reboot the entire franchise. Bad news for those who were still a little invested in the Sam Raimi series starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, but good news for those who need stuff to write about and dissect and occasionally make fun of (like me!). But after hearing the news, you're probably only wondering one thing: who are they going to get to replace Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man? Good question, and while I don't have a concrete answer right now, I do have a list of five guys who may have a very good shot at landing the coveted role.
Firstly, the rules: The reboot will go back to high school, so we'll need someone young. Also, Peter Parker is a bit of a nerd, so we'll need someone who can play nerdy and yet still kick enough ass to woo a woman or two. Here are five guys – one of whom could eventually fill that spot.
Taylor Lautner
The first choice is a little obvious, seeing as Lautner's star is on the rise and we all know he's got some nifty martial arts skills. His "people" may not want to tie him into a big franchise, though, and he might be a little too cute for Peter Parker – not wholesome enough, if you know what I mean. Still, if Sony wants to wrangle up some of those Twilight dollars, Lautner could be a contender.
Chance of Lautner Becoming Spider-Man: 30%
Johnny Simmons
You probably last saw him in Jennifer's Body, but Simmons—at 23 – has been around the block enough times that he's certainly recognizable to fans. Plus he's got charm and an All-American smile that producers may go crazy for. Sure, he may be a touch old to play a high school student, but he could easily age down and grow into the role.
Chances of Simmons Becoming Spider-Man: 50%
Anton Yelchin
Yelchin is already very familiar with the reboot since he was part of the most successful reboot 2009 had to offer: Star Trek. He'd bring boyish looks and a great, crack-ity voice to the role, and though he's also aged out of high school (20), he still looks young enough to play the part (after all, he played a high school kid in Charlie Bartlett only 2 years ago.)
Chances of Yelchin Becoming Spider-Man: 60%
Logan Lerman
If the name doesn't immediately sound familiar, it's because Lerman's biggest role – as the star in the upcoming Percy Jackson adaptation – hasn't yet found its way onto the big screen, but you've seen him before in films like Gamer and 3:10 to Yuma. The great thing about Lerman (other than the fact that he could easily pull off Peter Parker) is that he's only 17 years old. Yup, an actual high school-aged teenager! Only problem could come from Percy Jackson, and his desire to not sign up for another monster franchise. Still he's probably the best one for the job out of anyone on this list.
Chances of Lerman Becoming Spider-Man: 75%
Aaron Johnson
Another name that probably won't immediately jump out at you, Johnson is about to become a lot more familiar since he's starring in the much buzzed-about costumed heroes flick Kick-Ass as the title character. So right off the bat we have a kid who's used to dressing up as a superhero – obviously the next logical step would be to actually turn him into one. He's only 19, so he's the right age, and his dorky-yet-sincere looks are perfect for Peter Parker.
Chances of Johnson Becoming Spider-Man: 75%
Other notable omissions whose names have been tossed around in relation to the role, though there's no way they'll actually play Spider-Man: Robert Pattinson, Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Cera.
Who do you want to see take on the role?
