There have been a lot of rumors surrounding who will be cast as the next Spider-Man now that Marvel has reclaimed some control of the franchise for their cinematic universe. But today, Marvel has finally announced that Tom Holland will be the webslinger for Spidey's next adventure.
And yes, he's playing Peter Parker -- not now-standard comic Spider-Man Miles Morales.
Marvel says Holland will be Spider-Man in "the next Spider-Man film," which is scheduled to hit theaters on July 28, 2017. They do not mention an appearance in Captain America: Civil War, which has been heavily rumored due to Spider-Man's important role in that comic storyline.
Jon Watts (Cop Car) was also announced as the film's director.
Holland can be seen in the upcoming movie In the Heart of the Sea, as well as The Impossible.
For awhile, Hugo and Ender's Game star Asa Butterfield was said to be Marvel's top choice for the role.
"It's a big day here at Sony," said Tom Rothman of Sony Pictures. "The Marvel process is very thorough, and that's why their results are so outstanding. I'm confident Spider-Man will be no exception. I've worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent. For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom's screen tests were special. All in all, we are off to a roaring start."
Producer Amy Pascal said, "Sony, Marvel, [co-producer Kevin Feige] and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world. With Tom, we've found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man's story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
