10 Actors Who Could Take Over Spider-Man

5.9  

Picture of Zac Efron

Who He? STOP SHOUTING! We're serious. OK, he starred in the three High School Musical films, but since then he showed some acting chops in Me And Orson Welles, and he has the chance to do so again in upcoming literary adaptation Charlie St. Cloud.

Why He? Alright, calm down. One, he's the rumoured studio frontrunner. Two, get past your bilious reaction to HSM and he's a nice guy and a comic fan to boot. Three, he'd be a more dynamic, charming Peter Parker (but he's not obnoxious) but he can do insecure. Four, he doesn't always sing. OK, so he's a bit too pretty, but otherwise he's really not the worst option.

Dri's rating:

7.4  

Picture of Jim Sturgess

Who He? The star of Across the Universe, 21 and Fifty Dead Men Walking, British Sturgess has become one of the most buzzed-about actors on either side of the Atlantic.

Why He? He was set to star in the Spider-Man musical on Broadway for some time, so he's clearly open to playing the character, and his biggest hit, 21, was for Sony, so they probably think fondly of him. He's got the acting chops and lanky frame to play Parker and his superheroic alter-ego, but at 32 this year, he may be too old for the planned reboot.

Dri's rating:

7.2  

Picture of Reeve Carney

Who He? Currently best known as the planned Broadway Spider-Man, Carney has few screen credits to his name but did appear in Snow Falling On Cedars. He’s also the romantic hero of Julie Taymor’s The Tempest, due out later this year and starring Helen Mirren as the sorceress Prospera.

Why He? Well, it’s clear that he likes the character, given that he has signed on for a stint in the musical. Whether he’ll still feel fondly for Spidey after singing his heart out in the role eight shows a week for six months, however, is another matter.

7.3  

Picture of Anton Yelchin

Who He? He broke through with Alpha Dog, impressed in Charlie Bartlett, was the best thing in Terminator Salvation as Kyle Reese, and essayed a comedy accent as Chekov in Star Trek.

Why He? The same puppy dog-esque edge he brought to Chekov could work very well as Parker, but he has the range to push himself into more action-y roles - and he's more or less the right age. Will he want another franchise to run alongside Trek, though? And is he too physically slight? (Then, so was Maguire…)

Dri's rating:

6.6  

Picture of Daniel Radcliffe

Who He? Whadya, live on Mars? He's Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Scar on his forehead, wears glasses, a bit short?

Why He? Well, Potter will finish shooting this spring for the last time, so Radcliffe's set to retire from his steady job - and he's still young. While he'd be a slightly short Spidey, and his facility for accents remains largely untested (aside from a decent Aussie turn in December Boys), at least the pressures of a major franchise would be business as usual for him.

Dri's rating:

5.9  

Picture of Robert Pattinson

Who He? Stop laughing at the back. And someone pick up the swooners. Pattinson is, of course, dreamy vampire Edward in the Twilight series, and the sometime Cedric Diggory of Harry Potter fame.

Why He? Well, if Sony are trying to bring in the biggest possible teen audience, he's the man to do it. But there are issues: could he fit all that hair under the Spidey hood? Would he be able to switch off the brooding and get happy? And, more seriously, given how reluctant he's been to embrace the fame that Twilight thrust upon him, and his enthusiasm for smaller, indie films, would he even consider it?

Dri's rating:

7.6  

Picture of Jake Gyllenhaal

Who He? The star of Donnie Darko, The Day After Tomorrow and the upcoming Brothers (where he plays Tobey Maguire's brother). Gyllenhaal's also the lead in this summer's Prince of Persia adaptation from Mike Newell and Jerry Bruckheimer.

Why He? When it was rumoured that Maguire wasn't returning for Spider-Man 2, rumour also had Jake Gyllenhaal ready to take over the part. Like Maguire, he has acting ability aplenty, star quality and the sort of credible indie background that means he can get away with the odd blockbuster. But also like Maguire, he may be too old for the reboot.

Dri's rating:

7.3  

Picture of Aaron Johnson

Who He? The star of last month's Nowhere Boy and the upcoming Kick-Ass, set to be one of the best films of 2010. You may also remember him as the love interest in Angus, Thongs & Full-Frontal Snogging - or not, we don't know your life.

Why He? In Kick-Ass, he plays a nerdy high school student who wishes he wear a superhero, and does a good job of it - which implies he could do the same for Peter Parker. Whether he'd want to go from a superhero deconstruction to a straight-up franchise is another question, however, and one we suspect he'd answer in the negative.

Dri's rating:

8.1  

Picture of Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Who He? He got his start as a child actor in 3rd Rock From The Sun, but since then he has gone noir in Brick, villainous in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and all romantic in (500) Days of Summer.

Why He? Imagine his (500) Days of Summer character with superpowers, and you pretty much have Peter Parker. G.I. Joe showed that he's not afraid to go broad if the situation calls for it, and remember how funny he was in 3rd Rock? But will he still want to play teens now that he's approaching his 30s?

Dri's rating:

7.1  

Picture of Josh Hutcherson

Who He? The child star of Little Manhattan, Bridge to Terabithia and Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

Why He? Hutcherson's 18 this October, putting him closer than any of the rest to the proper age for a teen Spidey, and he's got some real game as an actor - just check out the Woody-Allen-Jr. stylings of Little Manhattan. While he's maybe even shorter than Radcliffe (last we heard - he may have sprouted), he could easily handle the character otherwise.