Variety reports that after hundreds were considered for the part, 26-year-old Andrew Garfield was awarded the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the upcoming 3D reboot of the comic-book franchise. Others close to earning the part were Jamie Bell, Josh Hutcherson, and Alden Ehrenreich. Director Marc Webb had this to say about the casting choice:
Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.
Those are big words. Garfield, born in Los Angeles but raised in Britain, has appeared in such films as The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Red Riding and Boy A. You can also see him in Mark Romanek’s upcoming Never Let Me Go and David Fincher’s Facebook flick, The Social Network. The new Spider-Man movie is slated to be released July 3, 2012, leaving plenty of time for fans to speculate which villains will oppose the web-slinging, wall-crawling superhero. Electro, anyone?