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So Spider-man is back in the Marvel Cinematic fold, and there is much rejoicing in the streets. Every Spidey fan and superhero movie geek is waiting with baited breath to see the most iconic Marvel character share the screen with the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Marc Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johanssen. The problem is, now that Andrew Garfield is out of the picture, Kevin Feige has to find someone with the necessary chops to stand toe to toe with those acting heavyweights, and who also embodies all the qualities of a great Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

Notice I said “Peter Parker” there. Yeah, those hoping to see the half black, half Latino Miles Morales version of Spidey are going to have to wait a while longer, because sources close to the production say Feige and Amy Pascal are most certainly going with Spider-man’s most iconic alter-ego to kick things off – evidenced further by the two candidates Variety claims the producing duo are pursuing for the role, Logan Lerman and Dylan O’Brien.

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Both actors are 23, which, despite their baby faces, make them slightly long in the tooth for the high school incarnation of Spidey Marvel wants for this so-called “soft reboot.” Lerman is probably the better-known of the two, as he already has a starring role in a genre franchise to his credit in the Percy Jackson series. He also impressed in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, and in the WWII tank actioner, Fury. Lerman conveys emotion brilliantly, and has no trouble handling dramatic material while maintaining youthful vulnerability. I’m also convinced he could look and behave suitably nerdy with some help from the makeup department. The only thing I question is his ability to deliver Spidey’s trademark comedic barbs; he just hasn’t demonstrated enough in the jokester department for me.

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O’Brien, meanwhile, stars as Stiles in MTV’s YA bro-wolf saga Teen Wolf, and recently turned heads with his performance in the Maze Runner adaptation. Unfortunately, I haven’t done my journalistic due diligence here — I haven’t seen O’Brien in either of these examples — but he has the right look and if his Stiles is anything like Jerry Levine’s tour de force of wiseassery in the original 1985 Teen Wolf, then he could be a good fit for a suited-up Spidey.

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I’d like to throw my own dark horse candidate in the mix, and if he were only four or five years younger, I think he’d really have a good shot at it. I’m talking about Grant Gustin, who plays a note-perfect Peter Parker each and every week on the CW Network’s Flash TV series. Gustin’s affable, dorky version of police forensic scientist Barry Allen on the small screen could easily slide into an affable, dorky photographer and science student on the big screen. He’s smart, lean and lanky as a good Spidey should be, and he’s a good-looking kid – but not as smoldering as someone like Andrew Garfield, who I never bought for one second as a social pariah. Sadly, as I mentioned, Gustin is 25 and probably wouldn’t be able to fulfill all the Marvel Studio commitments while maintaining his Flash shooting schedule.

We’ve seen Tobey Maguire faithfully portray Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s earnest, bullied, and hopelessly nerdy Peter, but fall short when it came to embodying the wise cracking Spider-Man from the pages. In turn, we’ve seen Garfield nail Spider-Man’s in-costume antagonistic, smartass qualities but completely miss the mark with his mumbly, aloof, hipster Peter. Hopefully Kevin Feige can find a young actor with talent enough to blend the best aspects of Maguire and Garfield to create the perfect webslinger; one who’s intelligent, resourceful, geeky, resilient, honest, and knows how to effectively deliver a one-liner mid-bad guy punch.

In addition to being a Legion of Leia contributor, Jeff Carter is also the host of the LeagueCast podcast, and is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Geek League Of America website. A lifelong nerd, Jeff’s biggest passions are Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Follow Jeff on the Geek League Twitter@TheGeekLeague, or his personal account @JeffCarter_GLA

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Jeff Carter

In addition to being a Legion of Leia contributor, Jeff Carter is also the host of the LeagueCast podcast, and is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Geek League Of America website. A lifelong nerd, Jeff’s biggest passions are Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Follow Jeff on the Geek League Twitter @TheGeekLeague, or his personal account @JeffCarter_GLA

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