5. Jack O’Connell
Having just won the EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs last weekend, Jack O’Connell is clearly a name that is about to shoot into the stratosphere.
Previous winners have included James McAvoy (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Eva Green (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), while previous nominees have included Chris Hemsworth, Emma Stone, Dane DeHaan, Jessie Eisenberg, Margot Robbie, Miles Teller and former Spider-Man Andrew Garfield. So if there is one thing the British Film Academy know how to pick, it’s future superheroes and villains.
Could O’Connell be the next one?
Aside from that, he is a terrific actor and his performance in the superb (if slightly flawed) ’71 is a great indication of what he could bring to the role of Peter Parker. He has an innocence about him, but can turn on the action and bravado when the time is right. He’s also incredibly charming in real life, which is something he can bring to the character in the same way Garfield did and Toby Maguire failed to do.
6. Keir Gilchrist
Perhaps the real outside chance on this list, Kier Gilchrist is a name that not many will know, but should do in the next few years. Hopefully anyway.
Despite being a Brit, Gilchrist has featured in many American productions and has been particularly prevalent in small-budget horror movies over the last few years. His most recent effort was in the phenomenal It Follows were he plays the dorky best friend stuck in the “friend zone” opposite Maika Monroe (who would make an excellent Gwen Stacey it should be noted) and he is brilliantly convincing in the role. He has a genuine sweet charm to him, and he is certainly perfect for that lanky build we’ve come to know and love about Spider-Man.
Downsides? There is a chance he can’t pull off an action movie due to his lack of experience and slim frame. But with some proper training, he could overcome that. He also doesn’t have a huge amount of big budget movie experience, which could hinder him, but given the chance he could pull it off.
A real outside chance…
7. Ansel Elgort
That Ansel, he’s so hot right now.
If you were to pick your new Spider-Man based on popularity amongst a teen demographic, then what better choice that Ansel Elgort? He broke a generation’s hearts with his wonderful performance as Augustus Waters in the tremendous The Fault in Our Stars and he has shown his big budget YA chops in Divergent.
On paper, he’s almost the perfect choice.
Granted, he doesn’t have the biggest of CVs (he’s only starred in 5 movies to date), but he has shown that is a brilliant talent who knows no limits. Plus, being just 20 years old, Elgort is the youngest actor on our list – which makes him a great age to play the role.
Of course, he could end up being just a flash in the YA pan…
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So, that’s just one man’s opinion. Who would you like to cast as the new Spider-Man?
Luke Owen
Originally published February 10, 2015. Updated July 3, 2023.
