That’s what both Umberto Gonzales and Kellvin Chavez of Latino Review are claiming. Back in April 29 of this year, and as posted by George Berryman, the 18-year old star of The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas (2008), Hugo (2011) and Ender’s Game (2013) was considered to be one of the front-runners to play Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for a new series of Spider-Man films as part of the deal between Sony Entertainment Pictures and Disney/Marvel Studios.
Now the movie-news rumor website is reporting Butterfield is all but confirmed for the part, with Gonzales stating on his Instagram, “Marvel has officially entered into negotiations with Butterfield’s reps” but that the “paperwork has not been finalized yet.” Chavez also added the following:
Our sources on the ground don’t yet have details of the scope of the new Peter Parker role, but Marvel has said earlier in the year that the character would debut in next springs Captain America: Civil War, which is currently in production.
We’ve known to be on the lookout for the many names on the various “short lists” that have come out over the past months as the potential Spider-Men have been whittled down to Butterfield.
However, according to Deadline, while Butterfield is the favorite, there are still other, yet unnamed, actors who are also the running and are current talks with studio execs:
Sources say Ender’s Game‘s Asa Butterflield is one of a select group of actors being strongly considered for the gig. Other insiders estimate that about actors in total are up for the webslinging role, and that Butterfield currently stands as first among equals, though nothing is set in stone.
Likewise, Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit relayed the following posts on his Twitter Feed:
What I know: Asa Butterfield was due to test for SPIDER-MAN this week. But so were a few others. Is Asa Peter Parker?
Are they done testing? What I know: There certainly is no offer. Yet. What I also know: There are certainly many rooting for Asa.
In short, nothing has been made final, and just because an actor is rumored to be testing for the part doesn’t mean he’ll get the part. So for now, consider this to be unconfirmed rumor. We here are the Crawlspace will keep you posted as this story develops.
SOURCES: Latino Review, Deadline
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I’m good with Butterfield, I like the kid but I agree. Marvel has to let him grow up, its like the knodd to the Cap films with making the Falcon look like FalCap since that happened in the comics but if they don’t go that way in the MCU. Its all good.
I don’t mind him being young or starting young, but only so long as Marvel are prepared to pull a Harry Potter and let him grow up and not be definied by his youth. As in he is young because that’s how Stan and Steve started things off. He was young in the Spec cartoon even though Weisman doesn’t think Spider-Man is ABOUT youth
I was thinking the exact same thing, tnr.
What bothers me is that he just doesn’t look like any Peter Parker I know. None of the five that they had on their shortlist do. They could all be great actors for all I know, Marvel hasn’t had a casting misstep so far, but just from a superficial point of view, ehh.
It’s weird that we’re at a point where an actor portraying Spidey would be younger than an early twenty something such as myself.
This kid’s only 18, and he’s just making a name for himself. They can lock him in a nine picture deal like they did with Sam Jackson, or the guy who’s playing Bucky, and we’ve got MCU Spidey up until 2025. He’d be the same age Garfield was when he was portraying the character… but we’d also get to see Peter grow in realtime. That’d be an interesting change, tbh. A Peter in high school, following him through college, and then becoming a young man… possibly a husband, if Marvel’s under new management by that time.
I’ve never seen any of those movies, so I can’t fairly judge his acting ability…but I agree, he looks really young.
Regardless of whether Butterfield gets the role or not, I certainly hope that whomever they cast, it’s due to their acting ability, and not just their age.
This kid looks twelve years old in every picture I see of him.