Variety reports that Sony has anointed Tom Holland, best known as “the kid who got swept away by the tsunami in The Impossible,” as its next (movie) Spider-Man. Holland beat out several other, slightly more famous gangly teen actors for the role, including the kid from The Fault In Our Stars, The kid from Ender’s Game, the kid from Interstellar, and the kid from The Killing. (He is, however, the only former Billy Elliott cast member to appear on the list). Jon Watts, another newcomer to the superhero big leagues whose film Cop Car premiered at Sundance this year, has been hired to direct the next standalone Spider-Man film.
Holland is expected to make his debut as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War under Marvel Studios’ new “hey, Spider-Man is funny, wouldn’t he be great hanging out with the Avengers?” agreement. Captain America: Civil War is scheduled for May 6, 2016, so begin preparing your carefully reasoned arguments about why everyone who has a different opinion of his costume than yours is wrong now.
The new Spidey will go back to high school on July 28, 2017.