Tom Holland is prepared to don the iconic red and blue Spider-Man outfit for the upcoming Spider-Man MCU adventure. He is definitely doing a great job as Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. But do you ever consider what would have happened if the role of Peter Parker had been filled by someone else back in 2015, when the MCU was looking for its Peter Parker?
Not only that, but there were a ton of other actors that could have played the Web-head in both the MCU and the rest of the multiverse.
Let’s look at the top 10 actors who were considered for the role of Spider-Man.

Josh Hutcherson

Josh Hutcherson was a contender for the role of Peter Parker, according to The Amazing Spider-Man’s producers. Hutcherson had performed in films like Zathura and Journey to the Center of the Earth as a child actor, but he needed a star-making main part in a major franchise to become a Harry Potter-style teenage hero.

He would eventually land a part in The Hunger Games as Peeta with Jennifer Lawrence, which was released in theatres in 2010 along with The Amazing Spider-Man.

Here’s his elaborate fight sequence screen test for The Amazing Spider-Man.

9. Asa Butterfield

Asa Butterfield gained recognition after starring in Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo.” He subsequently participated in what was expected to be a massive franchise (Ender’s Game), but the film adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel failed to capture fans’ attention.

Asa Butterfield had the good fortune to share a screen test for Captain America: Civil War with Robert Downey, Jr.  Having said that, Butterfield is an excellent fit for the character of Peter Parker in terms of demographics. He had the correct age and had some influence from previous roles, but Butterfield didn’t receive the part, which he later expressed disappointment about.

8. Dylan O’Brien

Dylan O’Brien, the lead in the wildly popular Maze Runner franchise, was one of the first names to circulate on the web in 2015, when it was reported that Marvel and Sony would be adding Spider-Man to the MCU with a younger actor. Though many fans wanted him to play Peter Parker, he was never a major contender in the audition process because he was also filming Teen Wolf at the time.

7. Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger was shortlisted for the part of Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s 2002 blockbuster. As per Sony producer Amy Pascal, the studio discussed extensively with Ledger about the role, as the studio had previously worked with Ledger on a few movies. However, it was not to be, as Ledger moved on to make history as a rival comic book character: the Joker from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. That portrayal became so memorable that Ledger received an Academy Award posthumously for it after his untimely death.

6. Andrew Garfield

It’s true what you read. Andrew Garfield was in negotiations to play his role as Peter Parker in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies after previously playing the character in the second incarnation of the fan-favorite movie series.

Garfield’s Spider-Man came way too close to being incorporated into the MCU back in 2012, when The Avengers practically included a visual Easter egg of Oscorp Tower (from the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man) in a glimpse of the New York City skyline. The one scene might have drastically affected the franchise’s and the MCU’s image. Garfield’s highly appreciated cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home opposite Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland has fans hoping he would reprise the iconic role for a third movie.

5. James Franco

It’s usual in superhero movies for an actor who tested for the role of the protagonist to be cast as the bad guy: Cillian Murphy and Heath Ledger were both considered for the position of Bruce Wayne before they were cast as the Scarecrow and the Joker, respectively.

Long before all of these examples, James Franco auditioned for the role of Peter Parker but was eventually cast as Harry Osborn.

4. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was, of course, approached for the role of Spider-Man. He was (and still is) one of the world’s most creditworthy movie stars.

The Spider-Man almost-scenario occurred during Cruise’s prime, in the 1980s. Cannon Films attempted to bring the webslinger to the big screen, and because Cruise had just had a major hit with Risky Business, he was at the top of the list of candidates. Cannon worked on the project with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper and Missing in Action director Joseph Zito, but it was finally shelved.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio was considered for the role when Sam Raimi was developing the first Spider-Man film. The nearly complete casting shows how difficult it is to find the appropriate performer for such a major part.

DiCaprio is a phenomenal performer who would have added something special to the part. But was he too talented for it? Would it have detracted from the film? We’ll never know, but it certainly raises some intriguing issues.

2. Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet was a largely unexplored actor when he was being approached to play Peter Parker, despite the fact that he is now one of the most in-demand performers in the world. After being on the short list, he ultimately was not given the chance to join the MCU. However, Tom Holland, the real Spider-Man, has expressed his desire for Chalamet to play a villain in upcoming Spider-Man films.
In reference to his auditions, Chalamet has said, “I read twice, and I left sweating in great fear.” It turned out well because he later went on to appear in Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name, two of the best movies of the decade.

1. Jake Gyllenhaal

Tobey Maguire was injured on the set of Seabiscuit shortly after the huge success of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The production of Spider-Man 2 was about to begin, and the producers didn’t want to extend it, so they had Gyllenhaal ready to take over if Maguire didn’t recover in time. At the time, there was also speculation that Maguire had been fired.
Jake Gyllenhaal was ready behind the curtains to replace Maguire if he didn’t recover. But, thankfully, Maguire recovered in time to appear in the sequel to his own film. Gyllenhaal was cast as Mysterio alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in the MCU’s Spider-Man: Far From Home.