Since the announcement that Spider-Man would be coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have heard a number of actor's names floated around as potential candidates to play the superhero role. Few names, however, have been as oft repeated as Dylan O'Brien's. At the age of 23, he is within the proper age range for the role - but has anyone actually reached out to him yet about possibly playing the part? While fans may want the answer to say yes, the actual answer is no.
BuzzFeed had the opportunity to catch up with O'Brien on the set of Teen Wolf today, and when the subject of Spider-Man came up, the actor revealed that he has not yet heard anything from either Sony or Marvel about an opportunity to play Peter Parker on the big screen. Asked about the rumors, O'Brien said,
Professionally, I haven’t heard anything about it. I’ve only heard from, like, [rumors] online... It makes me feel bad because I’m, like, disappointing a big chunk of fans across the nation. You can tell them that it’s not true."
You may have noticed that Dylan O'Brien specified that he has not heard anything "professionally' - and that's because he has been hearing plenty from his friends and family about all of the stories that have been coming out online. The actor admitted that he has been getting messages from friends back in his home state of New Jersey asking for info about the part, but he hasn't had anything to tell them yet.
Just because Dylan O'Brien is still as disconnected as anyone from the new Spider-Man movie, however, doesn't mean that it's not a part that he wouldn't absolutely love to have. He clearly recognizes the importance of the role within pop culture, and is really just excited that his name is being mentioned in connection with the project. Said the actor,
It’s nothing but flattering. It’s never something I would want to get myself excited about, since I know I haven’t heard about it from a professional standpoint. I’ve always wanted to play Peter Parker, obviously. I feel like any actor my age, that’s, like, a big thing. And my name being tossed with Logan Lerman’s is the coolest thing ever, too. I just think that kid is fucking fantastic.
At this stage, there isn't any official, concrete information regarding the direction that Marvel and Sony are planning to go in with their new Spider-Man. That being said, trade reports have suggested that the studios are looking for a very young actor, and possibly one who isn't white. Given that the rebooted character is going to be making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Captain America: Civil War - which will be going into production in a few months - it shouldn't be much longer until a name is revealed.
