It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere. With so many studios competing for box office supremacy with respective shared universes, it's become commonplace for actors to at least audition for a comic book role. And depending on the character, studios cast a wide net to see the biggest variety of talent. Prime examples of this include the search for the young Han Solo and the MCU's Spider-Man.
The latter superhero went to the talents of Tom Holland, who has already played Peter Parker for a whopping five movies since he debuted in Captain America: Civil War. We'd previously learned that The Walking Dead's Chandler Riggs auditioned to play Spidey, but it turns out that Riverdale's Archie Andrews KJ Apa also went in for the part. Unfortunately, it didn't go very well. As he put it:
I auditioned for Spider-Man. Uh. you know sometimes I walk out of an audition, you know when you walk out and you feel really good about it? Feel like they loved it? I didn’t feel like that.
Well, at least he's got a good sense of humor about the whole thing. While KJ Apa certainly has the star power to warrant an audition to play Spider-Man, it wasn't his best day in the room. But being an actor means taking rejection, which Apa seems to do with class.
KJ Apa became a household name when Riverdale Season 1 debuted on The CW, debuting his ultra-ripped yet musically talented Archie Andrews. The high stakes and constant twists of the teen drama has put in Archie in all sorts of precarious positions, so he seems to have gotten training to jump into a big superhero blockbuster. If Archie can fight for his life throughout all of Season 3 (including a scuffle with a bear), Apa could have handled being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Related: That Time Spider-Man’s Flash Thompson Auditioned To Play Peter Parker
You can check out KJ Apa's comments to MTV below. Veronica actress Camila Mendes also mentions auditioning for a comic book role, although she doesn't mention which.
Bummer. Luckily, Riverdale has continued to be a bit hit on The CW, so KJ Apa is certainly doing fine for himself playing a different type of comic book character.
The role of Peter Parker ultimately went to Tom Holland, who has been universally acclaimed for his interpretation of the character. Holland brought gymnastic ability and youthful naivety to the iconic hero, bringing something wholly unique than his predecessors. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role at this point, especially following his emotional performances in Infinity War, Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is still in theaters now, continuing to rake in dollars for Disney. And KJ Apa will reprise his role as Archie Andrews in Riverdale Season 4 this coming fall. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
