Has there even been a more perfect actor than Tom Holland to play Spider-Man? These days, the majority of devout Marvel Comics fans would agree. Yet, while it is difficult to imagine him playing anyone other than Peter Parker, casting him for a hypothetical role in the DC movies is a fun idea.
The uncanny ability of this 24-year-old Englishman to portray an American teenager has earned him much praise by delivering an authentic and comic book accurate depiction of the webslinger. That being said, there are many other young vigilantes from the DC universe who have yet to be given the proper live action treatment on the big screen. For when that moment finally arises, these characters, particularly the ones in the male demographic, could use an actor of Tom Holland’s versatile talent and, especially, his youthful appearance.
So, why not take a look at some of the most interesting and/or lesser-known young heroes (or even villains) from the pages of DC Comics and imagine what Tom Holland might bring to the role for a cinematic adaptation? I managed to narrow down the selection the six characters whom the actor would be the most perfect choice to play.
Tempest
Much like his elder Atlantean and mentor Arthur Curry, otherwise known as Aquaman, the young Garth possesses an impressive variety of abilities (including enhanced senses, vast strength, telepathic communication with aquatic life, and magic) that he can use either in the ocean or on land. While his crimefighting career began as the aptly named Aqualad, that moniker has since been adopted by Black Manta’s similarly gifted son Jackson Hyde following his reinvention as Tempest. In an effort to differentiate from Drew Van Acker’s portrayal of Aqualad on the live action series Titans, Tom Holland could play Garth’s latter alias and perhaps in a team-up with Hyde.
Superboy
There have been three characters from DC comics best known for fighting under the alias of Superboy, including the direct son of Superman, a post-Doomsday clone of Superman, or a younger version of Superman himself defending Smallville in his teens. Excluding that last one, which would screw up the DCEU continuity, I would say either of the other two iterations would be a good match for Tom Holland and each for different reasons.
Playing Jonathan Samuel Kent, firstborn of Lois and Clark, would allow the actor to channel the eagerness Spider-Man into his performance, while the darker origin of clone Kon-El (or Conner in social situations) would give Holland the chance to expand to his horizons a bit as a more reluctant hero.
Pied Piper
Tom Holland could have a field day exploring the depth required to play Pied Piper, who is, indeed, originally inspired by the German folk tale of the same name and has undergone an amusing evolution since his Silver Age introduction. Deaf since birth, Hartley Rathaway’s wealthy family gave him cochlear implants that enhanced his hearing and led to his obsession with sound and developing sonic technology, which he discovered he could use to hypnotize people and did so as a criminal, making enemies with The Flash in the process. Pied Piper’s modern iteration now depicts him as a vigilante who is also openly gay and conducts symphonies as a day job.
Jericho
A DC character who rarely seems to stay on just one side of the law is Jericho, the alter ego of Joseph Wilson, who has much of the same expertise as his notorious assassin father Slade Wilson (Deathstroke), but also the ability to possess any human being just by making eye contact with them. He has been known to use his powers for good as a member of the Teen Titans, but also for bad after his father murdered him, only to come back in a fractured mental state that made him a target of his former allies. If there was any comic book role that Tom Holland could use in an effort to shed off his boyish image (which, let’s face it, Spider-Man is not really helping too much with), Jericho sounds like a prime candidate.
Kamandi
On the other hand, there is another DC character whose youth is essential to his otherwise gritty arc, which is a story you may not have heard of, but is definitely something Tom Holland has some experience with. Created by comic book legend Jack Kirby and first appearing in his own self-titled series in 1972, Kamandi is described as “The Last Boy on Earth,” struggling to survive a post-apocalyptic world in which the roles of humans and animals are mostly reversed as a result of a dimension-spanning cataclysmic event called the Great Disaster.
Holland’s training to be the lead of upcoming dystopian drama Chaos Walking and a young Nathan Drake in the highly anticipated Uncharted movie is already enough proof to me that this young adult combination of Planet of the Apes and I Am Legend should be his to headline.
Nightwing
Of the many DC characters whom fans have been pining to see get a movie of their own is Robin, but under the more badass alias of Nightwing. While the character would finally receive a live action debut after Brentwon Thwaites’ Dick Grayson adopted the moniker in Season 2 of Titans, he has yet to make an appearance in a proper film, which has been so eagerly desired that Batman would not even be necessary to the story to get people excited. Nightwing is a character of astonishing skill, emotional depth, and vast appeal that Tom Holland, or any actor of his pedigree at that, would not be able to resist bringing him to life on the big screen.
So, what do you think? Is it now hard to imagine anyone else playing these DC characters but Tom Holland, or do you covet his performance as Peter Parker so passionately that the mere of idea of leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe for any of these roles is blasphemous from your point of view. Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the Spider-Man actor in his current blockbuster franchise, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting calls, here on CinemaBlend.
