Comic book fans’ spidey-senses have been tingling following reports that previous Spider-Man actors have joined the cast of the franchise’s next instalment.
British star Tom Holland has played the Marvel superhero on the big screen since 2016, following in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Both are now reportedly set to reprise their roles as the wall-crawler with Holland, 24, alongside former foes including Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx’s Electro.
Tom Holland is the current Peter Parker
The return of those villains from previous outings for the as-yet-untitled third entry of the current series has been reported by The Hollywood Reporter, while Collider says Maguire and Garfield are also set to appear.
Collider says Maguire – who played Peter Parker in three films between 2002 and 2007 – is working through some contracting issues with Marvel and Sony, while Garfield – who starred in 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man reboot and its maligned 2014 sequel – is already on board.
But that’s not the only news for fans of the web-slinging hero – Kirsten Dunst is set to reprise her role as Mary-Jane and Emma Stone is supposedly back as Gwen Stacey, according to Collider.
Dunst last appeared in 2007’s Spider-Man 3, and Stone in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Sony released both of those series and has maintained the film rights for the popular hero, but the newest films also appear as part of the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Stars of the current series expected to return alongside Holland include Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori and Marisa Tomei, while Benedict Cumberbatch is confirmed to appear as MCU hero Doctor Strange, who will serve as a mentor to Peter Parker.
Spider-Man: Far From Home grossed more than $1bn at the box office last year
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The new Spider-Man 3 has a slated release date of December 2021, and is rumoured to feature a “multiverse” of the franchise’s former heroes and villains, taking inspiration from hit animated film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, which won an Oscar in 2019.
Molina’s involvement in the latest film was heavily rumoured last month, after the 67-year-old was spotted on set. His Doctor Octopus first appeared in Maguire’s second outing as Spider-Man in 2004.
Foxx’s Electro took on Garfield’s iteration of the hero in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014. The star hinted at his involvement in a now-deleted Instagram post, as well as the potential for three Spider-Men to show up.
Zendaya will reprise her role from 2017 and 2019’s Spider-Man films
Plot details have been kept under wraps, but Holland – who is known for letting details slip about the MCU – has described it as “absolutely insane”.
When asked about casting reports by chat show host Jimmy Kimmel last week, Zendaya, who plays MJ in the current Spider-Man films, remained tight-lipped.
The film – which follows 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home – has reportedly begun filming in New York and is set to be released on 17 December 2021.