Are Aaron Johnson And Anton Yelchin In The Running For Spider-Man?

 

Although some have presumed Kick-Ass star Aaron Johnson might be a shoo-in for director Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class, 24 Frames reports the actor is on the shortlist for Sony’s Spider-Man reboot.

But Johnson isn’t the only new addition to a list that supposedly already includes Jamie Bell, Frank Dillane, Alden Ehrenreich, Andrew Garfield and Josh Hutcherson. According to the Los Angeles Times blog, Anton Yelchin, the 21-year-old co-star of Star Trek and Termination Salvation, also is being considered to play Peter Parker.

Johnson, who turns 20 on Sunday, has already played an ordinary teenager who becomes a superhero, so stepping into the Spider-Man role wouldn’t be much of a stretch. Yelchin, meanwhile, has demonstrated a great deal of range, from his early work in Along Came a Spider to more recent films like Alpha Dog and Charlie Bartlett.

However, the LA Times’ Steven Zeitchik notes that the addition of these names may not mean a lot, as director Marc Webb has been casting a wide net for potential actors. Screen tests will begin “shortly,” he reports.

Sony wants to begin production by the end of the year for a July 3, 2012, release.