We know that a new Spider-Man will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - likely in Captain America: Civil War - followed by a solo Spider-Man movie for Sony. We're not entirely certain which Spider-Man will be hitting the big screen. The inital press release listed Peter Parker, but some subsequent rumors have indicated that it may be Miles Morales, rather than Parker, or at the very least a non-white actor playing the role. If those rumors prove true, then some of the current casting theories wouldn't make much sense.
At the moment, however, one name that is often associated with the rebooted, teen Spider-Man is Bates Motel star Freddie Highmore. We were able to speak with Highmore today about the upcoming third season of Bates (more on that soon!). During our conversation, we asked him what he thought of the idea of taking up the mantle as the new Spider-Man.
"Obviously I would love to be considered," the actor said. "That would be fantastic. I guess we'll just see how things go."
Highmore stays off Twitter, and says he hasn't been personally "stoking any fires" himself, but would love to play Spidey.
As to the appeal of the character, Highmore said that, "you always feel like you can identify with him. He's that kind of guy at school who wasn't perhaps in the really cool group, but who was extremely intelligent and managed to find confidence in being Spider-Man - in this other side to his life."
"I was going to try and make a comparison between Spider-Man and Norman Bates," the actor laughed. "But I'm not sure...it's probably best to stay clear of that one."
In thinking about it, we decided that they do have some things in common - they each feel like outsiders, have a double life, and like to dress up.
Finally, we asked Highmore if he would have any hesitation about tackling a movie and franchise that has the scale that Spider-Man inevitably will - as well as so many eyes upon it.
"I guess that's always something you would think about," the actor said. "At the same time it would be such a fantastic role... As with Norman Bates, some people would always say, 'Oh, is it tricky playing Norman knowing he has this history behind him, and with Anthony Perkins' classic performance that you will always be compared to?' I guess similarly with the actor who ends up playing Spider-Man there will always be comparisons made with Tobey Maguire's great performance and most recently Andrew Garfield."
You can watch our interview with Highmore above, and we'll keep you upd
We will keep you updated as details on the new Spider-Man emerge.