When Andrew Garfield was confirmed as the new Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Marc Webb’s 3D reboot of the iconic superhero, a lengthy and highly competitive casting campaign came to a close. But the end of one search inevitably leads to another and speculation began running rampant over who would play Parker’s red-haired love interest Mary Jane Watson. After today’s report from Heat Vision, though, many will undoubtedly wonder if Mary Jane will even be the leading lady in the new film.
The source claims to have found out who is in the running, or at least who is being considered, for the unnamed character who will steal Spidey’s heart in the highly-anticipated redo, which is aiming for a July 3rd, 2012 release. Emma Roberts, Imogen Poots, Ophelia Lovibond, Teresa Palmer and Lily Collins will meet with director Webb and star Garfield throughout the weekend to read for the role. Most believe that the new film will follow the story of the Marvel Comics source material closely and that the love interest this time around will be Gwen Stacy (played by Bryce Dallas Howard in 2007’s Spider-Man 3), but the possibility of a brand new character, written specifically for the movie, hasn’t been ruled out. If it’s accuracy that the writers/director/studio wants, these lucky actresses should be reading for Betty Brant, the Daily Bugle secretary played by Elizabeth Banks in the original trilogy who was actually Peter Parker’s very first girlfriend, but I digress.
The ladies all have something different to offer, but share one thing in common. Like Garfield, they are all considered “up-and-coming” performers who will likely make waves in the industry whether they nab this part or not. Some are already moving up the ranks of the Hollywood hierarchy, like Emma Roberts, who comes from a very successful filmmaking family, appears in seven films this year (including the $110 million hit Valentine’s Day and the upcoming It’s Kind Of A Funny Story) and will topline next Spring’s sure-to-be-big Scream 4. Teresa Palmer would also be a good choice as she’s got the right look for the gig and experience working on big-budget productions like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and next year’s I Am Number Four. Of course, keeping in line with the cost-effective strategy and edgier tone that Webb is aiming for, Poots (who can be seen in next week’s Centurion), Lovibond (who recently wrapped William Monahan’s London Boulevard) and Collins (who appeared in The Blind Side and will be seen next in 2011’s Preist) could also steal the role.
Heat Vision also claims that no one is a favorite and that these girls will not be screen testing this weekend. This is more like a first round of meetings and it should be noted that there will likely be many more candidates that will be considered. I liken the search to the hunt for Paramount’s Captain America, where the initial set of actors to read for the role (including John Krasinski and Garrett Hedlund) were nowhere near the finish line when director Joe Johnston chose Chris Evans to play the patriot. Since the reboot was first announced, I said that Roberts should play Mary Jane and though I would love to see her in the film, I don’t think she’s right for Gwen Stacy. If the innocent blond is in fact the leading lady, I would go with Poots or Palmer as I’ve seen them both give reserved and vulnerable performances in the past that would work well with the character. Only time will tell who will get the gig, but now is your chance to sound off: who do you think should get to play the female lead in Spider-Man 3D? Click on the photos below to see more of these stunning actresses and let us know!
Source: Heat Vision
