Riverdale's KJ Apa reveals that he auditioned for the role of MCU's Peter Parker/Spider-Man. In 2015, news broke out that the web-slinging hero was finally joining the Avengers after Marvel Studios struck a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to share the character. A year later, Tom Holland debuted the iconic Marvel hero in Captain America: Civil War. Since then, he's appeared in four more films - two of which are his standalone outings, the other two being Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. However, if things panned out differently, another young British actor could've gotten the part.
Shooting to mainstream popularity after he was cast as Archie Andrews in The CW's adaptation of the Archie Comics, Apa has been in the show business since 2013. He began his career in the show Shortland Street where he played Kane Jenkins. He also appeared in a string of big screen projects such as 2017's A Dog's Purpose, 2018's The Hate U Give and this year's The Last Summer. On top of his regular role in Riverdale, Apa will be seen next in films such as Altar Rock and I Still Believe. But before landing his leading role in the popular teen drama, Apa was looking to sport some tights as Spider-Man.
Sitting down with the rest of the primary cast of Riverdale with MTV NEWS during the recently-concluded San Diego Comic-Con, host Josh Horowitz asked everyone who among them tried for a superhero gig. Camilla Mendes confirmed that she was but didn't reveal what character she auditioned to play, but Apa full on revealed that he tried for MCU's Spider-Man. Watch the full clip below:
Holland is the fastest casting turnaround Marvel Studios ever did - Kevin Feige said as much during Jon Favreau's The Chef Show. He screen tested with both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans before officially nabbing the part for Civil War. He also famously learned of his casting online after it was announced on social media before he got the call from Feige. In three years, Holland has reprised the part more times than any other actor who portrayed the role. If anything, the massive success of Spider-Man: Far From Home proves that Marvel Studios did the right thing by choosing him.
While Apa himself admitted that he didn't feel like he aced his audition for Spider-Man, it's interesting to wonder how his casting would've affected the trajectory that character has had in the MCU. As far as Riverdale's fans are concern, he's an effective actor considering what he's given in the teen drama, and he's racked some award season love for what he's been able to do in The CW show. In any case, just because he was bested out by Holland as the friendly-neighborhood hero, that doesn't mean that there's no more chance for him to join the superhero world.
Source: MTV NEWS
