Marvel may have secretly auditioned 16-year-old Mateus Ward for Spider-man

With rumors flying that the next Spider-man may not be white and Marvel head Joe Quesada saying it will be Peter Parker, it is hard to keep track of which rumor is going where. The majority of casting has leaned towards Logan Lerman or Dylan O"Brian as contenders for the coveted superhero role, but now a new source may change the dynamic of who producers are looking at for the part.

Badass Digest claims sources have TV actor Mateus Ward secretly testing for the Spider-man role which will debut in next year's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. The film is slated to begin filming in a few weeks so it is vital the role be cast soon. But, what does Ward have that no other rumored contender has? Youth.

The sixteen year old actor would be the youngest Marvel hero if he gets the part and would definitely be the youngest potential actor being considered for the role. Interestingly, both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were in their twenties when they were cast as Spider-man which also limits the longevity of the actor playing the role. After two or three films, you are already a decade older then the high school/college-aged hero.

Ward, best known for roles on the CBS series Hostages and Showtime's Weeds, would fit in with Marvel taking the character back to high school. Whether this turns out to be the decision they go with is unknown, but I personally like taking the role back to a very young actor. It would add a freshness as compared to the rest of the Avengers and Marvel Cinematic Universe and also follow through on the promise to do Spider-man the right way.

Spider-man will debut in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR on May 6, 2016 before getting his own adventure on July 28, 2017.