Over the weekend, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Marvel Studios had not yet cast the role of Peter Parker — who is either going to have a cameo or a pivotal role in next summer’s Captain America: Civil War before launching into his own franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Back in April, news sites were reporting Ender’s Game star Asa Butterfield was the frontrunner for the role, but Marvel is still screen testing several young actors.
One young actor who isn’t being tested — but should — is Ryan Potter who is best known as the voice of Hiro Hamada in Disney’s Big Hero 6. And I’m not the only person who thinks so!
Hey @Disney @Marvel here's my professional head shot. I mean. I get the job right? pic.twitter.com/VavC7AmyHu
— ライアン (@RyankPotter) March 7, 2015
A week after Marvel and Sony leaked the names of the (all-white) teen actors who were being considered for the role of Spider-Man, Potter took to twitter to openly campaign for the role. Tongue-in-cheek or not, it’s hard to deny that casting the 19-year old would be a big deal. Besides, compared to the other actors in the mix, Potter has the best superhero bona fides since he’s already part of the extended Marvel/Disney family through his work on Big Hero 6. Plus, he’s the right age and has the martial arts/stunt work experience from his years on Nickelodeon’s Supah Ninjas. What more could you ask for?
Sure, as a mixed-race Asian American, Potter doesn’t quite look like the others competing for the job, but that should be an advantage. In fact, that’s the point. Comics artist Alice Meichi Li already convincingly laid out the reasons why an Asian American Peter Park(er) actually makes more sense as a superhero from the Queens, NY of the in 21st century, so why not at least consider Potter for the gig? It’s not like the MCU already has an overabundance of Asian American heroes in the first place.
So, let’s hope Marvel and/or Disney has already got him on a one-way ticket to Atlanta to participate in the screen tests happening now. At the very least, it will go a long way towards making amends for Marvel’s other casting fails.
He would make a great spider man
The Science Geek
http://www.thesciencegeek.org
Ryan Potter is more American then Asa butterfield, Tom Holland, or Andrew Garfield will ever be. Not that being American is what qualifies you for the job, but there is that irony when people are so reluctant to accept a PoC playing their heros because the backgrounds of those actors deviate from the comic books, but will perfectly accept an actor from a different continent provides he looks white enough.
He would be perfect! This needs to happpen
That’s true and it was incorrect to have Dean Cain as superman. In the same way, if the casting directors find a white spiderman that isn’t as good an actor as Ryan Potter; I would personally much rather have an Asian spiderman.
He’d be a really good Peter Parker. Though if they need to cast an Asian-American, I’d prefer an unknown. I do like Ryan and feel he’d do the role justice, so I agree with the suggestion.
Reblogged this on blacklightmafia.
I never knew how much I wanted this until I saw this article. Yes, please!
Along with the reasons you mentioned, it helps that Potter isn’t drop-dead gorgeous like Garfield was (much as I liked Garfield’s portrayal, I agree that it was weird seeing a guy who could model for GQ playing Peter Parker). He’s cute, but in a “boy-next-door” kind of way. He looks like someone I could’ve gone to school with.
My only reservation is that if I hear him talk I might find it hard to separate him from Hiro. But that’s my only
Umm… just a note, calling Asians “oriental” is offensive. You use it to describe a rug, not a person.
Reblogged this on The Adventures of Fort Gaskin-Burr.
Definitely I don’t see why Peter shouldn’t be a biracial character it would add to the diversity of Queens, I feel the setting is just as or even more so important than the characters themselves.