Andrew Garfield (26) Cast to Play High School Spider-Man

In a surprising and somewhat anticlimactic move, Andrew Garfield was selected to play Peter Parker in the upcoming Spider-Man movie, which is set for release on July 3, 2012 (Yahoo!Movies). Debates about who would take over the role following the news of Tobey Maguire's departure from the franchise were heated, and the search for a new lead apparently covered the entire globe (EW.com). This much-anticipated news was announced by Columbia Pictures on Thursday, according to Yahoo!Movies. Garfield, who is 26, is slightly older than most of the guesses hazarded by both fans and the media, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Currently, the 2012 Spider-Man film does not have a title, but the word "reboot" has been thrown into the mix. Originally, Spider-Man 4, with the familiar cast and team, was set to be released in 2011, but several setbacks eventually scrapped the idea, and the reboot was born.

The idea behind this 2012 movie is Peter Parker going back to his high school days. This is possibly one of the reasons why Andrew Garfield was not an obvious (and 26-year-old) choice (SuperHeroHype). The film will welcome Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) into the franchise as director. James Vanderbilt (Zodiac and The Losers) has been confirmed as the screenplay writer, according to Yahoo!.

While reactions to the choice of Andrew Garfield have been fairly mixed, a reboot and a new lead might be the necessary ingredients to reviving the franchise. Reviews for Spider-Man 3 leaned heavily toward the negative, and most viewers could understand why (RottenTomatoes): Too many storylines and villains, same underdeveloped emotional issues facing the protagonist, and special effects that make you wonder if they are only being pretty to distract you from the rough edges.

While the departure of Tobey Maguire and former director Sam Raimi might have left some fans stumbling, this might prove beneficial to the franchise. That said, the choice of Andrew Garfield is somewhat questionable, because he is meant to be a younger Peter Parker, and Garfield will be pushing 29 when the film is released.

Only time will tell if Garfield will accomplish what aging women constantly attempt by looking like he could be in high school while he is really approaching 30 (MovieLine). While I have only seen Garfield in two episodes of Doctor Who (where he did a pretty fair job), praises are being sung about his performance in The Social Network. He has the potential to ace this role in the emotional department, but the simple physical barrier of his age might raise some eyebrows, especially if the high school role is intended for future films.

EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. "Andrew Garfield cast as the new Spider-Man."

MovieLine. "How Old Will Andrew Garfield Be When the Next Spider-Man 3 Comes Out?"

RottenTomatoes. "Spider-Man 3."

SuperHeroHype. "Sony Rebooting Spider-Man in 2012!"

Yahoo!Movies. "Andrew Garfield Cast As New 'Spider-Man'"