Josh Hutcherson (Cirque du Freak) is reportedly on the short list to play the lead in Marc Webb’s reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. We previously reported that Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) almost had the gig and then learned that he was never anywhere close to the gig. IESB (who are probably still doing a touchdown dance over breaking the Joss Whedon-Avengers story) reports that Hutcherson has been bulking up lately but more importantly, he fits the criteria for the new Spidey actor: “young, unknown, cheap” (a description which disturbingly also fits dead hookers).

Hit the jump for my positive reaction to the possibility of casting Hutcherson as the new Peter Parker.

Unlike Lerman, who did nothing to wow me in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, I’ve been liking Hutcherson for the past several years. I think he did great work in Zathura, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and he was one of the few good things in Cirque du Freak. IESB also says Hutcherson has received rave reviews for his performance in the hit Sundance film The Kids Are All Right. Finally, Hutcherson is co-starring in the upcoming Red Dawn remake which is due out in theaters this November.

My one reservation about Hutcherson is that of the characters I’ve seen him play, they all have a bit of an edge to them. Peter Parker isn’t an edgy character. He’s not bland, but he is straight-laced and nerdy. I can still see Hutcherson in the role, but if he gets the part, it will be interesting to see how his approach will differ from his past work, let alone stepping out from Tobey Maguire’s massive shadow.

Source: Collider