Speculation has swirled for weeks over just who will become Marvel's latest incarnation of Spider-Man, and it seems that the studio has finally decided on its leading (young) man.

According to the Latino Review, Asa Butterfield has snagged the part, and is currently in negotiations with the comics powerhouse. An official announcement is expected soon, the site reports.

The 18-year-old Butterfield had been one of the frontrunners for a while now, among a pack of young actors vying for the role that included Nat Wolff ("The Fault in Our Stars"), Tom Holland ("In The Heart of The Sea"), Timothee Chalamet ("Interstellar"), and Liam James ("The Killing"). Marvel and Sony, who are teaming up for the flick, reportedly want to focus on Peter Parker at a younger age than any of the previous "Spider-Man" films, spending more time with the hero as he navigates high school, hence the search for an actor in his late teens/early twenties.

Butterfield has some experience in the action genre, starring in the sci-fi adaptation "Ender's Game" in 2013. He was also the titular star of Martin Scorsese's beloved 2011 film "Hugo," which was nominated for Best Picture. That flick was heavy on the CGI, so Butterfield should feel at home in a superhero suit, fighting bad guys against a green screen.

The actor is expected to make his MCU debut in next year's "Captain America: Civil War," then get his own standalone Spider-Man movie, Latino Review reports. This is still just a rumor until Marvel confirms it; stay tuned to see if the studio has anything to add.

[via: Latino Review]

Photo credit: Andrew H. Walker via Getty Images

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