Before He Was Sentry, Lewis Pullman Auditioned to Be Peter Parker's Best Friend in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
Lewis Pullman may now be playing the emotionally volatile Sentry in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, but a decade ago, he had his eye on a very different corner of the MCU.In a recent chat with IGN, Marvel’s longtime casting director Sarah Finn shared: “Lewis Pullman actually auditioned for me for the role of Ned Leeds in Spider-Man 10 years ago.” Yep, he was up for the lovable sidekick to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequels.That role, of course, ended up going to Jacob Batalon, who brought heart and humor to the character across three films. Batalon's future in the franchise remains uncertain, especially with Spider-Man: Brand New Day being pitched as a "fresh start" for the web-slinger.Meanwhile, Pullman has carved out his own space in the Marvel universe. In Thunderbolts*, he plays Bob Reynolds, a man struggling with the destructive power of his mental issues. He’s a complex and interesting character that’s already sparking conversations about where the character might go next.Pullman shared what it feels like to go from Marvel hopeful to Marvel heavyweight: “I had to kind of prepare myself for the possibility that this might just be a kind of one-and-done situation. “It’s kind of like breaking open a whole new room, and being like, oh my god, [my] house is actually bigger, and now I get to figure out what I do with that space.”I really do love this character and I can’t wait to see how his story arc continues to play out in Avengers: Doomsday. I just hope he has a long life in the MCU.As for playing Ned, I bet Pullman would’ve been great in the role! He could’ve easily pulled it off, but it’s good that he ultimately didn’t get it, because Sentry is a much better and more interesting character.
Lewis Pullman may now be playing the emotionally volatile Sentry in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, but a decade ago, he had his eye on a very different corner of the MCU.
In a recent chat with IGN, Marvel’s longtime casting director Sarah Finn shared: “Lewis Pullman actually auditioned for me for the role of Ned Leeds in Spider-Man 10 years ago.”
Yep, he was up for the lovable sidekick to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequels.
That role, of course, ended up going to Jacob Batalon, who brought heart and humor to the character across three films. Batalon's future in the franchise remains uncertain, especially with Spider-Man: Brand New Day being pitched as a "fresh start" for the web-slinger.
Meanwhile, Pullman has carved out his own space in the Marvel universe. In Thunderbolts*, he plays Bob Reynolds, a man struggling with the destructive power of his mental issues. He’s a complex and interesting character that’s already sparking conversations about where the character might go next.
Pullman shared what it feels like to go from Marvel hopeful to Marvel heavyweight: “I had to kind of prepare myself for the possibility that this might just be a kind of one-and-done situation.
“It’s kind of like breaking open a whole new room, and being like, oh my god, [my] house is actually bigger, and now I get to figure out what I do with that space.”
I really do love this character and I can’t wait to see how his story arc continues to play out in Avengers: Doomsday. I just hope he has a long life in the MCU.
As for playing Ned, I bet Pullman would’ve been great in the role! He could’ve easily pulled it off, but it’s good that he ultimately didn’t get it, because Sentry is a much better and more interesting character.
