Before Miles Morales made his big screen debut in the animated “Into the Spider-Verse,” live-action actor Tony Revolori auditioned to be Spider-Man in 2017 franchise reboot “Homecoming.”
Tom Holland ultimately was cast in the lead role, with Revolori playing high school bully Flash. Yet “The Grand Budapest Hotel” alum revealed that he is skeptical a non-white actor was ever seriously considered in the first place.
“It seems to commonly occur that we go into a part like this where you want it so badly, you’re willing to do more than anyone else,” Revolori told Insider. “But it becomes a tough thing when you’re not even considered for it before they move along. I think the issue is that, sure, they let us all audition, but did we even have the chance?”
Revolori continued, “I’m sure they would tell you otherwise because they’re far too kind, but I remember absolutely bombing the audition because I didn’t have any belief in myself to be able to say, ‘Yes, I can be Spider-Man, I will be Spider-Man,’ because there’s no representation there, not in the comics…The idea that you have to make a completely new character to play that role is difficult.”
The Guatemalan-American star added, “The fact that I’ve never seen anyone who looks like me play a role like that made me feel like, ‘Am I going to be able to do this? Is that real, that I can actually have a shot at this?’ And it ends up kind of rocking your belief system.”
Revolori summed up, “I would love to walk into an audition for ‘Spider-Man’ and not feel like I don’t deserve the chance or not feel like I have no shot at it from the second I walk in, you know?”
Even Revolori being cast as Flash, who is blonde in the comics, led to racist backlash from Marvel fans. Revolori endured “very biting” social media comments but “realized there was no point” in fighting back, ultimately opting out of “giving a shit” about critics.
The “Asteroid City” actor played Flash in “Homecoming,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and is expected to reprise the role for the upcoming fourth film.
“As a Latino man, I’ve never had the ‘Black Panther’ or ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ moment,” Revolori said. “As far as I know, neither have other family members of mine and friends.”
The upcoming “Scream 6” star hopes that there is an “opportunity to audition for something that doesn’t need to necessarily be defined by race” soon.
Lead star Holland previously told GQ magazine that “maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film.”
“If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong,” Holland said.
But producer Amy Pascal added,” I’m never going to make Spider-Man movies without him. Are you kidding me?”
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