This noughties teen boybander was very nearly Spider-Man

The role of the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man has been passed down through a handful of actors, from Tobey Maguire’s early Sam Raimi films to Shameik Moore as Miles Morales. It turns out that the 2012 Spider-Man movie could’ve looked very different, as one teen heartthrob was up against Andrew Garfield for the role. 

Garfield put on his best American accent and took on the role of Peter Parker alongside Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man, and has reprised his role over the years. However when casting was still underway, one popular singer at the time was in the running for the super suit.

Joe Jonas revealed on the Just for Variety podcast that he had auditioned for the role back in the 2010s, saying, “I remember years ago I was up for Spider-Man and I was so, so excited.”

Jonas initially was hopeful, as the director Marc Webb previously worked in the music industry as a music video director. He said, “I remember it was a big thing at the time, going for callbacks.”

However it wasn’t meant to be, and the role went to Garfield. “In the moment, you're destroyed or you're defeated. But you realise this person was brilliant.”

Although Jonas has mostly been focused on his family and music over the past few years, he’s ready to wade back into the acting realm. While he’s mostly starred onscreen as himself, he’s had a couple of roles in films and shows such as Camp Rock and Night at the Museum 2 - though he’s returning to the big screen in the upcoming thriller Devotion. 

Over the pandemic, Jonas revealed he had time to think about what he wanted to do next and realised he wanted to act. “I obviously love acting and it's something I've always wanted to get back into.”

It turns out he has his very own acting coach at home, as Game of Thrones actor Sophie Turner hasn’t held back on whipping him back into shape. He said, “When you have a wife like Sophie Turner, who is a phenomenal actress, the one filming you and directing you through it, you got to bring your A-game. She's my toughest critic.” 

Devotion is out in cinemas now.