Shocking news out of Nashua, New Hampshire today as word leaked that former President Josiah Bartlet has been cast– excuse me…
I'm sorry, I'm being told that President Josiah Bartlet is in fact a fictional character and not a real person. Apparently, President Bartlet was played by an actor named Martin Sheen and that he has been cast by director Marc Webb as Uncle Ben in the new Spider-Man film.
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What’s next?
OH MY GOD!
great casting
Promising!
This is also really weird because I’ve been thinking Mrs. Landingham would make a great Aunt May…
@jackietam Stockard Channing as Aunt May?
As much as I love honorable Martin Sheen in "The West Wing", nutcase Martin Sheen in "The Dead Zone" still entertains me to no end. "The missiles are away, hallelujah, hallelujah." Sheen’s great as a hero and a villain.
Wow, now that I think about it, he does look quite a bit like the Ditko Uncle Ben. Yay! (Ben) Parker for America!
I’m gaining optimism towards this movie
Can’t go wrong with Martin Sheen. Of course this role is night and day from something like Apocalypse Now!
Can we find a role for Dule Hill? Peter’s little known older brother?
I love Martin Sheen, love Spider-Man, really liked the director’s last movie, and have not seen a frame of this film. And that is why I am not using this space to say, "Oh, Christ, are we really doing the Uncle Ben story again less than ten years later?"
(He could just be in flashbacks or something. Dream sequences. Musical numbers.)
Now get Elisabeth Moss in there. Peter’s cousin maybe?
Gary Cole for JJJ!
My wife just groaned, ‘Do we really need to see Uncle Ben get killed again?"
great you can now get from Spiderman to the Dark Knight via Spawn
So we have to sit through another origin story when everyone on the planet already knows it. Ridiculous.
Wait. Wait. Richard Schiff for JJJ. That works better.
Although. Given the mustache…BRadley Whitford would also work.
I’m experiencing a crisis.
Hmmm I don’t know. This seems like kind of a odd choice to me for some reason but it could really work well. I want to see it happen, I’m intrigued.
@Paul: Cole YES!!!
Steven Weber. Final answer.
This is disappointing to me, not because it’s bad casting, just because I was hoping we wouldn’t have to go through the origin again.
Helen Mirren as Aunt may.
WHAT!!? But he can’t be Uncle Ben! He was already Jason Wynn in the Spawn movie from 1997 (Wow that movie is that old?)! Rabble Rabble Rabble!
In all seriousness very cool. Sheen is a fantastic actor. Just watched Apocalyse Now recently and he’s damn good (Yes I realize that movie is over 30 years old, but still). I think if they let him be on screen longer then ten minutes he could do a hell of a job. He could do a hell of a job in ten minutes, but I’d love to see him in it more.
This cast is turning pretty awesome.
The tv president during the W. years is going to comics. It is different but ok.
Matthew
I’m sitting in the middle of a library and just said OH MY GOD pretty loudly when i read the headline of this article. Got quite a few dirty looks and even a shhhh. Seriously though Apocolypse Now, The Departed, The Illusive Man in Mass Effect 2 damn right i’m excited!
Aww man, I don’t wannna see Jed Bartlett get killed. Again. The Departed was hard enough. Plus I had hopes he would play the new Vulture. Ah well, what’s next!
The only thing I’ll be sad about Sheen’s appearance in the film, is if he doesn’t go into a over the top rant on how someone isn’t American or if he doesn’t kill a hamster with a cigarette.
In seriousness, I love Martin Sheen for his acting and the fact that he comes from my home state of Ohio. I think he can pull this role off and now I’m getting really exitced about seeing this reboot.
Forest Hills. Shit, I’m still only in Forest Hills.
Does this mean that they are going back and retelling the origin of spidey or do you think that he will appear in flash backs? I really hope that they don’t tell the origin agian, but it would make sense if they did it because are trying to start from scratch. I am interested on Martin Sheen take on the character.
Sally Field as Aunt May! This cast gets better and better!
Where did Sally Field come from? Is there an update that I missed?
She just was announced at http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026935
@conor: he could be Randy Robertson, who just happens to go to school with Peter Parker.
@paul: I seriously don’t think that anyone could top J.K. Simmons JJJ. That will be etched on my brain forever.
Wow if this is true, it would bump up my expecations for the film from might check it out, to definitely will see!
I would have no problem with J.K. Simmons reprising his role.
"Martin Sheen? That’s President Kennedy, you idiot."
I never watched The West Wing, so Sheen as Uncle Ben leaves me cold. Still, same difference.
Wait, Sally Fields as Aunt May now? Did Wizard Magazine cast this movie?
Grey his hair and then maybe…
why is everyone groaning about this? You HAVE to have Uncle Ben. This isn’t a continuation of the TERRIBLE trilogy that we’ll not speak of! This is a relaunch (that hopefully will stick more to 616 spidey and not ultimate, but probably not). But in any case, the bottum line IS…. you can’t have a Spider-Man if you don’t lose an Uncle Ben. Plain and Simple.
Man, another relaunch. fart.
that’s a pretty big name to put in that role, they must be planning lots of flashbacks and such.
@ed209AF: Helen Mirren would be a good choice.
@malecema – Or they can only afford him for the first 3rd of the movie.
Sounds good to me. However ,old Sally Field reminds me too much of Mama Gump.
@oppsxlandmine – i disagree, Uncle ben is not needed. He is like kryptonite, we are all aware of him. The only reason he will be there is to educate the young crowd who havent seen the first two spider-man films.