‘Spider-Man’ Shortlist Includes ‘Paper Towns’ Star Nat Wolff, ‘Hugo’s’ Asa Butterfield (Exclusive)

Sony Pictures and Marvel have narrowed down their list of “Spider-Man” contenders to a select group of up-and-coming actors that includes Nat Wolff, Asa Butterfield, Tom Holland, Timothee Chalamet and Liam James, among others, TheWrap has learned.

Sony is preparing to make test offers to several young stars next week, with a decision expected in the next 2-3 weeks, though a deal may take longer to hammer out. To be clear, none of the five actors above have test offers, but multiple individuals with knowledge of the situation have confirmed they are strong contenders who are definitely in the mix as of right now, and the group paints a picture of the kind of actor the studios want.

Sony and Marvel had no comment regarding the shortlist.

While the new Spider-Man is expected to have a cameo in Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War,” which starts filming very soon, the role won’t need to be filled until June, when the character will be needed on set.

The new “Spider-Man” movie has been shrouded in secrecy, and as with any shortlist, there are actors in the mix whose identities remain a secret. It’s also possible that one of the aforementioned quintet may not end up testing for the coveted role, but as of right now, those are the five actors TheWrap has heard consistently from trusted sources.

Drew Goddard remains the frontrunner to direct the new “Spider-Man” movie, which is expected to be set in high school. All of the five actors above can pass for high school students, including Wolff, who at 20 years old, is the oldest of the quintet. Wolff is riding high off “The Fault In Our Stars,” and stars opposite Cara Delevingne in the next John Green adaptation, “Paper Towns,” in which he plays a high school student.

Chalamet and James have had similar career trajectories. Both starred on hit TV shows — Chalamet on “Homeland” and James on “The Killng” — and have made a successful jump to features. Chalamet played Matthew McConaughey‘s son in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” while James carried the hit indie “The Way Way Back” on his young shoulders.

Likewise, Holland was arguably the lead of the acclaimed drama “The Impossible,” which launched his career. He also co-stars in Ron Howard’s whale tale “In the Heart of the Sea.”

Butterfield may be the best known among the five actors, having played the lead in “Ender’s Game” and Martin Scorsese‘s “Hugo.” He’s also the lead in Tim Burton‘s adaptation of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”

The new standalone “Spider-Man” movie is slated to swing into theaters on July 28, 2017.