Contenders To Helm Standalone 'Spider-Man' Narrow To Include Ted Melfi And Jonathan Levine, Adds Jon Watts

Jonathan LevineIt would appear that Sony and Marvel want to name their new Spider-Man actor and director at once. The screen testing for the new Peter Parker is reportedly reaching the final stages, with an announcement imminent, while a helmer for the new standalone movie, rumored to be titled "Spider-Man: The New Avenger," is also whittling down the choices for those to get behind the camera.

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Deadline reports that Ted Melfi ("St. Vincent") and Jonathan Levine ("50/50," "Warm Bodies") are the favorites for the job, while John Francis Daley & Jonathan M. Goldstein (the upcoming "Vacation") are still in the mix. And while that presumably means that previous filmmakers trying for the job like Jason Moore ("Pitch Perfect") and Jared Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite," "Nacho Libre") are likely out of the running, it would appear Marvel and Sony are still eyeballing potential candidates. And one such name is Jon Watts, the director behind the upcoming "Cop Car" starring Kevin Bacon.

Meanwhile, a screenwriter also needs to be found too, though that job could theoretically fall to the director as well (though Marvel generally hasn’t gone that route in the past). The new Spidey movie will drop on July 28, 2017.