Andrew Garfield cast as new Spider-Man

Spare a thought for Josh Hutcherson, shed a tear for Aaron Johnson , buy Jamie Bell a drink. All three have been beaten to the role of Spider-Man by British actor Andrew Garfield. Garfield, 26, will inherit the sticky-palmed suit from Tobey Maguire, 35, who won praise for his three films in the role. Sony, the studio behind the forthcoming reinvention of the franchise, had let it be known they were keen for a newcomer to play the role. But by the time the film is released, Garfield is likely to be a familiar face to moviegoers. Already relatively well-known in the UK for starring roles in TV dramas Red Riding and Boy A, Garfield will be seen on the big screen this autumn in The Social Network, David Fincher's Facebook film, and in the adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Spider-Man will be directed by Marc Webb, whose debut feature, (500) Days of Summer, was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year. The scheduled release date for Spider-Man is 2012.