Marvel and Sony’s Spider-Man reboot has already been likened to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s been clear from the start that school pressures will play a big part in Peter Parker’s upcoming adventures. Spider-Man: Homecoming has just cast a principal for that school, and he’s no stranger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A new report from Deadline suggests Kenneth Choi has joined the Sony/Marvel production. Choi has a pretty strong background including Wolf of Wall Street and Sons of Anarchy. He’s also known for playing Howling Commando Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger. The report claimed, “he will be playing the school principal in Spider-Man.”
Choi has reprised his original role in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, but we presume this is a new character. After all, there’s over 70 years between these two films in the MCU timeline. Characters from the 40s have shown up in the present before, but it’s hard to see them taking up a job as a school principal after doing so. It may be in relation to Choi’s First Avenger character, but it looks like he’s playing someone new.
Choi joins Marisa Tomei, Zendaya and possibly Michael Keaton in the film. Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man after a strong turn in Captain America: Civil War, while Robert Downey Jr. makes an eighth appearance as Tony Stark.
Choi is arguably one of the most interesting castings, given that he’s taking up a second Marvel role. We’ve seen actors taking on separate roles in film and TV in the MCU, but this is very different. Unless we’re completely wrong, and the Howling Commandos have settled down to run a high school. We’re all for seeing lunch lady Dum Dum Duggan.
It does feel like a odd move to cast the actor twice. Marvel have just been fighting off white-washing claims over Doctor Strange, which makes it even more unusual. If they set out to cast an Asian actor in the film, then casting the same actor in two of their rare Asian roles could cause controversy.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is set for a 7 July, 2017 release.
Image via Marvel/Walt Disney Co.
