15 Superstars Who've Played Superheroes (PHOTOS)

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst had signed on for a fourth installment of the successful Spider-Man franchise, but they — and director Sam Raimi — dropped out in early 2010 after the studio decided to focus the latest film on Peter Parker’s high-school self. (Tobey’s 37 and a father of two — he doesn’t quite look like he just went through puberty.)

That left the door open for sexy-gangly Brit Andrew Garfield, 28, who will somehow make himself seem young and gawky as a teenage Peter. Andrew’s real-life gal pal, Emma Stone, plays Gwen Stacy to his Peter.

Andrew gushed to Ain’t It Cool News, “I got very excited, of course, when I knew I was going to be playing the role, and I was just living in a pure fantasy for three months going, ‘I get to do this and I get to do that and I get to do all my stunts and I get to wear the f*cking costume and I get to hang out with kids in Queens and I get to research all that and I get to be a kid again… I get to fulfill a fantasy!’”

The Amazing Spider-Man will hit theaters July 3, 2012.