Highlights
- Chandler Riggs, famous for his role in The Walking Dead, will be playing Spider-Man in an upcoming fan film with a unique horror twist.
- The film is not produced by Marvel Studios and will be directed by horror filmmaker Andy Chen, known for his gore-filled shorts.
- Riggs's involvement in this project allows him to break away from his previous role and potentially gain a devoted following in the crossover fanbase of horror, MCU, and The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead star Chandler Riggs snagged a role as Spider-Man in an upcoming fan film. The project is taking a unique approach to the storied Spider-Man saga.
Riggs starred as Carl Grimes in the popular The Walking Dead, playing a major role throughout the first eight seasons before being killed off. Fans of the actor were dismayed at his Walking Dead character's controversial death and wondered what the future holds for the promising performer. Now, Riggs is fulfilling his wish to play Spider-Man, though not in the projects fans might expect.
The upcoming fan film, not produced by Marvel Studios, stars Riggs as the titular Spider-Man. The film's writer and director, Andy Chen, announced he's bringing a horror take to the classic Peter Parker story. Chen, the mastermind behind the forthcoming Spider-Man film, is an experienced horror director whose shorts can be seen on his YouTube channel. It's still unclear how exactly the horror aspect will be applied to Peter Parker's story, but a clip uploaded to Chen's TikTok made it clear that gore will be involved.
Following his The Walking Dead fame, Riggs participated in several projects ranging from short films to voice acting. However, none of his projects have come close to matching the fame of AMC's zombie drama. But at 24 years old, there's still plenty of time for Riggs to find his acting lane. After his character Carl Grimes was bitten by a walker and later killed off from the show, many fans were outraged at the writers' decision to do away with the popular role. Many thought the young character was next in line to be the show's lead following the inevitable departure of Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes, but the line of succession took a turn that few saw coming. In 2018, it was reported that Riggs auditioned for the MCU's Spider-Man but was beaten out by Tom Holland. Now, the actor stars in a unique approach to a fan-favorite character.
At a time when MCU fatigue is at an all-time high, Chen and Riggs' Spider-Man project may come at the perfect moment. There is plenty of overlap between horror, MCU, and The Walking Dead fanbases, creating a good possibility for a future cult classic. Aside from Chen's social media posts, little information has been released on the project. As a lower-budget short film, Riggs is the most high-profile actor attached to the production. The film's IMDB page lists Kyra Elise Gardner starring as Mary Jane, Holgie Forrester as Aunt May, and Carl Addicott as Uncle Ben. A release date for the Spider-Man film has not been announced.
Source: Locustgarden
