Spider-Man Team 'Open' to Giving Olympic Gymnast Danell Leyva a Shot at Broadway

Could Olympic gymnast Danell Leyva be showing off his backflips and handsprings on Broadway? A rep for Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark told the New York Post that the athlete, who made a name for himself by winning a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, loved the superhero musical so much that he wants to join the cast. According to the show’s representative, producers of Spider-Man “are open to the idea, for sure,” although there have been no formal talks.

Leyva has made no secret of his Broadway dreams, telling the New York Times in July, “I want to do musicals, acting, Broadway, everything.” In fact, Broadway.com was on hand two weeks ago when Leyva took a trip backstage at the gravity-defying production. 

Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark follows ordinary teen Peter Parker (Reeve Carney), whose life takes a turn for the extraordinary when he’s bitten by a genetically altered spider and finds himself endowed with superpowers. Parker quickly learns that with great power comes great responsibility as he tries to juggle the demands of high school and home life, while battling the Green Goblin (Robert Cuccioli) and his band of super villains. Peter must fight to save everything he holds dear, including the beautiful girl-next-door, Mary Jane Watson (Rebecca Faulkenberry).

Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge, direction by Philip William McKinley, original direction by Tony Award winner Julie Taymor, and a book co-written by Taymor, Glen Berger and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.