British heartthrob Actor Andrew Garfield is officially the new Spider-Man in Sony Picture's upcoming reboot of the billion-dollar franchise. The 26-year old relative newcomer has been chosen to portray Peter Parker after a comprehensive worldwide casting search.

On casting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, "Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker."

The casting confirmation today ends what has been one of the most looked forward announcements in the past years. Garfield will begin preparing for the role immediately.

Cameras will start rolling early December. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the movie from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

"We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb's direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men.

In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen, " said Ms Ziskin.

One of the most successful in film history, Spider-Man's three previous motion pictures had collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.

Spider-Man swings back onto theatres July 3, 2012.