While Send Help producer Zainab Azizi spoke to The Movie Dweeb, the topic veered from blood and vomit to spiderwebs and tights. When asked point blank if she’d whisper in Sam Raimi’s ear about casting Dylan O’Brien as Spider-Man, Azizi didn’t hesitate: “Only if we have Rachel [McAdams] in the film as well.”
What started as a bit of fan wishful thinking quickly became something more… A tongue-in-cheek, yet weirdly plausible, pitch meeting for a whole new Spider-Man movie. With Azizi confirming Raimi’s trust in her, the seeds of a possible multiversal recasting were gleefully planted.
O’Brien, of course, already has the improvisational wit, action chops, and internet fanbase to fit the web-slinger mould. And with McAdams firmly rooted in Marvel thanks to Doctor Strange, Azizi teased the perfect set-up: cast Rachel as the villain. “Your eyes widened,” I noted. “That was almost like a verbal contract.” She didn’t say no…
Whether this was a fever dream brought on by three hours of sleep or a legitimate MCU multiverse moment in the making, one thing’s clear: the fans aren’t the only ones who want to see Dylan O’Brien suit up.
A History of Fans Wanting Dylan to Crawl Walls
The idea of Dylan O’Brien playing Spider-Man isn’t new. In 2015, he was heavily rumored to be in the running to take over from Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker in the MCU reboot. At the time, O’Brien responded with a heavy heart: “It makes me feel bad because I’m, like, disappointing a big chunk of fans across the nation… You can tell them that it’s not true.”
Still, he made his passion for the role clear, adding, “I’ve always wanted to play Peter Parker, obviously. I feel like any actor my age, that’s, like, a big thing.” Unfortunately, age was part of the issue; O’Brien was in his early twenties when Marvel was looking for a teen Peter, and reportedly didn’t even audition.
But that hasn’t stopped fans. Nearly a decade later, he remains a top contender in fan cast lists, concept trailers, and Reddit threads. With every multiverse tease or Raimi return, his name trends. He’s basically Spider-Man in the same way John Krasinski was Mr. Fantastic.
Azizi’s on-camera agreement (half joke, half promise) might not be official casting news, but it’s the kind of viral push that gets studio heads talking. After all, crazier things have happened in the MCU.
What Send Help Gave Dylan (Besides a Limp)
Until that dream becomes reality, Dylan O’Brien can be seen delivering one of his most chaotic and committed performances in Send Help, a twisted survival horror comedy directed by Evil Dead legend Sam Raimi and produced by Azizi. Think Castaway meets Misery… But with more boar snot.
O’Brien plays a reluctant, moody castaway with a limp, opposite scream-queen-in-the-making Rachel McAdams. According to Azizi, his performance helped elevate the film’s script into new comedic territory. “Some of those jokes you see on the screen… It’s all Dylan,” she said, crediting his improv chemistry with McAdams as a major asset.
The film thrives on tonal whiplash; one moment psychological tension, the next minute you’re crying laughing as someone projectile vomits after a failed raft-making. Azizi revealed that much of this was by design: “When it came to casting Dylan, that’s when the comedy really elevated.” Raimi, she added, gave the actors space to play: “They did so much homework on their characters… It was so refreshing to see.”
What Send Help Actually Is
Send Help follows two survivors of a plane crash as they battle the elements, their pasts, and some seriously unhinged wildlife, including the aforementioned feral boar. Directed with Sam Raimi’s signature gore-meets-giggles energy, the film has already earned buzz as one of 2026’s wildest genre entries.
Zainab Azizi said the original idea came from a two-sentence logline pitched back in 2019. “We developed it with Sam from the beginning,” she explained. “There was already comedy in it, but Dylan and Rachel brought it to life.” She also teased some sneaky Easter eggs: Bruce Campbell, Raimi’s yellow Oldsmobile, and classic Raimi-style crash zooms and whip-pans.
And then there’s the goo. ‘It’s the Raimi secret sauce,” Azizi said, referencing everything from fake blood to fake vomit, created with special FX teams to be “eye and mouth safe.” Gross, sure. But also, deeply cinematic.
As for Send Help 2? Azizi says she’s ready. “I’m already petitioning for it,” I said. “For you, I’ll bankroll it”. Her dream cast? Emma Stone and Tom Cruise. But if Send Help taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen when you mix a Raimi camera, a blood cannon, and a cast willing to get dirty.