Zac Efron is set take over the role of Peter Parker in the next Spider Man feature, a well-placed source at Universal Pictures blabbed to Britain’s Daily Star on Sunday.

The High School Musical sweetheart will replace Tobey Maguire, 34, in the fourth blockbuster movie, due to start shooting later this year and scheduled to hit cinemas in 2012, according to the new report.

Universal stunned film fans late last year when the studio announced that it was firing the cast of the megabucks franchise and working on a script that would send Spidey back to high school. Producers of the Spider-Man franchise believe 22-year-old Zac –who has a huge teen following thanks to work with Disney — will bring a new, younger fanbase to the Spider-Man series.

According to the report, producers are also said to be considering reuniting Zac with his High School Musical co-star — and real-life girlfriend — Vanessa Hudgens in Spidey 4. The 21-year-old brunette is tipped to replace Kirsten Dunst as Mary-Jane Watson.