Movies

Tom Holland Reveals Exactly When He Knew He Was Cast As Spider-Man

Tom Holland knew very early on that he would be the MCU's 'Spider-Man.' Here's the story behind his unforgettable audition.

by Robert Yaniz Jr.

Published on January 25, 2021

3 min read

Tom Holland made his MCU debut in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ in 2016

As Marvel fans well know, Spider-Man’s arrival in the MCU was complicated. Back in the 1990s, Marvel sold the character’s movie rights to Sony. And the studio still holds onto them to this day. But in the mid-2010s, Marvel and Sony cracked a deal wherein they could share custody of Spidey.

While Sony could develop films spun off from Spidey stories (Venom, Morbius), the hero himself would exist within the MCU canon. The Marvel/Sony deal came together just in time for Spider-Man to make his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War.

As such, Holland’s Spider-Man was able to join “Team Iron Man” for the conflict. He has since popped up in two Avengers movies and two Spider-Man solo movies. And since Marvel and Sony negotiated a new deal in 2019, fans can probably expect a lot more of the webhead in the coming years.

The actor felt early on that he’d won the part of Spider-Man

Of course, the pressure was on while Marvel was casting its MCU Spider-Man. The character has been played previously by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. So this third cinematic Spider-Man needed to bring something new to the character. Luckily for Holland, he felt at home in the role right from his first audition with Robert Downey Jr., he recently told Variety.

“It’s the best audition I’ve ever done. [Robert Downey Jr.] and I were riffing off each other. My agents told me that Marvel likes you to learn the words exactly. You can’t improvise. And then, on the first take, Downey just completely changed the scene. We started riffing with each other, and I mean, to sound like a bit of a dick, I rang my mum afterwards and was like, ‘I think I’ve got it.'”

Even though Holland didn’t officially learn of his casting until the internet did, he had a gut feeling he was destined to play Spider-Man. Following his Downey audition, Holland was called in to screen-test with Chris Evans six weeks later. And eventually, he landed the role. Aside from his tendency to drop spoilers prematurely, Holland has won over most fans and critics.

Tom Holland returns to the MCU for the upcoming ‘Spider-Man 3’ in 2021

2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home left Holland’s Peter Parker in a tight spot. So fans are eager to see how Spidey swings himself out of that situation. And by the sound of it, he’ll have plenty of help. Marvel Studios’ untitled Spider-Man 3 will reportedly tie into the multiverse. Both Maguire and Garfield are said to play integral roles, as are many actors from past Spider-Man movies.

The Oscar-winning animated hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse already introduced audiences to a Marvel multiverse. And now the MCU is bringing the notion of multiple parallel realities into live-action as well. It’s anyone’s guess how Holland’s role in the MCU might evolve. But fans of Spider-Man will undoubtedly be there when Spider-Man 3 hits on Dec. 17, 2021.