Tom Holland has officially confirmed that he will return as Spider-Man in the upcoming fourth installment of the Marvel franchise.
During his recent appearance on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’, the 28-year-old actor shared that filming for the new Spider-Man film is set to begin next summer, revealing that “everything is ready to go.”
However, Holland remained tight-lipped about whether his co-star and girlfriend, Zendaya, who also played his love interest MJ in the previous films, would be joining him in this next chapter.
Holland and Zendaya’s relationship blossomed after they met on the set of ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’.
Reflecting on the early days of his Spider-Man journey, Holland shared an amusing story with Fallon, recalling a time when he inadvertently scared a young fan while trick-or-treating on Halloween.
At the time, Holland was still under contract to keep his casting as Spider-Man a secret.
“I’ve been playing Spider-Man for a decade now,” Holland said. “I was probably 19, and ‘Civil War’ was either coming out or had just come out. So I knew I was Spider-Man, my family knew I was Spider-Man, but nobody else knew.”
The actor described how one Halloween, as kids came to his house to trick-or-treat, he was particularly eager to meet a child dressed as Spider-Man.
“We’re waiting for a kid to show up as Spider-Man. Eventually, someone does, and my dad calls me down. I think where I went wrong with this seven-year-old was that I was way more excited than he was,” he said, laughing. “He’s in this little Spider-Man suit, holding his bucket, and I’m like, ‘OMG hey Spider-Man, how’s it going?’ And the kid was like, ‘Whoa, whoa.’ I said, ‘Let’s get a picture,’ and then the parents took a big step forward.”
Holland then tried to clarify the situation to the startled parents, adding, “I had to be like, ‘No, no, I am the real Spider-Man.’ To which the parents then had to drag their kid away from my house.”
For his appearance on Fallon’s show, Holland sported a stylish outfit, pairing beige Ami jeans with a white Ami shirt and Axel Arigato Clay sneakers.
When asked about the future of the franchise, Holland enthusiastically confirmed that the new Spider-Man film is in full swing.
“It’s happening,” he shared. “Next summer we start shooting. Everything is good to go, we’re nearly there. Super exciting. I can’t wait.”
In addition to confirming his Spider-Man return, Holland recently opened up about another key moment in his career during an interview on the ,’Rich Roll Podcast’.
He credited Robert Downey Jr. with saving his role in the ‘Avengers’ after a significant portion of his character’s lines were cut from the film.
Recalling the moment, Holland said, “When I did my [screen test], it was eight pages of dialogue. It was a long scene. It went great. I was told by my agent to learn the lines exactly. When I got to set after I got the gig, my scene had been cut down significantly.”
But it was Downey Jr., ever the advocate, who stepped in to ensure the young actor’s scenes were restored. “Downey piped up, ‘Where did all of the kid’s lines go?’ Downey was the one who told them to use it.”
Holland also revealed a more personal story during the podcast, sharing that the night before his screen test with Downey Jr., he nervously “polished off the mini bar” in his hotel room. “Marvel found out about that,” he admitted, laughing about the experience in hindsight.
Since then, the actor has embraced sobriety and recently launched his alcohol-free beer brand, Bero.
In the midst of returning to one of his most iconic roles, Holland is clearly focused on staying grounded as he prepares for another round of web-slinging adventures.
