Tom Holland is gearing up to make his next appearance as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While his journey as the web-slinger appears to be far from over, the story of how he became the MCU's friendly neighborhood hero is becoming something of a legend within the franchise.
Once Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures agreed to allow Spider-Man to join Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the MCU, a mad dash for the actor to play the role began during filming for 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Holland was one of a handful of actors in the running to play the MCU's Spider-Man, and after screen-testing with both Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans, he won the role and made his mark quickly.
As was the case for the entire pool of Spider-Man actors, Holland's audition process was intense and jam-packed with readings and screen tests while Marvel looked for its newest young superstar.
Holland recently revealed in an interview that this even came with some interesting comments from a driver during the latter stages of his audition.
Holland Ugly Enough to Play Spider-Man?
In an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Spider-Man star Tom Holland detailed a day from his audition process for Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War.
Holland spent about seven months in competition for the role, going to "seven or eight different auditions" and taking multiple trips out to Marvel's facilities in Atlanta, Georgia. He then shared a funny story from the last of these auditions involving the Marvel employee who drove him in Atlanta.
During Holland's conversation with the driver, all while "trying to learn (his lines)," the driver had confidence that Holland would get the role. However, it was the following comment that struck Holland when the driver said the man he was driving prior to Holland was "so good looking," which he reiterated to Holland after he got the part:
"It was pretty typical, a typical process, it was just on a much grander scale. It was something that went over seven months, and I think I did seven or eight different auditions, I flew out to Atlanta multiple times for different screen tests. When I was going for my last audition, I was driving there, I was very nervous, and I had this driver. Lovely guy, but a little bit too honest. He’s sort of sitting there in the car, and he’s chatting to me, chatting to me, chatting to me, and I’m a polite person, but I also wanna be like ‘Mate, please shut up, I’m trying to learn my line.’ And he’s looking at me in the mirror and he’s doing that thing, and he’s sort of sitting there really awkwardly. He’s looking at me, and he goes, ‘You know what, kid? I think you’re gonna get it.’ I’m like, ‘Really? Why?’ I was excited to hear that. And he goes ‘You know what? I think you’re gonna get it. Because the kid that I just drove there, he is so good looking.’ And I’m like ‘Geez, that’s exactly the confidence booster I need.’ And then I got the part, I was lucky enough. I saw him a few months later when I was shooting the film, and he goes. ‘I told you.’ I was like ‘What did you tell me? That I was gonna get the part or that I was ugly?’”
Holland Living with His Looks for Spider-Man
Of all the stories that help detail Tom Holland's journey as Spider-Man in the MCU, this is certainly one that he seems to get a good laugh about more than six years later.
Holland has never been one to hide his passion for playing Spider-Man, regularly sharing memories about his time working with Marvel Studios and his dozens of co-stars since 2015. Even for all the fun that he's had, it's fun to see him enjoying a memory like this so much, even though it came as quite an insult about his looks at the time.
Growing from a 19-year-old kid to a now 25-year-old man since he first suited up as the web-slinger in Captain America: Civil War, it appears that his looks haven't held him back for a moment through his six MCU movies to date. Now that he may be in line for a key role in the entire MCU going forward, he's taking the perfect approach by looking back on this as simply a humorous moment in his career.
Holland will return as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home upon its December 17, 2021 debut.
