Marvel Refused to Allow Tom Holland to Appear In 1 Superhero Movie (Report)

While Tom Holland's Spider-Man is now a mainstay across the MCU, Marvel did not let one particular movie utilize its web-slinger's talents. First introduced in 2016, Holland quickly became one of the MCU's biggest stars via his portrayal of Peter Parker in the Infinity Saga's last phase. However, his inclusion in the MCU is tricky due to Sony Pictures' ownership of the wall-crawler's movie rights.

Marvel Studios refused to allow Tom Holland's Spider-Man to appear in Sony Pictures' Madame Web. With fans waiting for years to see any version of Spidey make his way into the formerly titled Sony's Spider-Man Universe, 2024's Madame Web seemed primed to finally make that happen, given its cast full of Spider-Man related heroes.

According to scooper/insider Daniel Richtman, Holland's hero "was supposed to appear at the start of the movie," which was originally going to show the Spider-Women saving a baby version of Peter Parker. However, this had to be changed when Marvel denied the movie access to the MCU's friendly neighborhood hero:

"Tom Holland's Spider-Man was also supposed to appear at the start of the film and the plot was originally about the Spider-Women saving baby Peter. They changed a lot because Marvel didn't let them make it part of the MCU."

Sony has only used Spider-Man on one occasion in its Spidey franchise, which came in the mid-credits scene from 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage. That scene showed Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock being transported to the MCU courtesy of Doctor Strange's spell seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it was quickly retconned and reversed in the opening scene of Venom: The Last Dance.

As for Madame Web, Peter Parker was only a minor character in the greater story, with Mary Parker's pregnancy being one of the film's subplots. The three Spider-Women (who did not become superheroes until the last scene) eventually helped get Mary to the hospital as Ezekiel Sims chased them down, with Dakota Johnson's Cassandra Webb rescuing them and Mary before she gives birth.

Holland was first introduced into the MCU as Peter Parker in 2016's Captain America: Civil War before going on to make five subsequent appearances as Spider-Man over the next five years. His last showing was in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which pitted him against five multiversal antagonists from past Spidey movies as he tried to fix his life once his identity was revealed to the world.

Holland is currently prepping to film his fourth Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters on July 31, 2026. He is also rumored to be in the cast of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday, which was delayed to a release on December 18, 2026. Meanwhile, Madame Web is now streaming on Netflix.

Will Sony Pictures Ever Use Tom Holland's Spider-Man?

While Sony is clearly still profiting and benefiting from Tom Holland's Spider-Man, due to the lack of success from its Spidey universe, a true Spidey story outside of the MCU seems unlikely to happen at this time. Even with Madame Web's notable ties to the greater Spider-Man narrative via the baby Peter Parker, Marvel seems to have no intention to tie itself to Sony's story after such a lack of critical success.

During Sony's rebuild, Holland appears to be showing no signs of slowing down in the MCU after No Way Home became the biggest solo movie in franchise history, both critically and financially.

Following the shocking delay to Avengers: Doomsday's release date, many are wondering where exactly Holland's hero will go for that film and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While story ideas for his role in Doomsday remain wide open, some have renewed hope for a grounded, street-level solo story now that Brand New Day seems to be set to debut before the fifth Avengers movie.

Now, as Sony looks to rework its plan for live-action storytelling (while also working hard on the animated side with 2027's Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse), Marvel is set to push full-speed ahead into the next era of adventures for Tom Holland's Peter Parker.