Given the nature of Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending, many fans were left wondering if they would ever see Peter’s fellow classmates again, such as Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson.
The actor first portrayed the high school bully in Spider-Man: Homecoming and went on to appear in two other MCU films. But what will become of him with Peter’s new beginning in NYC?
While rumor has it that Tom Holland has signed a contract for several new movies, the future of his entire supporting cast remains a mystery.
Now the actor behind the high school bully himself has spoken out about his future prospects for Spider-Man 4 or any other MCU project.
Tony Revolori on Flash Thompson's Future
In an interview with Comicbook.com, Tony Revolori, who plays Flash Thompson in the MCU, commented on the future of his role for a possible Spider-Man 4 or other Marvel projects.
But what is in store for Thompson going forward? The actor admitted that he's "not entirely sure" and how "[he] would love to reprise the role:"
“Not entirely sure. That’s a question for the powers that be... I hope to be a part of it. I would love to reprise the role in whatever way, so I’ll put that out there to them, that I would be willing. I’m down to keep going.”
In a previous interview with Insider, the actor reiterated that the character of Flash Thompson is "someone that [he] hold[s] dear:"
“I would love to revisit the character... He’s someone that I hold dear. Being a brown man, getting to play this role is important. I had a wonderful time doing it and I’d love to keep doing it if they’d have me.”
Revolori then elaborated on how he actually auditioned for the role of Spider-Man himself, a role that he was "willing to more than anyone else" to land:
“It seems to commonly occur that we go into a part like this where you want it so badly, you’re willing to do more than anyone else... But it becomes a tough thing when you’re not even considered for it before they move along. I think the issue is that, sure, they let us all audition, but did we even have the chance?”
Because he felt like he had no chance to begin with, the actor admitted that he felt he bombed the audition due to a lack of self-confidence:
“I’m sure they would tell you otherwise because they’re far too kind, but I remember absolutely bombing the audition because I didn’t have any belief in myself to be able to say, ‘Yes, I can be Spider-Man, I will be Spider-Man,’ because there’s no representation there, not in the comics...
But when it was pointed out that there are characters like Miles Morales and Spider-Man 2099 who share his ethnicity, Revolori shared how "the idea that you have to make a completely new character to play that role is difficult."
In further explaining his low self-esteem when chasing the role of Peter Parker, he also noted that not having seen anyone that looks like him embody that character "[ended] up kind of rocking [his] belief system:"
“The fact that I’ve never seen anyone who looks like me play a role like that made me feel like, ‘Am I gonna be able to do this? Is that real, that I can actually have a shot at this?’ And it ends up kind of rocking your belief system.”
At one point after the actor was cast as Flash Thompson, many fans criticized the choice because he didn't look like the version of the character from the comics. The star admitted that his reaction was "very biting" as he came close to calling out critics.
He eventually came to the conclusion that "there was no point" and eventually went on to "not [give] a shit" about those comments.
What is Flash's Future in the Spider-Man Franchise?
It would be hard for anyone to argue against the opinion that Revolori’s take on Flash Thompson has been severely underutilized. It’s difficult to hold much of an opinion on his portrayal of the character when he hasn’t done all that much in the MCU.
If he does return in Spider-Man 4 or later, Marvel should take the opportunity to add character work to his role.
In the comics, while Flash was mean to Peter in High School, he grows out of that habit in college. With everyone forgetting Peter in the first place, this could lead to the perfect circumstances in which to create a new and interesting friendship.
Flash also goes on to eventually host the black Venom Symbiote. The major difference between his version of the character and others who have held the mantle is how he actually becomes a hero, going on to become Agent Venom, thanks to his time in the military.
While it’s not very clear what Marvel Studios is aiming to do with the Symbiote that was left behind in No Way Home, eventually getting it to bond with Flash would present new Spider-Man stories that have yet to be told in live-action.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now streaming on Starz, and Spider-Man 4 is currently rumored for a release on July 12, 2024.
