Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and the teams at Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are getting ready for their biggest weekend of the year with the theatrical debut of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The third solo MCU Spidey film has continually and exponentially built up hype for most of the past two years, and now, it likely has a date with destiny to be the biggest event of 2021.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will serve as something of a bridge between web-slinger movies of the past and everything set for the MCU's future with the character. Although the threequel will pay tribute to both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's franchises, Tom Holland will also have the opportunity to continue playing the role for Marvel Studios for the foreseeable future as well.
At the end of November 2021, Sony executive Amy Pascal confirmed that as many as three more solo MCU Spider-Man movies are planned, including a Spider-Man 4 that's already in development. However, a recent quote from the man behind the web-slinger may not have other ideas for who he wants to see in the role.
What's Next for Tom Holland's Spider-Man After No Way Home?
Speaking with People Magazine, Tom Holland revealed that he may be ready to move on from his role as Spider-Man after the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
While he hasn't held back how much he's enjoyed playing the role for more than five years, and while he doesn't necessarily want to leave the role behind, he questioned if he and the team were ready to move on from his version of Peter Parker.
"I've loved every minute of it. I've been so grateful to Marvel and Sony for giving us the opportunity and keeping us on and allowing our characters to progress. It's been amazing, And that's why for me, I don't want to say goodbye to Spider-Man — but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man."
Holland hinted that after playing the role in six MCU movies, he feels that now may be the time to move on so that he doesn't hold anyone else back from having the opportunity to take on the role:
"I don't want to be responsible for holding back the next young person that comes in who deserves it just as much so."
Specifically, Holland teased the idea of seeing a "more diverse" Spider-Man such as Gwen Stacy's Spider-Gwen or Jessica Drew's Spider-Woman to have something different from the character:
"I would love to see a future of Spider-Man that's more diverse — maybe you have a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman. We've had three Spider-Mans in a row; we've all been the same. It'd be nice to see something different."
A More Diverse Spider-Man After Holland?
Tom Holland has never been one to hide or tone down his enthusiasm for the opportunity to Spider-Man in the MCU, always sharing how fun his experiences have been bringing the young hero to life. Now boasting three solo Spidey films, Captain America: Civil War, and the last two Avengers movies on his resume, the young Brit has given MCU fans a memorable take on Peter Parker.
The big question now is what Marvel and Sony will decide to do with the next three planned Spider-Man sequels, particularly with the events of No Way Home largely still unknown worldwide. The next threequel could set up a college-bound Peter or have him training a new hero in the role he's filled for years, although Holland appears to be ready for anything on that front.
No matter what happens, the current focus is on where Holland ends up with his Peter Parker at the end of the upcoming Spider-Man threequel's release. With a Multiverse's worth of problems and an identity crisis to tackle, both actor and character will have more than enough on their plates in the moment before looking to the future.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will release in theaters worldwide on December 17, 2021.
