The Marvel Cinematic Universe is home to the best Marvel movies. Ever since the franchise was successfully launched by Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man back in 2008, the roster of characters has grown exponentially throughout the years.
This eventually led to a team-up film in the form of The Avengers, further catapulting the MCU into greater heights. Still, despite the inclusion of many heroes, the absence of a significant Marvel character in the form of Spider-Man kept fans yearning for his eventual debut alongside Captain America and Iron Man.
After a long wait, fans got their wish when Spider-Man debuted in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Played by Tom Holland, the friendly neighborhood hero's MCU arrival surprised everyone while also earning the admiration of viewers and critics.
Now, Holland looks back at the memorable Marvel moment in a recent interview.
NEWS
While speaking with Daniel Kaluuya (Black Panther) in the latest edition of Variety's Actors on Actors, Tom Holland recalled the story of how he found out that he nabbed the Spider-Man role of the MCU. The actor shared that he almost broke his computer because he “flipped it up in the air” upon seeing the news.
“Yeah. I got my computer, and my dog was sitting next to me. I type in “Marvel.” I've still got the article saved on my computer. It said, “We would like to introduce our new Spider-Man, Tom Holland.” I broke my computer, because I flipped it up in the air. It fell off my bed; my dog went nuts. I ran downstairs. I was telling my family, “I got the part! I got the part!” And obviously, that was right about the time when Sony had got hacked, so my brother, Harry, who's quite tech savvy, was like, “No. There's no way that's real. They would have called you. They've been hacked.” And then the studio called me and gave me the news. It was so bizarre how it happened.”
The Cherry actor also mentioned that he was actually “convinced” that Marvel Studios was going to fire him in late 2015 since he simply didn't hear any updates from the studio between filming his Captain America: Civil War scenes and production on Spider-Man: Homecoming. As fans now know, Holland was not fired, and h's gone on to continue playing the web-slinger over the next few years.
“I shot “Civil War,” which was a week's work, and from the moment of shooting “Civil War” to “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” I was convinced they were going to fire me. I don't know why. “Civil War” hadn't come out yet, and I just didn't hear anything from anyone. I can't really explain it. It was awful, but they didn't — obviously. It's been crazy, mate. I've loved every minute of it.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
Being part of the MCU is no doubt a proud achievement for anyone, and Holland's story is a prime example of that. It's always fascinating to hear a fun story from an actor during the exact moment of being cast for an iconic role, and many would agree that this particular tale is both a normal and charming reaction.
Holland's concern about getting fired is understandable, as one would expect to be "in the know" with Marvel Studios or Sony about their next project after being hired as Spider-Man. Considering that films go through so many changes during the development process, it's likely that the studios were keeping Holland waiting about Homecoming so that they wouldn't disclose info that might get scrapped during pre-production.
Based on previous rumors, it looks like fans will see lots of Holland's Spider-Man in the coming years considering that his deal of playing the character is rumored to have been extended. This makes narrative sense because the hero is poised to be pushed to the forefront now more than ever, especially after the departure of key MCU figures like Captain America and Iron Man.
It will be exciting to find out how Spider-Man will evolve, considering that the currently untitled Spider-Man 3 will deal with the multiverse. Right now, the future is bright for Holland under the confines of Marvel Studios, and the story possibilities are endless for the character.
