The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with interesting heroes and villains, but many would agree that Tom Holland's Spider-Man is one of the most popular and beloved characters of the franchise.
Holland made his MCU debut during 2016's Captain America: Civil War, joining the side of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man to fight against Team Captain America, led by Chris Evans' Steve Rogers. After an impressive debut, the Marvel actor starred in his solo film in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, pitting the web-slinger in a personal duel against Michael Keaton's Vulture.
Holland then joined the next two Avengers films, teaming up with the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes against Thanos. After saving the world from the Mad Titan, the Marvel star spearheaded another MCU sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, with the film's ending changing Peter Parker's life like never before.
As Holland prepares to share his next Marvel film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, with the rest of the world, the MCU mainstay reflected on potentially passing the torch to another actor in the future.
Tom Holland Shares Advice to Future Spider-Man Star
Spider-Man star Tom Holland sat down with Total Film to talk about passing the Marvel role to a future actor down the line.
Holland opened up about potentially passing the torch to another young actor someday, saying that he'll take it upon himself to teach them about the responsibilities of being Marvel's web-slinging hero:
"When they cast the young kid in Spider-Man to replace me, whether it's next year or in five years, I'll take it upon myself to teach them about the responsibilities of being Spider-Man."
The Spider-Man: No Way Home star continued by stressing that the responsibility is "absolutely huge" and "tough," with him giving examples of the potential ramifications if the role is mishandled in the public eye:
"Because it's huge. It's absolutely huge. Every time you walk outside that door, you're representing Spider-Man. It's tough. It's taxing sometimes. Because sometimes you just want to go to a pub and get absolutely wasted, and not have to worry about the ramifications of the public scrutiny of: 'Oh my God, what do you mean you got drunk?'"
While Holland did admit that it's not easy to be Spider-Man in the eyes of the public, the actor also shared that it's rewarding, citing the young fans that he gets to meet around the world:
"When you meet these young kids, and they're at the age where they can't really figure out whether it's real or not, it's so exciting. I always do the accent and chat to them. It's really fun. And it's a responsibility I've really loved carrying. But, when someone else takes my place, I will be sure to give them some advice about how to deal with it and give them my number, and basically say, 'Whenever you need me, mate, I'm here.'"
Spider-Man: A Generational Hero
Many would agree that Spiderman is a generational hero, and this is further amplified by the fact that three live-action versions from Sony Pictures were already featured in the past few years. Tom Holland's comments suggest that he is ready for the inevitability of passing the web-slinging role to another actor in the future.
Throughout his MCU tenure, it's clear that Holland has had an immense passion for the role, and it is fitting that he would be the one to pass on this huge responsibility to another actor. The Marvel star thoroughly laid out what it means to be Spider-Man, and it ultimately affects every aspect of his life in the public eye.
Holland's honest statement about the responsibilities of being Spider-Man should serve as the blueprint for his advice for the next young actor. The actor's remarks make one wonder if previous Spider-Men, namely Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, reached out to him while he was starting out as the MCU's web-slinger.
Interestingly, Holland did mention it in a previous interview back in 2017, saying that he would "seek" Garfield's advice about playing the Marvel superhero. Considering that Maguire and Garfield could return in No Way Home, it's possible that Holland finally managed to get advice from both actors.
Whatever happens, it's safe to say that the future of Spider-Man is in good hands.
Spider-Man: No Way Home premieres in theaters on December 17, 2021.
