While fans now have more than a dozen shiny new MCU toys to look forward to in Phases 5 and 6, Phase 4 kicked off in 2021 with some incredible stories in its own right. Arguably at the top of the heap was Tom Holland's efforts in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which became the third highest-grossing MCU movie in history and one of the franchise's best-reviewed entries to date.
No Way Home delivered some of the most incredible story beats in the MCU Spider-Man's history, finally giving him some of his iconic moments from the comics that fans have wanted to see on screen. From his iconic one-on-one battle with Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin to learning about loss with his Aunt May's tragic death, this was the movie where Peter Parker truly became Spider-Man.
But when did Tom Holland officially become Spider-Man?
Recently, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige answered just that, revealing what he considers to be the most pivotal moment for Tom Holland's incarnation of the character.
Tom Holland's True Spider-Man Origin
During an interview at the back of "The Amazing Spider-Man Issue #900," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige described the moment when Tom Holland truly became Spider-Man within the MCU.
Chatting with editor Nick Lowe, Feige looked back to the scene in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming where Peter Parker lifts a huge pile of rubble off of himself after a tussle with Michael Keaton's Vulture.
Feige noted that this moment is when "Tom Holland truly becomes Spider-Man," also noting that this moment was one that he's wanted to do on screen "from the moment (he) joined Marvel Studios:"
"There was, yes, and for years and years, there still is. It’s lifting the rubble. Ditko’s 'lifting the rubble,' and it has stuck with me my whole life, and from the moment I joined Marvel Studios, I was like, 'We should do that in the movies.' There’s a pit at the end of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man where he kind of lifts a heavy place off of them at the pier where Doc Ock is making his. machine. But it wasn’t until Spider-Man: Homecoming that we said, 'Oh, we’re doing it.' To me, that is when Torn Holland truly becomes Spider-Man. Anyway, that’s the moment. Ditkos angular metal debris on top Spidey and water coming down in front of his face."
Feige also looked back even further to his earliest memories of Spider-Man, which he said came from "some combination of the classic Spider-Man cartoon opening credits." He distinctly remembers the cartoon saying "in color," which spurred on how he learned about the evolution from old black & white TVs to more modern colored models, along with a set of Spider-Man pajamas he wore:
"It is a very hazy memory and one of the earliest memories from my whole life, and it was probably some combination of the classic Spider-Man cartoon opening credits, when it used to say 'in color.' I remember thinking, 'What else would it be? Why would it NOT be in color?' My parents told me the TV used to be in black and white. And the other was pajamas. Spider-Man pajamas. It’s a fuzzy memory between that opening title for the animation and wearing blue-and-red Spidey pajamas."
When asked if he still has Spider-Man pajamas, he confirmed that his kids do, but that he "(does) not currently own Spider-Man pajamas" as an adult.
Homecoming Brings Pivotal Moment for Spider-Man
While his last two movies helped him progress into the Spider-Man fans know and love today, it was Spider-Man: Homecoming that held the Marvel boss's most memorable scene for Holland.
To recap, after Michael Keaton's Vulture learned that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, he tried to convince the young hero to stay out of his way before burying him under the rubble of an abandoned building outside of Queens. While looking at his own reflection in the water and hearing Tony Stark's voice in his head, he used every ounce of strength to push the rubble off of his body and recreate the iconic pose from "Amazing Spider-Man No. 33," written by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
While No Way Home gave Holland his classic new costume and Far From Home unlocked his spidey sense, this Homecoming scene brought Peter Parker's resilience to the forefront. It showed that he would always find a way to get back on his feet, even in the toughest of circumstances, and that he would always be a hero with or without his classic web-slinger gear.
Now, Holland looks to reinvent his character once again in the upcoming Spider-Man 4, which is in the early stages of development behind Sony and Marvel. While there are no signs pointing to where it will fit into the newly-named Multiverse Saga, the friendly neighborhood hero won't be too far from the action when it arrives.
All three movies in Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy are available for home viewing.
