Tom Holland's New Comments Are Not What Spider-Man Fans Wanted to Hear

New comments from Spider-Man actor Tom Holland may make fans of the wall-crawler a little sad to hear. Holland is set to finally don the mask again next year with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The 29-year-old star has played the iconic comic book character since Captain America: Civil War in 2016, starring as Spidey in three solo films and three MCU team-ups to date. 

While the actor is best known to this point for his work in the Marvel universe, he has been trying to change that, taking on roles in other films, including Christopher Nolan's next big-screen epic. Holland is set to play Telemachus, Odysseus's son, in the Dark Knight and Oppenheimer director's adaptation of The Odyssey, which will come to theaters a mere two weeks before Spider-Man 4 in 2026. 

And it was speaking about his work on The Odyssey that Tom Holland said something that Spider-Man fans may bristle at.

In a recent profile by GQ, Holland was asked about his time on Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic. The MCU fan-favorite called his experience "the job of a lifetime, without a doubt:"

"It was amazing. The job of a lifetime, without a doubt. The best experience I've had on the film set. Incredible. It was exciting. It was different. And I think the movie is going to be unlike anything we've ever seen."

He said Nolan was an "absolutely fantastic" filmmaker to work with, heaping praise upon the director, the rest of the cast, and the experience overall:

"Working with Chris, getting to know him and Emma [Thomas] was absolutely fantastic. I've never seen someone that can work the way that they do, and there is a reason why they're the best in the business for sure. To get a front row seat to that and to be a part of the process and to collaborate with a true master of his craft and learn from him was the best experience I've ever had. 

Matt Damon has always been a hero of mine, Anne Hathaway has always been a hero of mine. So to share scenes with them, to learn from them, to become friends with them, I couldn't have asked for a better job. And I’m so proud of the work I’ve done. I came to work every day with a real sense of purpose and a point to prove, and I’m so grateful for Chris to have given me that opportunity."

These comments have saddened some longtime MCU fans, as for a long time, the only projects Holland has been this enthused about have been those where he played Spider-Man within Marvel's super-powered universe. 

In fact, some say the actor was born to play the character, hoping that if given the chance, he would do so for decades, watching him grow up as Spidey on screen like they have with the comic book character since the early 1960s. 

However, this "job of a lifetime" comment could indicate the actor is not as empassioned by the prospect of playing Marvel's web-head as he once was, and could already be looking at a life after the MCU. 

Fans are set to get a double dose of Tom Holland next summer as The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day come to theaters on July 17 and July 31, 2026, respectively. Brand New Day will mark the star's first MCU Spider-Man film without longtime director Jon Watts, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton stepping in to direct the picture. The new Spider-Man film follows Holland's Peter Parker in his first post-high school adventure on screen, as he takes on the new prospect of operating as Spider-Man again under the guise of complete anonymity.

Is Tom Holland Done With Spider-Man?

The biggest question coming out of these comments for many Marvel fans will almost surely be: Does this mean Tom Holland has lost his zest for the Spider-Man character? 

For so long, Holland has been a constant for MCU fans, and he has seemed completely content playing the web-slinging character in perpetuity as long as Marvel and audiences will have him. 

However, if you read that way, this new comment about his work on The Odyssey could be the first piece of evidence suggesting that his eyes have started to wander away from the world of comic book cinema. 

 As it stands, Holland has shown no real signs that his take on Spidey is going anywhere. The character will lead his upcoming fourth solo movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and then is rumored to appear in both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars in 2026 and 2027. 

That is at least three more Marvel adventures for the character to go on in just the next two years. 

No further Spider-Man movies have been announced post-Brand New Day, but it would not be surprising if this new film is the start of at least a new trilogy, after which Holland can reconsider leaving the MCU. 

At that point, Marvel will likely have set in motion a plan for Holland to pass on the Spider-Man torch in-universe. The longtime Marvel actor has said he would love to tackle a Peter Parker/Miles Morales story on the big screen if he ever gets the chance.