While he’s not at the same level as Batman, Spider-Man has gone through the reboot treatment several times now, being played by three actors across two decades. Tom Holland is the latest actor to inherit the Spidey mantle, and with five Marvel Cinematic Universe movies under his belt, you’d think that most of the general moviegoing public have at least heard of him, if not recognize him.
Clearly the contestants on a recent Jeopardy episode cannot be counted amongst that group, because when a clue promoting Spider-Man: Far From Home came up on the long-running game show, none of them could identity Tom Holland, as you’ll see below.
If Josh is only vaguely aware of the Spider-Man movies, then I can cut him a little slack for answering “Andrew Garfield.” It’s only been five years since Garfield appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and had Sony decided not to partner with Marvel Studios, that film series might still be going today. However, E.J. answering “Tobey Maguire” isn’t as forgivable, as it’s been 12 years since Maguire made his Web-Slinging bow in Spider-Man 3. Debbie opted not to buzz in at all, so at least she didn’t lose any money for not recognizing Tom Holland.
One thing is clear from this Jeopardy snippet (via James Stevenson): these folks are not keeping up with the MCU. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man may have only been introduced three years ago in Captain America: Civil War, but since then he’s gone on to become one of this franchise’s most important heroes.
It should be noted that thanks to Tom Holland’s brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame earlier this year, he has succeeded Tobey Maguire as the actor to play Peter Parker the most times. That tenure doesn’t look like it’ll be ending anytime soon, although Marvel and Sony haven’t officially announced a third MCU-set Spider-Man movie… yet.
It’s also possible that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man run could extend past the MCU. Holland recently revealed that he was supposed to cameo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and while that didn’t work out, he’s still interested in taking part in this franchise. Since Tobey Maguire was also originally in consideration to voice the middle-aged Peter B. Parker in Into the Spider-Verse, perhaps this animated franchise is the key bringing Holland, Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men together.
For now, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is sticking to the live action realm, with Spider-Man: Far From Home having him team up with Mysterio to fight the Elementals during his trip to Europe. Holland’s upcoming projects include The Current War, The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle and Chaos Walking, so perhaps the above Jeopardy contestants will become familiar with him through one of these movies.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is now playing in theaters, and be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of the movie. If you’re curious about what’s coming up next for the MCU, you can find that information in our comprehensive guide.
