While there were plans in place for Captain America: Civil War to function without Spider-Man had the negotiations between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures fallen through, ultimately things worked out on that front. As such, Tom Holland was tapped to succeed Andrew Garfield as the Web-Slinger, with his version of Peter Parker aiding Iron Man during the events of the first Phase 3 movie. If you thought you were excited to hear that Holland was taking over Spidey duties in the summer of 2015, it surely pales in comparison to Holland’s reaction, because he broke his computer upon learning the news.
While speaking with fellow MCU actor Daniel Kaluuya (who played W’Kabi in Black Panther) for Variety, Tom Holland recalled the casting process he went through for Captain America: Civil War, which included screen testing with Robert Downey Jr. and doing a fight test with Chris Evans. Time passed without Holland hearing anything, and then came that fateful day, where the actor had been playing golf with his dad, and then came home and went on social media. As Holland recalled:
I remember going on my phone and checking Instagram, and Marvel had posted a picture of Spider-Man, of the cartoon. And they said, ‘Go to our website to find out who the next Spider-Man is.’ And by this point, I kind of had assumed I hadn’t got it because no one had called me… So I was like, ‘Okay yeah, I’ll just go and check.’ So 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. I did it, and it said, ‘We would like to introduce our new Spider-Man, Tom Holland.' I broke my computer because I like 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 it! I got it! I got the part! I got the part!’
On the one hand, accidentally breaking a computer is pretty extreme, even in reaction to learning you’ll be the new cinematic Spider-Man. On the other hand, with Holland now playing one of pop culture’s most famous superheroes in one of the biggest film franchises of all time, affording a new computer wouldn’t be an issue. Holland also mentioned how his brother Harry was initially skeptical that he had actually been cast as Spider-Man, with Harry believing that Marvel and/or Sony had been hacked (remember, this wasn’t long after the latter studio dealt with a massive hack), and that they would have called Tom if this were true. Well, it didn’t take long for Tom Holland to get calls from the studios, confirming that this was the real deal.
The rest, as they say, is history. Like Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War marked Spider-Man’s MCU debut, and contrary to Tom Holland believing he’d be fired from the role after that movie, he continues to hold onto wall-crawling mantle. Spider-Man: Homecoming arrived in July 2017, and the following May, Holland returned for Avengers: Infinity War. 2019, however, marked Holland’s biggest year in the MCU yet, as along with taking part in Avengers: Endgame, he also appeared in Spider-Man: Far From Home, with that sequel leaving Peter Parker in a precarious situation.
While there was a period of time when it looked like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man would be moved out of the MCU due to disagreements between Marvel Studios and Sony, the two companies were able to come to a new agreement. As such, along with starring in the yet-to-be-officially-titled Spider-Man 3, Holland will also reprise Peter Parker in a separate Marvel Studios movie that hasn’t been announced yet. As far as Spider-Man 3 is concerned, it’s shaping up to be a massive event, with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus all involved in the story.
Tom Holland is currently in the middle of shooting Spider-Man 3, and that movie is slated to spin its web in theaters on December 17. While we wait for more news on its progress, don’t forget to browse through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else the MCU is sending to the big screen in the coming years.
