Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man, Tom Holland, says he’s ready to help whoever takes his place as the Web Crawler in the future. In an interview for Total Film magazine (via The Direct), Holland pondered the pros and cons of being Spider-Man, while promising to guide his eventual replacement.
Talking about the moment when he’ll retire his web-shooters, Holland said he would be happy to teach a new actor how to be a Marvel hero. As Holland puts it, “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.” According to Holland, this mentoring process could help newcomers understand that with great powers comes great responsibilities, and playing a hero such as Spider-Man has a profound impact on an actor’s personal life. As Holland explains it, playing Spider-Man is hard because:
“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?”
Even so, the job has been immensely gratifying, according to Holland, as being Spider-Man also brings unexpected benefits besides the paycheck. As Holland puts it:
“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.’”
Holland played the web-slinger hero in five MCU movies, including two solo titles focused on his own journey as a superhero. Holland will be back to the part in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a movie the actor says was treated as the end of a franchise. Spider-Man: No Way Home will feature Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx’s Electro, and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, all villains from previous interactions with the Web Crawler. The movie will deal with MCU’s MUltiverse, allowing Holland’s Spider-Man to jump to another franchise or even a new Spider-Man to be introduced.
Besides that, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage shattering the barrier between the SPUMC and the MCU and Tom Hardy’s Venom reportedly making a cameo in Morbius, Sony is putting a lot of money and energy into the idea of a shared universe. So, it might not take long for Holland to pass the torch to a new actor.
We’ll probably get a better idea of what happens next once Spider-Man: No Way Home shatters the Multiverse on December 17.