Tom Holland shares what it’s like playing the MCU’s Spider-Man

Spider-Man has been portrayed by several different actors over the past couple of decades, but Tom Holland’s rendition of the character for the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be the most universally popular, a fact that became abundantly clear when issues between Sony and Disney nearly took him out of the franchise back in 2019.

And it’s easy to see why fans have taken to Holland’s Spider-Man so well. He’s a natural when it comes to bringing Peter Parker to life, and he’s got great onscreen chemistry with the other actors in the MCU. And apparently, that chemistry may have been what landed him the role.

Speaking with Variety, Holland admitted that the audition process for Spider-Man was quite a slog, although he did get to do a screen test with Robert Downey Jr. From that point on, things started looking up, and Holland felt more confident about getting the role. (And given the dynamic between those two, it’s not surprising that was the turning point!)

Recalling what auditioning for Captain America: Civil War was like, Holland said:

"The audition process was horrible. It was seven months of auditioning. I must’ve done six auditions, and they don’t tell you anything. You’re waiting and waiting, and then, eventually, I got a screen test in Atlanta. I flew out to Atlanta, and there was me and six other kids, and [Robert] Downey [Jr.] was there, so we all tested with Downey, which was crazy. It went so well. It’s the best audition I’ve ever done, him and I were riffing off each other. My agents told me that Marvel likes you to learn the words exactly — you can’t improvise. And then, on the first take, Downey just completely changed the scene. We started riffing with each other, and I mean, to sound like a bit of a dick, I rang my mum afterward and was like, ‘I think I’ve got it.’"

From there, it took a few more weeks before Holland was called back for the final stage of the audition, where he was up against one other actor. Following his one-on-one with Robert Downey Jr., Holland also had to show off his acting skills during a practice fight with Chris Evans’ Captain America. Talk about some serious pressure.

Tom Holland still feels a little jumpy in the role even as he’s filming Spider-Man 3

Holland also wasn’t told he got the role right away. In fact, he found out that he was the MCU’s new Spider-Man via Google. (Perhaps that’s for the best, given his tendency to spoil some of Marvel’s biggest surprises early.)

“I got my computer, and my dog was sitting next to me,” he recalled. “I type in ‘Marvel.’ I’ve still got the article saved on my computer. It said, ‘We would like to introduce our new Spider-Man, Tom Holland.’ I broke my computer, because I flipped it up in the air.”

That’s a valid reaction to finding out you’re going to be the new face of Spider-Man, though according to Holland, he hasn’t quite gotten used to carrying that torch, even as he and his castmates film the character’s third movie.

“We’re shooting Spider-Man 3. It’s weird being back in Atlanta, because we’re shooting in one of the stages where I did my audition,” he said. “Every time I walked in, I’m like, ‘Oh God, I don’t know my lines. I’m going to ruin my audition.’ And then I remind myself that I’ve already got the job.”

Given that Mark Ruffalo still worries about being booted from the MCU, it seems that disbelief is par for the course. It can’t be easy taking up the mantle and becoming one of Marvel’s biggest heroes, but we’re glad Holland has proved himself up to the challenge!

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