Tom Holland talks working with returning favorites in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home is an enigma of a movie. Actors say one thing, but the leaks, scoops and rumors say something else, especially when it comes to who’s in it.

We know the movie will feature Peter Parker and Doctor Strange opening up a multiverse where Peter will fight villains from the franchise’s past. Tom Holland at least confirmed that he worked with Jamie Foxx, who reprises his role as the villain Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

“Everyone puts their trousers on in the same way in the morning,” Holland told Total Film. “It was interesting having those guys come in because they have a certain ownership over Spider-Man in their own way.”

"I’m talking about Alfred [Molina, who plays Doctor Octopus] and Jamie and those guys. To see Alfred come in, and have to adapt and change to the way that the films are made, but also change director, and also [the fact that] I’m now Spider-Man. It was really interesting to see these actors adapt and change what they were doing to fit the modern era…It means a lot to me. The first time you see Doc and the rest of the characters that come back, it’s so exciting – and it’s such a huge moment in cinematic history. It’s three generations coming together."

We already knew that Molina and other villains were coming back based on the trailer. Unfortunately, Holland couldn’t clarify the one thing fans really wanted to know: “People don’t believe me when I say that [Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield] are not coming back,” Holland said, referring to the two actors who played Spider-Man on the big screen before him. “But people are going to have to believe me at some point.”

Again, it’s still quite hard to buy that Marvel Studios and Sony would want to create a fan service movie like this that included old villains — Electro, Doc Ock, the Green Goblin, etc — but not include our favorite former Spider-Men. And the rumors and leaks heavily indicate that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire are returning, so we may not have to believe Holland just yet.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is “brutal”

Beyond who may or may not be in it, Spider-Man: No Way Home sounds like it’s shaping to be something special. “I haven’t seen the film yet but I’ve seen pieces of the film, and it’s the best work we’ve ever done,” Holland said. “It’s the best Spider-Man film that we’ve ever made. I really don’t think fans are at all ready for what they’ve put together. I know that I’m not ready, and I know that it’s going to be brutal.”

Holland explained that in this film, Peter feels like he’s met his match and doesn’t know what to do. That’s pretty serious, considering this guy faced off against Thanos twice in the Avengers movies. And if Peter is dealing with this much stress, then it only seems fair that he get the help of two extra Spider-Men, right? Just saying.

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