Why Sony Wasn’t Immediately Sold On Tom Holland

Despite Sony Pictures’ uncertainty about Tom Holland’s take on Spider-Man, Joe Russo says that he and his brother refused to let their belief in the actor diminish. «We brought [Holland] back, brought him back, brought him back, and we were relentless in our pursuit of jamming him down the throat of the studio who owns this IP,» the filmmaker told GQ. Ultimately, everyone involved in the casting process seems to agree that it was the screen test Holland did with «Iron Man» actor Robert Downey Jr. that secured him the role of Spider-Man.

Downey, for his part, claims that he immediately knew Holland was the right person to play the iconic superhero. «I could tell he had good kung fu; he could roll with the punches and keep it more than interesting,» the longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe star told GQ. Holland, meanwhile, still remembers the words of wisdom that Downey offered him before their screen test. «He took me to one side and said, ‘I remember the feeling. I’ve been through this before and it is incredibly stressful. Enjoy the process and let your body take over,’» the actor recalled. «I think that’s the piece of advice that got me the Spider-Man job.»

Nearly a decade later, it seems safe to say that Holland was, indeed, the right choice to play Spider-Man. After all, not only have his supporting appearances in MCU films like «Captain America: Civil War» and «Avengers: Infinity War» been received well, but his solo «Spider-Man» movies have all been hugely successful as well. That said, in the wake of the success of «Spider-Man: No Way Home,» there’s a surprising amount of mystery surrounding Holland’s future as Marvel’s most famous web-slinger (and Sony’s most prized fictional character).