Tom Holland is already planning his Spider-Man successor — and he’s rooting for Miles Morales
On the promo trail, Tom Holland finally addressed how the Spider-Man mantle could be passed on — and it sounds more mapped-out than fans might expect.
Let’s be honest, Tom Holland is clearly quite happy nipping about New York in the Spidey suit, but he’s not daft—he knows even Spider-Man can’t swing forever. And yet, he’s not ready to turn in his web-shooters just yet: earlier this week, he insisted he’d keep playing Spider-Man ‘as long as they’ll have me’. Hardly a man itching to retire, but don’t be fooled—there’s already a plan brewing for who takes over once he’s done dodging green goblins and moody aliens.
Passing the mask
On the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Holland got candid about what happens after he hangs it up. He says there’s been talk behind the scenes ever since they wrapped up Spider-Man: No Way Home about exactly how to pass the baton. Not just passing it, though—having a clear direction for it. Here’s how Holland put it on the podcast:
“There’s a whole plan that we have been working on for, I would say, since we finished Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s laid out. It’s gonna change for sure, but I have a really clear vision to the passing on of the baton, and I think it’s really exciting.”
And it’s not just the studio’s doing—Holland genuinely seems invested in the idea of making the character transition exciting. He said himself he finds the whole thing energising and it’s the part of the role he’s most excited about next.
Now, before you start thinking about another Peter Parker, remember the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t exactly stick to plain old tradition. Holland told the Associated Press he’s especially got his eye on bringing Miles Morales to the live-action fold. More than that, he wants to shepherd the next actor—“the lucky young kid”—into the role, a bit like Robert Downey Jr. did for him when he first parachuted into the MCU. Frankly, even as just a longtime Marvel nerd, that’s something I’d be keen to see. Of course, it’s worth noting that with Sony’s Spider-Verse films still ticking along, chances are Marvel and Sony will sit on their hands (and the Miles Morales plan) until those wrap up. Studios do love maximum hype.
Box office web-slinging
While all this transition talk swirls, there’s something else going on: Spider-Man: Brand New Day has just landed in cinemas, and apparently people still aren’t sick of Peter Parker. On its first night—Thursday previews alone—it raked in $72 million in the US. For context, that outguns Avengers: Endgame, which managed $60 million on its Thursday night in 2019.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day raked in $72 million on opening night previews, beating Avengers: Endgame’s Thursday tally.
Obvious question: will Brand New Day join the likes of Avengers: Doomsday at the top of the Marvel money mountain? Still too early to call, but it’s a decent start by anyone’s standards.
If you’re after more than just box office stats, our own Chris Bumbray described it as a more mature take on Spider-Man—not down the same overstuffed path as No Way Home, where three wall-crawlers tried to out-awkward each other for screen time. (You can find his full review linked elsewhere.) As always, feel free to sound off about the new film’s highs and lows—people certainly haven’t been shy so far.