English actor Tom Holland has risen to fame for portraying Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Clearly, he is an excellent choice for the role, but what led to him getting cast in the part? Making his first appearance as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War at the age of 18, Holland is the youngest to play Spider-Man in recent films, as both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were both already 27 years old by the time they first stepped into the spider-suit. He is also the first out of the trio to reveal spoilers for upcoming films accidentally.
Before his breakout role as Spider-Man, Holland performed on stage in Billy Elliot the Musical after the choreographer for the production saw him dance with his high school dance group. He also lent his voice to the British dub of the Japanese animated film The Secret World of Arietty before sending an audition tape to director J.A. Bayona for the 2011 film The Impossible. After watching the tape, Bayona met with Holland in person and asked him to write a letter to his mother and recite it as an in-person audition. Needless to say, Bayona was impressed with Holland’s emotional delivery and offered him the role.
As Tom Holland’s first major motion picture, he co-starred with Naomi Watts. The two endured the physically and emotionally grueling filming of the 2004 tsunami that devastated Thailand. He has stated that after working with Naomi Watts in the 35,000-gallon water tank to film the initial tsunami scene, he decided he wanted to seriously pursue an acting career in film. But how did he end up landing the role of Spider-Man? One of the biggest roles in cinematic history? This article will take you through the process of how Tom Holland got the role of the latest friendly neighborhood web-slinger.
Was He Offered the Role?
Initially, no. Holland had to audition against over 1,500 other teenagers eager for the role of Peter Parker. Once Marvel’s casting head Sarah Halley Finn saw him audition, however, she immediately told directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo that “This is the guy. You’re going to love him.”
Producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal had already been impressed by Holland’s performances in previous drama films like The Impossible and In the Heart of the Sea. Still, the Russo brothers were more interested in his dancing and gymnastics background. During his audition, he did a backflip and a back handspring, further sealing the deal. The late Stan Lee, the Marvel Universe's father, also approved Holland, stating Holland was “the exact age and height” that he envisioned when he created Spider-Man. Pairing all these attributes with Holland’s natural boyish charm and charisma, he was the obvious choice to cast in the role.
Are There Audition Tapes You Can Watch?
Yes! In a hilarious promotional video for the third film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony Pictures Entertainment had Tom Holland sit down with co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon to react to their initial audition tapes for the Spider-Man: Homecoming. You can watch them cringe and laugh together below!
Who Else Was Up for the Role?
It’s not surprising that out of the thousands worldwide who tried out for the role, there were a few other famous names among them. Asa Butterfield, best known for his performances in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Ender’s Game, and most recently, the comedy series Sex Education, reportedly auditioned for the role. English actor Charlie Rowe also auditioned for the part, along with Charlie Plummer. Rowe made his first significant appearance in the 2007 film The Golden Compass and has most recently starred as a lead in the 2022 coming-of-age drama Gigi & Nate. Charlie Plummer is known for his work in films such as The Clovehitch Killer, Dark Was the Night, Moonfall, and Wildflower.
Timothée Chalamet, who recently co-starred with MJ actress Zendaya in Dune, auditioned for the role and was considered, but ultimately lost out to Holland. Judah Lewis (Christmas Chronicles) was 14 years old at the time of his screen-testing and would have been one of the few auditioning actors who were the exact age that Peter Parker would be in the new film. Ironically, the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming earned Tom Holland a Guinness World Book Record for being the youngest actor to play a title role in the MCU.
Who Turned Down the Role?
When Sony and Marvel announced that they were looking to reintroduce Spider-Man to the MCU, many names were tossed around by executives and fans alike. One of those names was Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), but O’Brien reportedly did not want the role and did not audition, much to the disappointment of his fans. Another rumor, based on internet sleuth speculation, was that Nat Wolff (Death Note) was being considered. He later addressed the rumors and stated that he had never been asked to audition. David Minnette, who is best known for his role as Clay from 13 Reasons Why also auditioned, but later stated that he “didn’t give it his best shot” because he wasn’t sure if he would be able to commit to the role entirely during that time of his life.
Additionally, Andrew Garfield was originally in talks to reprise his role as Spider-Man in future films, but learned that he would be replaced for the role in Captain America: Civil War and the face of a new hero would be introduced. Of course, we all know now that Garfield did eventually reprise his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
How Does Tom Holland Know Other Cast Members, Directors, and Producers?
Before being cast as the new Spider-Man, Tom Holland actually co-starred with Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s 2015 historical adventure-drama, In The Heart of the Sea. Technically speaking, Peter Parker met Thor well before he ever met Tony Stark. The film, based on the 2000 non-fiction book of the same name, details the sinking of the whaling ship The Essex in 1820. The filming required both actors to lose a significant amount of weight, consuming only 500–1000 calories a day while performing most of their stunts.
Tom Holland might not have known Zendaya before filming the three latest live-action Spider-Man movies, but they have been a couple since they met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016. They initially kept their relationship private, only indirectly confirming their relationship in July 2021 when they were spotted kissing.
Since co-starring with Jake Gyllenhaal in Spider-Man: Far From Home, he has since reunited with the Mysterio actor in the recent drama film The Devil All the Time. In an interview, he said he initially had no idea Gyllenhaal was involved in the project, stating:
"Funny story. When Jake and I were working together on Spidey 2, he was asking me what I was going to do next. I pitched him this movie and he was like, 'Wait a minute, I'm producing that movie.' And I was like, Well, I'm in that movie.' I guess someone had like messed up in the email and didn't tell us that each of us were part of the film."
When asked about his auditioning process for the role of Spider-Man, Holland said, "That process was five months. I did eight auditions. I did five self-tapes, and then a screen test with Robert Downey Jr. and a screen test with Chris Evans." He later admitted that he was so nervous about meeting Robert Downey Jr. that he didn’t realize that it was only a stand-in for RDJ initially, meeting the real actor later.
After securing his role as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, Holland became one of the most popular new heroes of the MCU, continuing to work along with Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers on five further films, including the Spider-Man trilogy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Though Holland has said he is apprehensive about continuing his reign as Spider-Man, the future remains a mystery.
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