Tom Holland of Spider-Man and that Rihanna lip sync video fame has more than established himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars over the past 5 or so years. From Captain America: Civil War to the upcoming curiosity known as the Uncharted movie, the young English actor has kept himself in the headlines pretty consistently, partially through his charming demeanor and rather heavily via his uncanny penchant to spoil things in interviews. But now, it seems as though he may have learned a lesson in that regard.
During his current press tour for his ever mysterious upcoming film Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland spoke about how the movie marks the end of his contract with Marvel and what that could mean for him going forward. After so many years playing Spider-Man, his immediate future with the company is uncertain for the first time, and that’s a big deal. Not only does the star feel bittersweet about the change, but he also managed to talk about it without revealing any major spoilers. He’s grown up so much.
Holland discussed his feelings about the conclusion of his contract in an interview with Empire magazine as part of their Spider-Man: No Way Home cover story (which also may have teased some returning villains like Sandman and Lizard). But while he has mixed feelings about how things might go from here, his concern appeared to be less about his immediate future and more about holding his tongue when there aren’t any co-stars around to wrangle him. “It’s the first time since I got cast as Spider-Man that I don’t have a contract,” he said. “And it’s… it’s just really difficult for me to talk about, because there are so many things I’d like to talk about that would help me embellish what I’m trying to explain. But I can’t, because it would just ruin the film.”
Ironically, the fact that he’s specifically holding back so much from revealing anything could be a hint in and of itself. Holland has already said that he’s not only treating Spider-Man: No Way Home as the end of a trilogy, but possibly as the end of an era. While it’s entirely possible for such a big character to finish his run with a totally happy ending and just kind of slip into the background of future films, Marvel Studios isn’t really in the business of open-ended conclusions like that. Holding himself back so specifically may suggest that Holland’s farewell as Peter Parker could end up being more final than some might expect.
Of course, the conclusion of a contract doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the road entirely. After all, Tobey Maguire ended his run well over a decade ago and he’s still set to reprise his role in No Way Home (despite the constant denials that are about as effective as a Megadeth white noise machine). Marvel Studios isn’t exactly the kind of company to cut off a character who’s still making them plenty of money, anyway.
But oddly enough, that cynical view of things might be too idealistic as well. Marvel movies are making lots of big changes, and if it requires getting rid of one of their biggest stars, they might just go for it. So it would be a shame if Holland ended his time as Spider-Man so soon. But if it ends up being his swan song, then here’s hoping it’s a dang good one.
Spider-Man: No Way Home will release in theaters on December 17th, 2021.
Source: Empire (via Collider)
