Tom Holland is gearing up for the release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” marking the fourth time he will appear as Peter Parker’s alter ego in a solo film. The actor has weighed in on who should take over the role, mentioning an Emmy-winning actor as his potential replacement.
Tom Holland was in his late teens when Marvel Studios cast him as Spider-Man, and at 30, he is thinking about potential actors who could take his place in the future.
In an interview with Esquire, Holland said Owen Cooper would be an “awesome” Spider-Man. “Obviously, he’s super talented and the talk of the town right now,” the actor said.
Cooper, a 16-year-old British actor, gained fame for portraying accused killer Jamie Miller in the Netflix series “Adolescence.” He made history in 2025 by becoming the youngest male actor to receive a Primetime Emmy Award at just 15, winning the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series category.
Holland said he would love to be involved in the franchise’s next stages as a mentor. “In the way that Robert Downey was such a mentor for me in my first three movies, I would love to be that person for whoever is next,” he shared.
The Actor Was Hesitant To Go Back To The Role
Elsewhere in the interview, Holland said he was “on the fence” about returning to his Spider-Man role, adding that the contract he signed at 18 years old expired after the third movie, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” released in 2021.
In fact, in an interview that year, the actor famously said, “If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong.” He’s now looking back at his statement, saying it was “really stupid.” He changed his tune after his 30th birthday. In early June, he told GQ, “I think the point of it is that I would love to pass the baton on, and I haven’t achieved that yet… So maybe I need to change the quote to 37.”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” director Destin Daniel Cretton spoke about Holland, saying that while some actors become “jaded” with the filmmaking process after playing a character several times, “Tom is the opposite.” Cretton added that they had a lot of fun filming that it “almost seems criminal.”
Tom Holland Was Heavily Involved In The Fourth Movie
According to the actor, he was more involved in the making of the fourth movie, including the pre- and post-production stages.
Holland shared that he spent hours scouring the internet, watching videos, and listening to podcasts to learn what the fans wanted to see in the next installment. For instance, Spider-Man’s new suit was redesigned to take into account viewers’ thoughts from past Spider-Man movies.
Moreover, he was able to pitch his ideas. As he told Empire, he was given the chance to share his thoughts with the writers. He went with what he called “Spider-Puberty,” raising the question, “What happens if Peter Parker is losing control and things are changing?”
Holland said the studio didn’t like his “Spider-Puberty” tagline, but was intrigued with the idea, which later evolved into the plot of “Brand New Day.”
The Actor Delayed The ‘Spider-Man’ Filming
The original filming schedule of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” coincided with Holland’s other film, “The Odyssey,” directed by Christopher Nolan. The actor said he had an “uncomfortable conversation” with Sony after asking them to delay filming so he could work with the legendary director. The studio agreed, but Holland said, “Any other director, it might have been a slightly different conversation.”
It all worked out in the end, as the Spider-Man franchise had extra time to develop and improve the script. The actor believes the fourth installment is the “best version” yet, adding, “While it was a tough pill to swallow for Sony, I think in hindsight, they’re very grateful that it happened.”
Tom Holland On Playing The Superhero
While Holland is already thinking about who should replace him as the web-slinging superhero, that doesn’t mean he has closed his doors on portraying Spider-Man. As he told GQ, “I think the truth is that playing Spider-Man has been the joy of my life. I now kind of stand on the plinth of like, I’ll do it for as long as they’ll have me.”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is slated for release on July 31.
