It seems that Tom Holland, who’s spent 10 years playing Spider-Man and Peter Parker, is the one calling shots on set judging by his recent comments about the franchise’s forthcoming sequel.
The 30-year-old has revealed that he asked Sony bosses to delay filming on Spider-Man 4: Brand New Day so he could be a part of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey – and later, had to “lay down the law” with Spider-Man producers after witnessing Nolan’s efficient way of working.
Holland is set to play Telemachus, the son of Odysseus (Matt Damon), in Nolan’s adaptation of the ancient Greek text. It tells the story of the Greek king of Ithaca as he attempts to make it home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) after the Trojan War.
Speaking to GQ, Holland said that filming for Spider-Man 4 was due to take place at the same time as The Odyssey’s shoot, so he had “a very uncomfortable conversation” with Sony about moving the dates.
“I think one of the reasons why Sony were happy to move is because Chris has that reputation of, ‘This movie isn’t going to go five months over, and we aren’t actually going to lose Tom for two years,’” he told the publication. “Any other director, it might have been a slightly different conversation.”
He went as far as to say that the change actually “saved” the film, as it meant that director Destin Daniel Cretton became available to “develop the script” and make it “the best version of any Spider-Man movie going”.
“So while it was a tough pill to swallow for Sony, I think in hindsight, they’re very grateful that it happened,” he added.
After praising Nolan’s level of preparation as being “unlike anything I’ve ever seen”, Holland said that he demanded changes to the way Spider-Man’s forthcoming film was made.
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“I was really able to lay down the law and say, ‘We are not going to come to set and figure it out,’” he said. “We need to know why we are making this movie beyond the fact that it’s Spider-Man 4 and they make loads of money and we’re going to just have a big summer. Why are we making this movie?
“And Destin was super instrumental in that, but it was just really great to constantly be calling up the studio and [producers] Amy [Pascal] and Rachel [O’Connor], who I love, and be like, ‘Well, Chris is doing it this way. This is how I think we should be doing it.’”
The Independent has contacted Sony for comment.
Earlier this year, Holland revealed that Brand New Day was set to be the “most emotional Spider-Man movie yet” and “the most grown-up”.
The film is set to see Peter Parker lead a lonely new life after a powerful spell was cast that made the entire world forget his real identity. His real-life girlfriend Zendaya is set to return as Parker’s ex-girlfriend Michelle Jones “MJ” Watson, while Jacob Batalon reprises his role as Ned Leeds.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will arrive in cinemas in July 2026.
