Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo praised Tom Holland, calling his Spider-Man a pivotal cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Tom is stepping into the role that Robert Downey once occupied for Marvel, which is the favorite character, and in a lot of ways the soul of the Marvel universe," Russo said in an interview with GQ. Russo and his brother Anthony directed Holland in three comic book films, beginning with 2016's Captain America: Civil War, which brought the then 19-year-old into the MCU as a new version of Peter Parker. The pair have also worked with the actor in the decidedly non-superheroic crime drama Cherry, where Holland played an Army vet suffering from opioid addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"He had a vulnerability and a wit, and an immense likability that felt to me like Peter Parker from the comics," Russo said, pointing out that Holland also radiated a sense of confidence -- a claim that the young star has denied. "If he was faking his confidence, he is a hell of an actor." Russo has gone on record supporting Holland's casting in 2015. The director said that Sony was initially hesitant regarding the choice, particularly due to Holland's young age at the time.
"We talked with Feige at Marvel about Holland and he got excited and then we went to Sony, and they were like, 'Let's think about it for a minute,'" Russo said in an interview earlier this year. "We could tell we were meeting resistance from Sony. So we brought [Holland] back, brought him back, brought him back, and we were relentless in our pursuit of jamming him down the throat of the studio who owns this IP. It came down to a fight, yet Sony just kept dragging their feet."
Despite the Marvel films setting Peter Parker up as a protégé of Tony Stark, who died in Avengers: Endgame, the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently the last entry in Holland's contract, and the actor has been bullish about signing up for more. "Maybe it is time for me to move on," he said. "Maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film. I have to take Peter Parker into account as well, because he is an important part of my life... If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong.”
Spider-Man: No Way Home hits movie theaters on Dec. 17.
Source: GQ