Spider-Man: No Way Home's Tom Holland is indeed prepared to play Peter Parker into his 30s -- if another younger, more diverse Spider-Person is also in the picture.
In an interview with Esquire Middle East, Holland clarified comments he previously made about wanting to stop playing Spider-Man after he turns 30. "What I basically was trying to say is that if I am 30, still playing Spider-Man, and I haven't passed on the baton to a Miles Morales or a Spider-Woman or something more diverse, then I will have done something wrong in the sense of the duties I have to the character," Holland said. "Not, like, 'If I'm playing Spider-Man in my 30s, I'm some washed-up has-been.'" He went on to confirm he "could see" himself playing the character for years to come.
The comments Holland referenced were made in November 2021, before No Way Home hit theaters. Holland was quoted as saying, "Maybe it is time for me to move on. Maybe what's best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film ... If I'm playing Spider-Man after I'm 30, I've done something wrong." Holland is currently 25 years old and turns 26 on June 1.
This isn't the first time Holland has expressed an interest in playing a mentor figure to Miles Morales or another spider-powered character. Way back in 2017, the newly minted Spider-Man spoke highly of the idea. "It's something that I would really, really hope to happen," Holland said. "I think Miles Morales is a great character -- I think it would be fantastic to have an actor of color playing a superhero on screen, and I just think it's going to be something very cool and something very exciting for this universe." Holland reiterated his wish in 2019, saying, "I would love to share the screen with Miles. I think that would be really cool."
Holland seems equally interested in passing the baton to a female character. In December 2021, he appeared unsure of his own future as Spider-Man. "I don't want to say goodbye to Spider-Man -- but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man," Holland said. "I don't want to be responsible for holding back the next young person that comes in who deserves it just as much. I would love to see a future of Spider-Man that's more diverse -- maybe you have a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman. We've had three Spider-Mans in a row; we've all been the same. It'd be nice to see something different."
While their live-action debuts may still be in flux, Miles Morales' Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman will appear on the big screen once again in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One), the sequel to 2018's hit animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) hits theaters on October 7, and Part Two is set for a 2023 release.
Source: YouTube