Tom Holland may be returning for a fourth “Spider-Man” movie in the upcoming “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” but he’s already talking about a potential handoff and how he’d be happy to mentor and guide the next generation of Spider-Man characters before taking his own final bow.
“For whoever’s next, whether that is a Miles Morales or a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman or something like that, I would love to be a part of setting up the next chapter,” Holland told Empire this week. “Whatever that looks like, I don’t know. But if I could do what [Robert] Downey [Jr.] did for me, then I would be so content swinging off into the sunset.”
The film is featured on the cover of Empire’s new issue, with Holland, Zendaya, Kevin Feige, Destin Daniel Cretton, Amy Pascal, and Jon Bernthal discussing the next phase of Peter Parker’s MCU life. After the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Peter chose not to reintroduce himself to MJ and Ned after Doctor Strange’s spell erased all memory of Peter Parker from the world. The result left him completely alone, with his closest relationships gone and his life effectively reset.
That reset appears to be the foundation of “Brand New Day,” which Feige says brings Spider-Man back to the version of the character most familiar to comic-book readers. “It is the first Spider-Man film that we’ve made in the MCU that is focused on the classic elements of Spider-Man,” Feige told Empire. “He’s doing the Spidey thing of living in a rather sad, small apartment, listening to the police scanner and going out and using his great power responsibly.”
For Holland, the film also marks a notable change behind the scenes. After nearly a decade playing the character, he says he had a much larger role in shaping Peter’s next chapter. “This is the first time in my tenure as Spider-Man that I was kind of welcomed into the writers’ room,” Holland revealed.
One of the ideas he brought to the table revolved around Peter himself changing in unexpected ways. “My pitch when I came to the table with it was called ‘Spider-Puberty.’ What happens if Peter Parker is losing control and things are changing?” Holland said.
“‘Spider-Puberty’ was my tagline pitch to the studio, which was immediately shot down,” he added. “But they liked the kernel of the idea, and it grew into what we have in the movie now.”
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Director Destin Daniel Cretton (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) sees Peter’s new circumstances through the lens of grief. Having lost Aunt May, Tony Stark, and now the memories his friends once had of him, Peter has buried himself in being Spider-Man.
“He is dedicating his entire existence to his job,” Cretton said. “That’s the core theme that I find incredibly relatable. I think most people at certain points in [their] lives have gone through loss. At least for me, and I think for many people, the result can be: ‘Screw it. I’m just going to work. I’m going to do nothing else but work.’ That’s obviously not the most healthy state.”
Producer Amy Pascal suggested that the film’s stakes are tied directly to Peter’s emotional condition rather than another universe-threatening catastrophe. “[Brand New Day] is a more internal movie, and the bigness of it is emotional, not worlds exploding,” Pascal said.
That emotional fallout extends to Peter’s relationship with MJ. While Peter remembers everything they shared together, MJ does not. “As someone who cares about the characters and cares about these films, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s so heartbreaking,’” Zendaya said. “You just feel so bad because you want them to be happy, and you know ultimately they would be happier together.”
For Zendaya, that dynamic changes how she approaches the character. “It’s easy in a way, because I don’t have to play that I know this person,” she said. “I don’t have to play all the history that they have together because, seemingly, to her, they don’t.”
The movie will also bring Bernthal’s Frank Castle into Peter’s orbit. Given the Punisher’s violent reputation, Holland acknowledged the balancing act involved in bringing the character into a PG-13 Spider-Man film.
“I know that there are concerns about taking a sort of R-rated character and putting him into one of these movies, but the way that we’ve designed the world around him feels very authentic to the Frank Castle we know,” Holland said. “There are fun ways to get around the fact that he swears all the time and kills people.”
Bernthal insists that Frank has not changed. “Frank Castle is perfectly at peace in a world of absolute darkness,” Bernthal said. “He’s not looking for a buddy, he’s not looking for a friend, he’s not looking for a hand to pull him out of the hole that he’s in. He’s fine living in there. In fact, all he wants to do is dig deeper.”
Still, Frank’s relationship with Peter may not be entirely antagonistic. “I think, begrudgingly, Frank would tell you, if he had to be honest, he does care about Peter,” Bernthal said.
For now, Holland is still Spider-Man. But with “Brand New Day” resetting Peter Parker’s life and Holland openly discussing the future beyond his own tenure, Marvel’s most enduring hero appears to be entering another transition point. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” opens July 31. Check out some new images from Empire below.
