Is Tom Holland the Best Spider-Man Yet?
The competition is stiff, but this one element may put him over the top
Quick, what does Tom Holland think about ICE? President Donald Trump? The SAVE act?
You’ll have to fire up the Google machine to learn more, and even that may not help. The 30-year-old Brit doesn’t weigh in regularly on the hot-button issues of the day.
Call him the anti-Mark Ruffalo.
Holland is in a high-profile relationship. He married frequent co-star Zendaya earlier this year, and she’s one of the most popular actresses on the planet. Yet Holland doesn’t use his celebrity platform to weigh in on matters beyond his acting career.
A busy acting career, to be exact.
Now, he’s front and center via “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” his fourth “solo” adventure. Sure, Ruffalo’s Hulk and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher get plenty of screen time, but it’s Spidey’s story.
Period.
Tobey Maguire got three “Spider-Man” adventures, while Andrew Garfield starred in two wall crawler romps. (both returned as supplemental Spideys in “No Way Home”) Both drew praise for their take on Peter Parker, but Holland’s run is the longest.
Especially when you consider his strong appearances in “Captain America: Civil War” and the two most recent “Avengers” films.
Holland has longevity on his side. He also has maturation. We’ve watched his Peter Parker grow from a high school outcast to where he is today – a young man balancing heroism, love and honor. That’s the crux of “Brand New Day,” and it’s the film’s most compelling element.
Holland has done nothing to besmirch the Spider-Man brand. He’s been comical as needed – his quips during the key battle scene in “Civil War” remain pitch perfect. He hasn’t turned away the MCU faithful with ugly, off-screen comments.
And he’s stuck around long enough to let his character grow before our eyes.
He already suggested a younger actor could take his place – Owen Cooper of “Adolescence” fame. For now, the role is his and his alone.
And, to paraphrase 007, nobody plays it better.