Tom Holland isn’t arrogant – he’s finally taking films seriously

Tom Holland revealing how he took charge on the set of Spider-Man has somehow had the internet up in arms.

The 30-year-old star revealed he had been ‘laying down the law’ during filming of Brand New Day, which caused a stir among fans.

‘Respectfully, who tf does he think he is?’ asked one person on X, as another troll said: ‘I don’t like that at all. Work on humbling yourself’.

a particularly loyal Marvel defender told him to ‘Get off Nolan’s d**k’, declaring: ‘There are other ways to make a film’.

‘Tom needs to shut his damn mouth, he’s not making this movie, and he doesn’t get a say in how it’s made,’ added one Marvel fan account.

Diehard stans might not like it, but Tom’s absolutely right to demand better from such an industry-dominating franchise.

It’s no secret Marvel films – and by extension the Sony Spiderverse – have been failing to hit those dizzying highs of the original Iron Man or Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Reshoots and cobbled-together scripts are reportedly the norm, dubbed the ‘Marvel Method’, with James Gunn seemingly confirming this after his DC move.

‘The number-one reason [the movie industry is dying] is because people are making movies without a finished screenplay,’ he previously told Rolling Stone.

Now imagine you’re Tom, and for the majority of your acting life, this is the chaotic environment you’ve been working in.

No wonder he walked onto one Christopher Nolan set and it changed his entire acting worldview.

Working on The Odyssey, surrounded by some of the most influential actors of our time, is potentially the best thing Tom’s ever done for his career.

Speaking about returning to Brand New Day after shooting the Ancient Greek epic, he told GQ: ‘I was really able to lay down the law and say, “We are not going to come to set and figure it out”.

‘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?’

He praised director Destin Daniel Cretton for being ‘super instrumental’ in that but added he was frequently calling up the studio and producers to push a fresh approach.

‘Well, Chris is doing it this way. This is how I think we should be doing it,’ Tom shared of his chats with them.

Tom, along with co-stars Robert Pattinson and Matt Damon, shared how gruelling the work can be on a Nolan set, but ultimately, they felt the art warranted it.

Now, is a Spider-Man movie ever going to measure up to the Odyssey? It’s unlikely.

But an actor like Tom – whose face is on the posters – insisting on simple things like a cohesive plan could save Marvel from this slump.

Fans might still rally behind the behemoth, but the franchise has been faltering under its own weight for the better part of a decade.

It’s not a coincidence that Spider-Man is the one hero who is still able to bring in the masses. That’s largely down to Tom’s portrayal of our favourite web-slinger, even if some fans deny it.

Continuing that reputation as a safe-bet star is not only in Tom’s interest but also in Marvel’s (and Sony’s) as a whole.

However, the Bero founder also needs to avoid spending the rest of his career locked in the superhero typecast – or worse, brought back to play Dr Doom.

Until now, it’s fair to say Tom’s filmography has been a little shaky, partly due to the time-consuming nature of playing Spidey in six feature-length films (soon to be seven).

Forays into less critically loved films, such as Uncharted, have led to questions about his acting chops – especially when standing next to Zendaya.

A shining example of the talent coming through, Zendaya moves effortlessly through franchises like Spider-Man and Dune to character-driven pieces like The Drama.

Tom has frequently said how in awe of her he is. But he should also be taking notes from her career.

Working with studios like A24 or directors like Luca Guadagnino has undoubtedly helped Zendaya’s credibility as one of Hollywood’s favourite stars.

Tom could do the same; he’s just not had the space to grow in capable hands, instead opting for too niche or too blockbuster-Marvel-ified films to truly break out.

Hopefully, in the hands of a visionary like Nolan, Tom can save his career and, if he has time, the Marvel multiverse too, but only if sanctimonious fans let him.

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