A few years ago – back when I was not a huge MCU fan (I know, sue me) – there was one aspect of the franchise I was fairly interested in: the casting of the next Spider-Man. It seemed like Sony and Marvel could not come to a decision on who would play Peter Parker, and at one time, there were a dozen or so different young actors vying for the role, including Asa Butterfield, Liam James, Charlie Plummer and plenty more. As we all know, the part eventually went to Tom Holland, who had performed well during screen tests alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. However, it seems that part of Holland’s success had to do with an entirely different MCU veteran.
In an exclusive report published by Entertainment Tonight, Chris Hemsworth (yep, the God of Thunder himself) revealed – during a red carpet premiere of Men In Black: International – that he played a part in helping Tom to land the role of Spider-Man. While the middle Hemsworth brother is best known for his portrayal of Thor, he’s also starred in a handful of films outside the MCU, including 2015’s In the Heart of the Sea, which also happened to feature the work of, you guessed it, Holland.
It seems the pair got to know each other during the course of filming, and when it came time to pick settle on who would play the world’s most famous web-slinger, Hemsworth put in a call to Marvel and Sony.
“I mean, look, we worked on In the Heart of the Sea together, obviously, then through Avengers and as they were casting him for Spider-Man, I did what I could do and made a call and said he’s one of the most talented people I’ve worked with and has such a big heart and appreciation,” Hemsworth revealed. “I don’t know, we have a great friendship, it’s a good mutual respect.”
It’s not entirely clear what impact Chris’ call had, but we’d like to think he helped tip the scales, even if it was only by a small amount. Either way, it seems Sony and Marvel made the right choice. Spider-Man: Homecoming went on to gross close to $900 million worldwide, and with analysts projecting a strong opening for Far From Home, it looks like Tom Holland has found his place within the MCU.
