‘Spider-Man is telling me to calm down’: Yes, Tom Holland spends his free time stopping fights at Whole Foods

With great power comes great responsibility… and the natural instinct to fight crime in the produce aisle.

In a compelling interview with Men’s Health, Tom Holland shared that although he attempts to be a regular person shopping at Whole Foods, he once helped two guys who got into a physical altercation at the store. He said, “I can see that he’s recognized me immediately, and you could see the wheels turning, like, I’m really angry, but Spider-Man is telling me to calm down. So, yeah, I go to the supermarket.”

I can’t be the only person dying to know what’s on Holland’s typical grocery list, right? Does he buy cow’s or almond milk? Stress over the ripeness of avocados? Go for grass-fed meat? Well, when he’s training for the Spider-Man franchise, he’s focusing on green veggies, carbs, and protein, according to Men’s Health. And always being on the alert for danger, even at Whole Foods, counts as training, too. He’s also quick with the paparazzi!

Holland’s story is a pointed reminder of how much life changes when an actor signs on to a Marvel franchise. He can’t buy milk and eggs without people knowing exactly who he is, and, of course, everyone is eager to find out as much as they can about his relationship with Zendaya. While I bet he would have helped those two guys fighting even if he wasn’t Tom Holland/Spider-Man, his Marvel status definitely made this a more memorable experience. Now they have a story to tell forever… and so does anyone else who witnessed this.

Besides that moment when he had to tap into his Spidey senses, Holland continued in his interview with Men’s Health that he hopes for a regular existence once he starts a family (and to golf more). He said, “When I have kids, you will not see me in movies anymore… I will just disappear off the face of the earth.” Could Holland and Zendaya stay together and become co-parents? Doesn’t everyone hope this amazing dream could come true?

OK, that was a distracting thought, but back to Holland’s desire to be a totally regular guy. I’m not the only one who would argue he has such big star power that this could never happen, but I get his wish to stray from the typical Hollywood crowd. In 2023, he was interviewed by Tom Power on his show Q and said that after his third Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home, “Now I get followed everywhere I go. There’s paparazzi that sit outside my house. I can’t have a relationship with someone without it being front page news.” That doesn’t sound fun at all. It’s tempting to be jealous of money and fame, but it’s also easy to see how celebrities miss certain parts of their old lives, like shopping for groceries in peace.

Holland also spoke to Men’s Health about no longer drinking, something he has kept up since Jan. 2022. This led him to create the non-alcoholic beer brand, BERO. Whether being vulnerable about saying goodbye to alcohol or admitting he can never leave Spider-Man behind even in a fancy grocery store, Holland is a true superhero, because he’s so kind and down-to-earth. And now I’m jealous that I’m never going to see him at my local Whole Foods.