Remember when Tom Holland used to say that he’d be happy to keep playing Spider-Man as long as Marvel and Sony wanted him? Well, with the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which marks his third solo film and sixth time overall playing the iconic character, Holland has changed his tune and has now hinted several times that he might be ready to put his webshooters away for good.
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the British star echoed comments he’s made before by admitting he doesn’t know what’s next for him in the Marvel universe. Holland even floated the idea that he could step behind the camera instead next time, perhaps in the capacity of producer, and let someone else take over as the lead.
“In all honesty, I don’t know the answer to [my Spider-Man future]. There have been conversations about the future of Spider-Man. Whether it will be with me, I’m not too sure yet,” Holland said. “Maybe I’ll be a producer or something, I don’t know. But I do know that I love this character and I would be sad to say goodbye, but I have achieved basically everything I wanted to achieve as this character.”
Having stated how he thinks he’s done everything he can with the character, Holland went on to reveal that he’s “ready to say goodbye” to the part that has turned him into a globally famous star.
“I really think I’m gonna win the Oscar for this movie, so that’s great,” Holland quipped. “I’m ready. I’m ready to say goodbye.”
Holland first got fans worried when he told GQ that he would’ve made a “mistake” if he’s still playing Spidey in his 30s. The 25-year-old actor has since walked back on those comments, but then his words to THR buckle down on his original statement. What we can say is that the studios definitely aren’t ready to let him go yet, as Sony’s Amy Pascal has made clear she wants to make another trilogy based around Holland’s Peter.
Whether he sticks around as Spidey or not, Holland’s relationship with Sony will likely continue. He’s about to star in February’s Uncharted movie, for which he’ll also get an executive producer credit, and he recently signed on with the studio to feature in a biopic about Fred Astaire. These two projects indicate that he’s definitely eager to try new things, but Tom Holland may yet decide he’s not done with Spider-Man after all.