Spider-Man: No Way Home was just officially announced as the third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise co-produced by Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures. There was a time when the studios parted ways and it seemed like Tom Holland might be done playing the webslinger, but thankfully they sorted things out. However, the actor has confirmed that Spider-Man: No Way Home will be the last film under his contract with Sony/Marvel, but that doesn’t mean he’s done wallcrawling.
Collider recently caught up with Tom Holland in conjunction with the upcoming release of Cherry on Apple TV+. The conversation eventually turned to the new Spider-Man movie, which Holland confirmed is the last movie in his contract. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s walking away from the role. The actor said:
“[Spider-Man 3] would be my last one [under contract]. So, I’ve always said to them if they want me back I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I’ve loved every minute of being a part of this amazing world. It’s changed my life for the better, I’m so lucky to be here. If they want me back I’ll be there, if they don’t I will walk off into the sunset a very, very happy person because it’s been an amazing journey.”
However, this is likely not entirely accurate. Back when Sony and Marvel worked through their issues and sparked a new deal to share Spider-Man for a third movie in the franchise, the deal also included an appearance in “a future Marvel Studios film” outside of that. Based on the rumors we’ve heard about Spider-Man: No Way Home making the Multiverse a big part of Peter Parker’s story, it’s likely that appearance will be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So when Tom Holland says No Way Home is his last Spider-Man movie under his current contract, he probably means for the Spidey franchise by itself.
Though Tom Holland might be eager to keep playing Spider-Man in the future, let’s not forget that the deal for Marvel and Sony to share Spider-Man almost fell apart. So will it be so easy to negotiate a new contract that will allow Tom Holland to keep playing Peter Parker and his webhead alter ego in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Holland seems to think so:
“The way I understand it is that agreement between the two studios has already happened. I don’t think that they’re going to run into the same troubles that they did as we were going into… was it Spider-Man 2? Far from Home had come out and then the whole thing happened between Sony and Marvel. I think the two studios have worked that out, and I don’t think that that will be a problem in the future. That said, I’m just the actor and I was a part of a few phone calls during that process. But I think they love working with each other, I think they found a way in which it can be beneficial for both studios, and I’m just kind of like a kid in the middle of it, between two parents during an argument.”
There’s also a chance that Tom Holland could keep playing Spider-Man outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some have theorized that the introduction of the Multiverse would allow Peter Parker to exit the MCU and enter the Spider-Man universe being crafted by Sony Pictures, which includes Venom and the upcoming Morbius. It would be the perfect opportunity to have two different universes with the same Spider-Man and still allow him to appear in either one.
Even though Tom Holland is happy to keep playing Spider-Man, don’t expect the webslinger’s adventure to be a fast follow-up to No Way Home. The actor has been so busy since making Spider-Man: Homecoming that he’s ready to take a break from acting for a little bit. Holland recently told USA Today:
“I’m going to take a break and travel the world. It’s the first time since I signed on to [Spider-Man: Homecoming] that I don’t have a contract with someone. I might go skiing because that’s something I’ve not really been allowed to do, because it’s obviously a dangerous sport. I’ve been very careful over the years, which is why I’ve become obsessed with golf because it’s the only sport I can play without getting injured.”
That’s something that fans typically don’t think about when it comes to actors being part of these big franchises. The studios have an investment in these stars to play characters that generate a lot of revenue, so they need to be safe in whatever they do in order to protect the franchise from falling by the wayside. But it’s good to hear that Holland will be able to take a break for a bit. Hopefully when he’s ready to get back to work, Marvel and/or Sony will be ready to get Spider-Man back into action.
Cherry arrives on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021 (that’s tomorrow), and Spider-Man: No Way Home is expected to hit theaters later this year on December 17, 2021
Cool Posts From Around the Web: