Tom Holland Already Has an Idea for Who Should Play Spider-Man Next

Tom Holland may not be ready to leave Spider-Man behind anytime soon, but he already has an idea of who could take over the role someday.

The actor, who returns as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, recently shared that when the time eventually comes for him to hang up the Spidey suit, he would love to stay connected to the franchise in a mentor role.

During an interview with Esquire, Holland said he would like to help guide the next actor who plays Spider-Man, much like Robert Downey Jr. helped him when he first entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“In the way that Robert Downey was such a mentor for me in my first three movies, I would love to be that person for whoever is next,” Holland said.

Could Owen Cooper Be the Next Spider-Man?

When asked who he could imagine stepping into the role someday, Holland pointed to Owen Cooper.

“Owen Cooper would be awesome,” Holland said. “Obviously, he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now.”

Cooper, who is 16, has gained major attention for his work in the Netflix limited series Adolescence. While there are currently no public plans to replace Holland as Spider-Man, his comments have still sparked conversation among fans about what the future of the character could look like.

Holland has talked about his Spider-Man future before. In 2021, he told GQ that if he was still playing Spider-Man after turning 30, he had “done something wrong.” He has since walked back that comment, telling Esquire that it was a “really stupid” thing to say and admitting he does not really know what he meant by it.

For now, Holland appears happy to continue playing the character. In another recent conversation with GQ, he said he would keep playing Spider-Man for “as long as they’ll have me.”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Begins a New Chapter

Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks Holland’s next appearance as the iconic Marvel hero and begins a fresh chapter for Peter Parker in the MCU.

The story picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter living in a world where no one remembers who he is. Alone in New York City, he has fully committed himself to life as Spider-Man.

According to the film’s synopsis, Peter’s life becomes even more complicated when the pressure of being Spider-Man intensifies and he begins to experience a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence.

The first trailer for Brand New Day shows Peter seeking help from Dr. Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, as his DNA begins to mutate. The changes are expected to give Peter new abilities, including organic webbing, a controversial element that was previously used in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy.

The sequel is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, taking over from Jon Watts, who directed Holland’s first three solo Spider-Man films. Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers returned to write the screenplay, with later work from Justin Kuritzkes and Cretton.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to hit theaters on July 31 as part of Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Even though fans are already wondering who could one day replace Holland, the actor does not seem ready to leave the role just yet. For now, Spider-Man still belongs to Tom Holland — but when the next actor eventually arrives, Holland hopes to be there to help guide the way.