Tom Holland has addressed what the future holds for him as Spider-Man, after earlier suggesting he wouldn’t want to still be playing the character once he hit his 30s.
In an interview with GQ while promoting Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey, Holland — who turned 30 on Monday — looked back on how his career has unfolded and revisited a remark that’s followed him for years.
“If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong,” he told the publication back in 2021.
Now that he’s reached that milestone, Holland said the quote resurfacing made him reflect on what he was trying to express at the time, suggesting it wasn’t as blunt as it sounded.
“It’s funny, I saw that quote pop up somewhere recently and I kind of reeled, because I was trying to remember what I meant,” he said.
“I think the point of it is that I would love to pass the baton on, and I haven’t achieved that yet.”
Holland has played the MCU’s Spider-Man since he was 18, stepping into the role after Sony-era Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
He added that conversations about the character’s long-term future happen frequently behind the scenes.
“It’s definitely something that we talk about a lot at the studio,” Holland continued. “So maybe I need to change the quote to 37.”
He also speculated that his earlier stance may have been influenced by industry negotiations at the time, joking that it could even have been intended to pressure the studio.
“So I don’t know what it could have been,” he continued. “It could’ve been part of a strategy to create fear.”
Ultimately, Holland said that the role remains deeply personal to him, and he’s not in a rush to step away from it.
“I think the truth is that playing Spider-Man has been the joy of my life.”
“I now kind of stand on the plinth of like, I’ll do it for as long as they’ll have me.”
The Spider-Man films are also significant in his personal life, as they’re where he met his fiancée Zendaya, who played his on-screen love interest MJ.
Holland noted that his priorities have shifted thanks to what he has going on away from work, and that he’s no longer interested in a relentless schedule.
“I have so much amazing stuff happening in my personal life to take me through to the rest of my life, and I feel like I have a new perspective on where I want to exist in Hollywood,” he said – which includes not being driven by a ‘work, work, work’ mentality.
Zendaya has voiced a similar outlook. Speaking to Fandango in March, she reacted to having four releases close together this year — The Drama, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune: Part Three.
“I guess, you know, I just hope people don’t get sick of me,” the star explained.
“I really appreciate everyone who supports any of the movies or who supports my career in any kind of way,” Zendaya said. “I’m deeply appreciative, and like I said, I just hope you guys don’t get sick of me this year because I’ll tell you what: after this, I’m disappearing for a little bit. I’m going to have to go into hiding for just a little bit.”