Tom Holland Credits Robert Downey Jr. for Helping Him Through First MCU Experience
Tom Holland recently opened up about his first time filming as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sharing how Robert Downey Jr. went above and beyond to make him feel comfortable. Holland’s debut as Peter Parker/Spider-Man came in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” where he had the daunting task of acting opposite Downey’s iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Overcoming First-Day Nerves
“When I had to take my mark and do my scene with Downey, it was really overwhelming,” Holland admitted on the “Rich Roll Podcast.” “I am very grateful to Downey. When I did my [screen test], it was eight pages of dialogue. It was a long scene. It went great. I was told by my agent to learn the lines exactly. When I did my first take with Downey, he just started improvising everything and changing it all.”
He continued, “That gave me license to follow him. You can’t beat Downey, but you can ride his coattails. And those are good coattails to ride. I just followed his lead and we improvised. I thought after that I audition that I got it. It went so well.”
Downey Jr.’s Support
Despite Holland’s strong performance, his scene was significantly shortened for the final film. However, Downey Jr. stepped in to ensure Holland’s talent was showcased.
“When I got to set after I got the gig, my scene had been cut down significantly from what I did in the audition. It was now maybe two pages,” Holland recalled. “Downey piped up: ‘Where did all of the kid’s lines go?'”
“Captain America: Civil War” directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained their reasons for the cut, but Downey Jr. had a different perspective:
“Downey was the one who said, ‘No, you’re going to want to spend time on this. Let’s shoot the whole thing from the audition. You can always cut it, but you’re going to want to have it,’” Holland remembered. “And they used all of it. I owe that to him. That’s really cool. I’d love to one day do that…If I’m lucky to bring Miles Morales into the MCU, I’d love to do for a young kid what Downey did for me.”
Holland’s Journey Since “Civil War”
Holland’s debut as Spider-Man in “Civil War” quickly made him a fan favorite. He went on to headline his own movie in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and appear in two more standalone films and various “Avengers” movies. Marvel and Sony are currently developing a fourth standalone film for Holland’s Spider-Man.
Holland also shared a fun anecdote about his first screen test, revealing he “polished off the mini bar” the night before. Since then, Holland has given up alcohol and is now sober. He recently launched a non-alcoholic beer brand called Bero.
Watch the Full Interview
Want to hear more about Tom Holland’s experience? Watch his full interview on the “Rich Roll Podcast” in the video above.