As the recent paparazzi photos of Zendaya firmly grasping Tom Holland’s waist make abundantly clear, she looks out for her main (Spider-)man.
So, when it came time for Holland to meet Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who reprised their roles as past versions of the webslinger in the latest Marvel juggernaut, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” he naturally wanted his on- and off-screen love interest by his side.
After months of all three stars baldfaced lying about their involvement in the sequel, which bridges multiple “Spider-Man” film universes into a blockbuster crossover event, Holland, Maguire and Garfield finally discussed what it was like to unite three generations of the superhero.
“It was very daunting,” Holland said during the trio’s first interview together on Wednesday. “We were a long way into shooting before you guys showed up, maybe three months into principal photography. The date the other Spider-Mans are coming was etched on my calendar. The closer and closer I got, the more nervous I was.”
That’s when Holland called for some backup, admitting, “At our first rehearsal [with Tobey and Andrew], I had asked Jacob [Batalon] and Zendaya to come with me to just kind of be there as like, my support system.”
Holland explained that he was concerned about how Maguire and Garfield would feel about inhabiting the character all these years later, given how it “means a lot to them, and it means a lot to me.”
Ultimately, upon meeting his would-be co-stars, Holland said he “realized I had nothing to be nervous about,” as they proceeded to get along famously.
“It was almost a little unfair,” he added. “They had us put the suits on and then just jump around in front of the camera together. That was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life.”
Director Jon Watts had previously told Variety that the fated meeting felt like a “Spider-Man therapy session,” given how Holland, Garfield and Maguire are the “only three actors to ever play Spider-Man in a film, and each had been through so much, on and off screen.”
Holland echoed the sentiment in the joint interview, adding that starring alongside his counterparts was “as special as an experience could ever be.”
“Sharing the screen with these guys, playing Spider-Man, could be quite an alienating experience because, you know, we’re the only three blokes who have done it,” he said. “So to share that with you two, it’s been such a wonderful experience, of which I have such amazing memories.”
While “Spider-Man: No Way Home” could be Holland’s last go as the webslinger, his relationship with Zendaya off camera has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Over the weekend, the two were spotted visiting Holland’s family’s London home on a couple’s trip, as they’ve become increasingly more open about their romance, despite some hesitations.
“The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own,” Zendaya told GQ about their relationship in November. “I think loving someone is a sacred thing and a special thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other.”
