Tom Holland has revealed that he and Zendaya have read a draft of the Spider-Man 4 script – and it appears as though they’re pretty happy with it.
The actor is set to reprise his role as the titular character, which he’s played since 2016’s Captain American: Civil War, in the movie – which is aiming for a 2026 release.
He told the Rich Roll Podcast on Thursday that he and his girlfriend Zendaya, who plays his love interest MJ, were “bouncing around the room” when they read the Spider-Man 4 draft. The 28-year-old explained, “It needs work, but the writers are doing a great job.”
He continued: “I read it three weeks ago, and it really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down and read it together, and we at times were bouncing around the living room like, ‘This is a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect.’ But there’s a few things we need to figure out before we can get that really going, but it’s exciting.”
Elsewhere in the podcast, he discussed the challenges of working within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where “your film is a small cog in a large machine.”
He explained: “That machine has got to keep running. And you need to make sure you can fit into that timeline at the right time to benefit the bigger picture. That’s one of the challenges we’re facing. The time in which we need to get that done is a tall order but definitely achievable with the fantastic people we have working on it now.”
Last month, it was reported that Destin Daniel Cretton has been in talks to direct Spider-Man 4, taking over from Jon Watts, who directed the first three Spider-Man movies in the reboot.
In 2023, Holland said he was open to reprising the role of Spider-Man if the storyline does “justice to the character,” which he admits he feels “very protective over”. And in April, the actor confirmed that he’d definitely be returning.
Since 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland has starred in the action adventure movie Uncharted and had a lead role in the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room – also serving as the executive producer for both.
He also played Romeo in a stage adaptation of Romeo & Juliet at the Duke Of York’s theatre in London over the summer, while the production will reportedly be moving to Broadway too.
Meanwhile, Andrew Garfield, who last played Spider-Man in a crossover appearance in No Way Home, said earlier this month that he’d be open to reprising the role if it felt right. He explained, “For sure, I would 100 per cent come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into.
Tom Holland on December 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. CREDIT: Getty/Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
“I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return.”
NME gave Spider-Man: No Way Home a four-star review, writing: “Holland has always been a great Spider-Man but he ascends to a new level here. All the ‘aw gosh gee willikers’ stuff he still does charmingly, but this time he has to do some hefty emotional lifting. The weight of two decades of Spider-Man movies are on his wiry shoulders and he carries it manfully. To go into detail about how the film explores the soul of Peter Parker would give away secrets – although knowing ‘spoilers’ should in no way ruin your enjoyment of the story, such is the quality of the character writing – but suffice to say that in terms of getting to the heart of the character, No Way Home is the ultimate Spider-Man film.
“There are moments here that make you want to cheer and weep simultaneously. It’s not the most visually spectacular, it’s not the funniest, but it’s the most emotionally rich. For Spider-Man fans who’ve stuck with the character through the soaring highs and the sticky lows, this is your reward. And it makes it all worth it.”
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