Tom Holland
Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Overview
Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
3 min read AI-generated editorial review
The Gravity of Queens
Movies that threaten the end of the world tend to lose me a little. Once the danger gets that big, it stops feeling like danger and starts feeling like wallpaper. Spider-Man: Homecoming is smart enough to scale everything way down. Instead of saving existence, Peter Parker is mostly trying to impress a billionaire who won't return his texts and survive being sixteen. That smaller frame gives the whole Marvel machine a pulse.
There's no impending apocalypse here. There's just a kid trying to impress a billionaire who won't return his texts, and a blue-collar contractor trying to keep his salvage business afloat.
Jon Watts, coming off the lean indie thriller Cop Car, understood exactly what this third iteration of Spider-Man needed. We didn't need to watch Uncle Ben die again. We didn't need the spider bite. We needed hallway embarrassment and acne. USA Today’s Brian Truitt had it right when he wrote that the film "belongs more to the John Hughes cinematic universe than the Avengers." The high-school material isn't dead air between action beats. It's the point.
Tom Holland is the first live-action Peter who really seems to exist at actual teen scale. Tobey Maguire played him like a solemn grown man trapped in homeroom. Andrew Garfield looked too much like a catalog model to pass as overlooked. Holland plays Peter like a hyperactive golden retriever with caffeine in his bloodstream. Even in costume, he never settles into classical hero poses. He bounces, hunches, fidgets, and radiates the need for approval.
Movies that threaten the end of the world tend to lose me a little. Once the danger gets that big, it stops feeling like danger and starts feeling like wallpaper. Spider-Man: Homecoming is smart enough to scale everything way down. Instead of saving existence, Peter Parker is mostly trying to impress a billionaire who won't return his texts and survive being sixteen. That smaller frame gives the whole Marvel machine a pulse.
There's no impending apocalypse here. There's just a kid trying to impress a billionaire who won't return his texts, and a blue-collar contractor trying to keep his salvage business afloat.
Jon Watts, coming off the lean indie thriller Cop Car, understood exactly what this third iteration of Spider-Man needed. We didn't need to watch Uncle Ben die again. We didn't need the spider bite. We needed hallway embarrassment and acne. USA Today’s Brian Truitt had it right when he wrote that the film "belongs more to the John Hughes cinematic universe than the Avengers." The high-school material isn't dead air between action beats. It's the point.
Tom Holland is the first live-action Peter who really seems to exist at actual teen scale. Tobey Maguire played him like a solemn grown man trapped in homeroom. Andrew Garfield looked too much like a catalog model to pass as overlooked. Holland plays Peter like a hyperactive golden retriever with caffeine in his bloodstream. Even in costume, he never settles into classical hero poses. He bounces, hunches, fidgets, and radiates the need for approval.
Audience Opinions
AI summary of viewer review patterns
Audience 7.5/10 AI
"A lively teen coming-of-age spin on Spider-Man that wins with Tom Holland’s charm and a standout Vulture, even if the story and MCU tie-ins feel overly familiar."
Energy, humor, and a sincere high school focus earn a lot of affection, with Tom Holland widely praised as a near-ideal Peter Parker and Michael Keaton recognized as one of the most engaging villains in this corner of superhero cinema. At the same time, the reliance on Iron Man, a predictable plot structure, and a visually standard action style leave some viewers wishing for a more self-contained and distinct Spider-Man film.
What viewers praise
- Pitch‑perfect Peter Parker Holland’s goofy, nervous, and earnest performance convinces as a real teenager juggling school, heroics, and big aspirations.
- Compelling Vulture villain Keaton’s Adrian Toomes is seen as intense, grounded, and believable, often cited as one of the strongest antagonists in this superhero era.
- Engaging high school vibe The focus on everyday school life, small-scale neighborhood stakes, and coming-of-age dilemmas gives the story a fresh, intimate feel.
- Funny and lighthearted Jokes, awkward situations, and character banter land consistently, keeping the tone breezy without completely undercutting emotion.
- Warm supporting relationships The dynamic with Ned as the enthusiastic ‘guy in the chair’ and the updated, caring take on Aunt May add warmth and personality.
Common complaints
- Too much Iron Man influence The mentor relationship appeals to some, but others feel the story leans so heavily on Tony Stark and his tech that Spider-Man seems less independent.
- Formulaic superhero plot Character moments stand out more than the narrative, which follows expected beats and offers few real surprises.
- Generic visual style Action scenes and overall look are described as competent but bland, lacking a distinct visual identity compared to earlier Spider-Man films.
- Missing classic Spider-Man beats The absence of a shown origin, a more down‑to‑earth suit, and the traditional Mary Jane setup leaves some long-time Spider-Man devotees unsatisfied.
Recommended for
Teen superhero story fans Tom Holland admirers Lighthearted MCU enjoyers High school comedy lovers Michael Keaton villain enthusiasts
Full Plot (Spoilers)
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Buzz & Rumors
Public reports AI-researched entertainment notes
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING – KISSES CUT, HATERS DRAGGED & A SECRET ROMANCE SPUN IN THE WEBS
Think you know everything about Marvel’s friendly neighborhood reboot? Think again. Behind the clean MCU sheen, this movie was hiding deleted kisses, racial backlash, low-key trolling, and the birth of a superhero power couple.
Romance Rumors: The Birth of Tomdaya
- During the Homecoming press tour, fans clocked that Tom Holland and Zendaya were sharing clothes—literally. Teen Vogue highlighted how Tom wore Zendaya’s leather jacket and proudly showed it off, which had the internet screaming “couple energy!”
. - The same piece notes that the rumor mill went wild as they traveled together, with a Barcelona stop described as taking their “level of intimacy” up a notch—fans decided they were way more than just co-workers [1].
- Officially at the time? They shut it all down and insisted they were “just friends.” Unofficially? Those rumors never died—and hindsight has everyone going, “Oh, it was right there.”
Scandals & Controversies: Zendaya vs. the Trolls, Aunt May vs. the Age Police
- When news broke that Zendaya might be playing a version of Mary Jane Watson, a loud corner of the internet lost it. The backlash was so intense it made mainstream headlines. In an interview about the uproar, Zendaya coolly called it what it was: people “react over anything,” adding there would be “outrage… because for some reason some people just aren’t ready” for that kind of diversity onscreen .
- She doubled down on why her casting mattered, pointing out that the real world is diverse and that’s what should be reflected in big superhero movies [2].
- Meanwhile, Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May sparked her own mini-scandal. Online chatter (and later write-ups summarizing the reaction) noted fans complaining she was “too young and attractive” to be Peter’s aunt—apparently some people only accept Aunt May if she looks like she stepped out of a retirement home. The discourse was less “with great power comes great responsibility” and more “with great cheekbones comes great fan insecurity.”
Leaks & Secrets: The Kisses You Were Never Allowed to See
- Laura Harrier, who played Peter’s decathlon-crush Liz Allan, revealed that she and Tom Holland filmed multiple kissing scenes… and none of them made it into the finished film .
- She said they shot “a lot of different kissing scenes and none of them are in the movie,” which explains why trailer-watchers were confused when teased romantic moments never appeared onscreen [3].
- Fans have speculated that Marvel wanted Peter to stay a little more awkward and inexperienced, but that’s strictly fan theory territory; all we know is that the footage exists and we didn’t get it. Robbed.
Deleted Scenes & Deep-Cut MCU Teases
GamesRadar+ dove into the Homecoming deleted scenes and found some juicy stuff that didn’t survive the theatrical cut :
Miles Morales Incoming?
- A deleted moment shows Donald Glover’s Aaron Davis stuck to his car by Spidey’s webbing, calling his nephew Miles to apologize for missing a meet-up—an overt nod to future Spider-Man Miles Morales in the MCU [4].
MJ the Conspiracy Queen
- One cut scene has Zendaya’s Michelle (MJ) sitting in a tinfoil hat, musing about whether Captain America: The Winter Soldier really involved Cap going rogue—peak chaotic honors-student energy [4].
Happy Hogan’s Secret
- In another deleted bit, Happy Hogan phones his mom and casually drops his first name: Harold. Years of MCU mystery undone by one call [4].
Vulture’s Villain Breakdown
- There’s also a scene of Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes/Vulture phoning his daughter Liz and then losing it, throwing a shelf in frustration—giving his villain arc an extra layer of stressed-out dad energy [4].
- Plus: extra Midtown High news channel skits, Spider-Man street stakeouts, and more goofy Peter–Ned handshake moments that deepened the school-comedy vibe [4].
On-Set Energy & Paycheck Drama (The Quiet Kind)
- Behind all the noise, cast interviews painted a picture of a high-pressure but close-knit set. Zendaya talked about how much scrutiny the project was under and how fans tracked her every move while they filmed, to the point she was giving Tom advice on handling the spotlight [2]. Not outright “feud” material—but definitely “instant mega-fame crash course” territory.
- Financially, the gossip-world loved pointing out the wild pay gap between Marvel’s new kid and its founding father. Reports on Tom Holland’s salary put his Homecoming base at around $500,000, a big jump from his earlier MCU work but tiny next to the $10 million figure repeatedly cited for Robert Downey Jr.’s brief appearance as Tony Stark . The math: Iron Man was basically being paid like a luxury cameo.
Fandom Frenzy: Theories That Took On a Life of Their Own
- The Aaron Davis/Miles Morales deleted scene didn’t just excite a few nerds—it spawned full-blown fan theories and think pieces about when Miles would finally take up the mask in the MCU [4].
- Combined with Donald Glover’s long fan-campaign history (remember when people wanted him as Spider-Man?), his small role in Homecoming became a big symbolic win and a constant rumor engine for future movies.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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