Why Did Tom Holland Almost Fumble the Role of Spider-Man?

Many people still think of Tom Holland as the "new" Spider-Man, but the truth is, it's been over seven years since the actor first put on the iconic costume! Since then, millions of people have fallen in love with Holland's Spidey, and it's impossible to imagine Avengers without him. Tom Holland brought in the much-needed young energy to the already-familiar mix.

However, back in the day, Holland almost fumbled his breakthrough role — and it wasn't even his fault! Not entirely, at least.

When the Russo brothers decided to add Spider-Man to their 2016's Captain America: Civil War, they were adamant that their Peter Parker had to be an actual teenager. But to this day, it's Sony Pictures that has the rights to Spider-Man movie adaptations, and the studio's executives were not exactly thrilled with the directors' idea.

"They were like, 'Let's think about it for a minute.' We could tell we were meeting resistance from Sony. They were reticent, nervous about handing off something that could ultimately cost them hundreds of millions of dollars if not billions of dollars down the line," Joe Russo told GQ.

His brother confirmed that for Sony, Tom Holland's age was the main concern. Despite the resistance from the studio, the Russo brothers kept pushing their visions and bringing the young actor back over and over to showcase his talents. Considering how much Robert Downey Jr. liked his potential protege, too, Sony eventually surrendered at the combined pressure of them all.

The fantastic screen test with Downey Jr. and Holland was the last effort that finally convinced the executives and Tom Holland bagged the role that now made him famous. Seven years later, the actor is still playing Spider-Man — fact that wouldn't have been possible without the Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr. All because the young actor was too young for Sony!

Source: GQ