Tom Holland Reveals How Long He Plans to Play Spider-Man and Why Sony Delayed the “Brand New Day” Shoot
Tom Holland discussed several major topics in a new GQ interview while promoting Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey, which is set for release on July 17, 2026. Holland appears on one of three separate GQ covers alongside his co-stars Robert Pattinson and Matt Damon, all of whom star in the film. In the interview, Holland revealed that Spider-Man 4 and The Odyssey were originally scheduled to shoot at the same time, creating a major conflict that could have prevented him from doing both projects.
Holland said he told Nolan he wanted to make The Odyssey, but would need to have a difficult conversation with Sony Pictures. He then spoke with Sony chairman Tom Rothman, and the studio ultimately agreed to move the Spider-Man filming schedule. Holland suggested one reason Sony was comfortable making the change was Nolan’s reputation for staying on schedule. GQ noted that The Odyssey began filming on the exact day Nolan planned and wrapped nine days early.
The extra time created by the schedule change also gave Spider-Man 4 room to bring in director Destin Daniel Cretton. Holland said the delay allowed the production to develop the script with Cretton for six months, which he believes helped them make the strongest version of a Spider-Man film yet. He added that the experience may have benefited Sony in hindsight, even if it was difficult at first.
Holland also reflected on his rapid rise to fame and his early years in Hollywood. He acknowledged that he was drinking heavily during that period and said he was in the middle of the Spider-Man era, which he described as the time of his life. He said he was in love, proud of his films, and building a career that excited him. Now sober, Holland said he feels he has had a chance to reset and close the chapter on being a child actor in Hollywood.
He also spoke about taking a long break from the spotlight, saying he needed time off because he had overworked himself and wanted to grow up personally. Holland explained that he wanted to make sure he remained passionate about acting and said the moment work feels like a chore is a sign something is wrong. He admitted he may not have doubted his love for acting, but he felt he was not always doing his best work because he was simply going through the motions.
When asked how long he plans to continue playing Spider-Man, Holland said he would be happy to pass the role on someday, but he has not reached that point yet. He said playing Spider-Man has been the joy of his life and that he will continue for as long as the studio wants him to. Holland also briefly mentioned Zendaya, his longtime partner, who appears in The Odyssey. He said he visited her on her first day of filming because he wanted to be there, though he confirmed they do not share any scenes in the movie.
