Marvel and Sony considered several actors to play Spider-Man in the MCU, starting with a cameo appearance in Captain America: Civil War and later a full-fledged debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tom Holland was their final pick and the Chaos Walking actor completely justified this selection through his dedicated performance in the films. One behind-the-scenes footage from his first Spider-Man film is enough to show why Holland is the best fit for the character.
Holland and Asa Butterfield were the front-runners, both undergoing screen tests against Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man to gauge their on-screen chemistry. Holland finally landed the role and signed for six MCU films initially.
Tom Holland was confirmed for the role of Spider-Man in the MCU in June 2015. Holland went through a rigorous screening process for the role and both Sony and Marvel ensured they selected the right actor for the role. It appears that they did the job perfectly, as Holland received a celebratory welcome from hardcore Marvel and Spider-Man fans.
Moreover, his teenage Peter Parker, inspired by John Hughes’ movies, quickly resonated with family audiences. Holland was also committed to the role and underwent immense physical training. One behind-the-scenes footage from Spider-Man: Homecoming showed that the actor’s dedication extended beyond his physique and fighting skills. This video, taking place in a recording studio, captured the Uncharted actor passionately dubbing for his character.
The corresponding scene in the film was that of the fight between the web-slinger and the villain Shocker. In one sequence, Shocker delivers a punch to the superhero, which sends him flying through the inside of a bus. Holland provided the perfect dubbing for this scene, with a little help from his director Jon Watts, who shook the actor for a more realistic effect. Additionally, Holland covered his face with a piece of cloth to provide the muffling voice effect of wearing a mask.
The video was shared to both X and Reddit, where fans showered the actor with praises. One fan on X shared that they had never seen such a recording before and went on to call it “pretty dope.” Another fan on Reddit thought that it was really cool that they provided the masked effect for the scene. One fan jokingly inquired where they could apply as a professional ‘Tom Holland’ shaker.
Tom Holland did his best to prepare for the role by observing Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield‘s previous films. However, nothing could prepare him for the challenging suit. Holland took anywhere between 25 minutes to 45 minutes to wear his suit, depending on whether he had to wear a stunt harness beneath the suit.
The fully covered superhero suit didn’t have a mouth opening, which made it difficult to intake food. He had to drink water through a tube inserted through the costume’s eye socket hole, as seen in this BTS video (via Entertainment). For bathroom breaks, Holland had to disrobe entirely and he revealed that he only wore a thong under the suit.
Holland had this vicious problem while wearing the suit because when he drank more water to keep himself hydrated inside the hot suit, the more he had to use the restroom. Spider-Man: Homecoming and other films in the trilogy are now available for streaming on Disney+.