The superhero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko has been around for a very long time now. Various movie adaptations have been made for the character as well. But Tom Holland’s portrayal of the very beloved superhero Spider-man could be said to be the most popular of them all. Appearing first in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Holland then appeared in two solo movies as well. A third solo movie is in the works but may see some delays in starting of production.
Tom Holland had some big shoes to fill, audiences having already seen two iterations with Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield on the big screen. Tom Holland has charmed fans and critics alike, and here are some Spider-man quirks only Holland was able to capture perfectly.
He Is Actually Young Enough To Play Spiderman
Spider-Man/Peter Parker is a High School student in the comics. The actors who came before him were in their late 20s when they played this High School character. But Tom was actually quite young when he played the character first. He brings a much needed youthful energy to the role.
Seeing Tom play a High Schooler seems believable because of how young he actually is and looks. Tom Holland was only 19 when he was cast in the role, and this really helped make Holland’s portrayal of the High School aged superhero very convincing.
He Has The Right Physique
Tom Holland had trained in gymnastics and dancing and was active in parkour running during his childhood. These proved to be invaluable when he was to play the role of Spider-Man. His athletic ability and smooth movements made all of his stunts look real, and most importantly look like what the young superhero would do.
This set Holland apart from the rest of the Spider-Man alum. His dancing and gymnastic abilities gave him the right physical skillset and physique to play the young hero which is Spider-man.
Youngsters Relate To Him
Tom Holland has almost the entirety of the young generation on his side. Just watching an interview of his, or following him on social media like Instagram, will show you how awkward, funny, flustered, and eager he is in real life as well.
Spider-man is the superhero that most young people relate to, and Tom Holland is the actor who plays the superhero, that most young people relate to. He knows the generation he belongs to very well and doesn’t talk like an old, experienced person.
He’s Very Likable
This is a very common comment made about Tom Holland. Spider-man is the neighborhood superhero, he is sweet and charming. Spider-Man has a certain likable quality about him that many of the older superheroes don’t. And Tom Holland, the actor, has this quality as well.
He is well-liked, he is charming and he closely resembles his superhero counterpart in this manner. Being likable is a very attractive quality and Tom Holland, the actor, blurs the lines making audiences find him as likable as they find Spider-man, the character.
He Talks Fast And Talks A Lot
One of the key features of Spider-Man is his quippy manner of talking. He has comebacks for everything and is constantly making jokes and comments in an awkward, funny yet flustered manner.
Tom Holland captures this aspect of Spider-Man perfectly. He talks fast, is constantly talking, and talks a lot. In Captain America: Civil War, there is even a comment that the Falcon makes saying “I don’t know if you’ve been in a fight before, but there’s usually not this much talking.” Holland closely resembles the superhero he plays in this manner.
He Seems Like A Nerdy Teenager
Neither Toby Maguire nor Andrew Garfield was able to capture the dorky nature of Spider-Man. Tom Holland excels at this. Tom Holland actually seems like a nerdy, dorky teenager.
From our introduction to the character, where he can’t help but say that he’s a “big fan” of Captain America, to him talking about Star Wars and other things, Holland’s portrayal perfectly captures the dorky nature of the character. He doesn’t seem too cool for school. He seems like a nerd who is very interested in movies and science.
He Is As Awkward And Funny As Spider-Man
The reason why Spider-Man is such a popular character is that he is incredibly funny and has quick retorts and quippy comments for everything. Tom Holland in real-life seems to embody these characteristics of Spider-Man. He fumbles, he discloses secrets and spoilers, he seems really awkward and he actually seems to be funny.
There are a certain lightness and humor that Tom Holland brings to the character that makes him and the character much more appealing to the audience. His appearances on talk shows will be evidence enough for this.
He Has A Certain Innocence About Him
The fact that Tom Holland started playing this character from when he was 19 allowed him to bring a certain innocence to the role. It makes the fact that Spider-Man is a High School student seem very real.
Spider-Man’s panicking when he realizes that there’s an instant kill mode in his suit that can be activated, in Spider-Man: Homecoming attests to this fact. Tom Holland uses this innocence that he has, in playing this young superhero and helps to add another dimension to the character.
A Teenage Romance That Seems Believable
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker struggles to ask Zendaya’s MJ out in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The chemistry and dynamics between them are adorable and age-appropriate. Tom Holland and Zendaya look like teenagers, and they act out a teenage romance that looks like it could actually be a part of any teenager’s life. The hesitation, the awkwardness, and the attempts that Holland makes to ask Zendaya out seem very real and believable.
It doesn’t have the intensity of the romance in the earlier iterations, which makes sense because Holland and Zendaya portray modern teenagers and therefore, a more modern version of teen romance.
He Seems Like One Of Us
Holland’s portrayal of the young superhero Spider-man gives everyone an opportunity to see themselves in him. Tom Holland’s Spider-man actually seems like the “friendly neighborhood” Spider-Man of the comics. Audiences and fans love Holland’s portrayal of Spiderman for this very reason.
He brings the character to life, bringing it very close to real life. Holland is able to ground his portrayal in the average teenage experience even in this superhero universe. And he is able to transform himself completely into the character.
