The Marvel Cinematic Universe consistently treats fans to new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie hitting theaters is Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will be Tom Holland's fourth solo movie as Peter Parker. And the 29-year-old actor said he wants to emulate Robert Downey Jr. for whatever actor becomes a wall crawler in future projects.
Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen Tom Holland become a megastar as a result of his tenure as Peter Parker. But it all started when he was cast in Captain America: Civil War, with many of his early scenes shared with Oscar-winner RDJ. In an interview with Empire about Brand New Day, Holland shared his hopes for the franchise's future, offering:
For whoever’s next, whether that is a Miles Morales or a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman or something like that, I would love to be a part of setting up the next chapter. Whatever that looks like, I don’t know. But if I could do what Downey did for me, then I would be so content swinging off into the sunset.
I mean, how sweet is that? While it's unclear if/when Spider-Gwen or Miles Morales will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Holland wants to take a page out of Downey's book and help to welcome and mentor them. We'll just have to wait and see whether or not this happens, and how long the Uncharted actor ends up playing Peter Parker in the shared universe.
As aww-inducing as Holland's comments are, they also might concern Marvel fans. Is he approaching his exit from the shared universe, and therefore thinking about passing the baton to another actor? It's unclear, but suddenly the stakes for the next Spider-Man movie feel even higher.
Tom Holland's mentee relationship with Robert Downey Jr. in many ways echoed Peter Parker's connection with Tony Stark within the MCU. This may be why their chemistry was so electric, and why Iron Man's death scene hit so hard during Avengers: Endgame.
Shortly after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hit theaters (and won an Academy Award) fans have been begging to see both Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen go to live-action in the MCU. Unfortunately, there's been no indication that the studio is making this a priority. But who knows? We're still waiting to hear who Sadie Sink is playing in Brand New Day.
All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. With the movie just a few months away, hopefully we get more footage and information about that blockbuster soon.