The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that this year's Academy Awards will have a host. The 94th edition of the Oscars is set to air on ABC on March 27, and will be the first show since 2018 to actually have someone presenting thanks to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the trade, Spider-Man: No Way Home star Tom Holland, who recently expressed interest in hosting the Oscars, has been contacted by the academy to explore the possibility of him taking the job.
How did that come to be? Well, last month, the actor was asked if he'd be interested given his background in singing and dancing. Initially, Holland said he's "just too busy right now" and is committed to promoting Uncharted and shooting his role in Apple TV+'s The Crowded Room. However, moments later, the MCU veteran backpedalled and said, "You asking me about the Oscars - you’re the first person to bring that up - and I’m sitting here going, ‘Of course, I would host the [frick]ing Oscars!'"
"I just went to the bathroom and I was looking at myself in the mirror and I was like, ‘What kind of [frick]ing idiot wouldn’t host the Oscars?’ So yeah, if they ask me to, I would, and it would be very fun. I would really enjoy it." As for whether Spider-Man: No Way Home co-star and girlfriend Zendaya could join him, Holland added: "I could run it by her. But as for her answer, I’m not too sure."
Sony Pictures is pushing hard for the latest Spider-Man movie to receive a "Best Picture" nomination at the Oscars, so it would certainly be appropriate for Holland to be on hand as host. Chances are the studio will also look to secure the British actor a "Best Actor" nod, and with No Way Home credited for saving the box office (while earning heaps of critical acclaim), it could be his and Marvel's year.
Would you like to see Tom Holland hosting this year's Academy Awards?