Promoting his new Vuori campaign, Spider-Man: Brand New Day star Tom Holland sat down with GQ and revealed a big update on how work is progressing on the upcoming Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures movie.
Talking to the site over Zoom from London, the actor confirmed that he's there for additional photography, which, while "really, really fun," isn't necessarily being done because the wall-crawler's MCU return isn't working in its current form.
Instead, it's meant to enhance what filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton has already shot. "I can positively say that the stuff we’re doing, we don’t need," Holland explained. "The movie works and sings as it is. We’re just adding the icing on the cake in certain areas."
"We’re finding some ways to add a little bit more humor," he continued. "We’re layering in a villain plotline in a new way and some really fun stuff."
This sounds like the norm for a Marvel Studios movie, and more humour—especially when it comes to the wall-crawler—is far from a bad thing.
As for the villain Holland is referring to, that could be anyone from The Scorpion to Sadie Sink's mystery character and the supposed secret big bad rumoured to be either Spider-Queen or The Jackal.
With Avengers: Secret Wars set to begin filming soon, it's possible Holland is also needed in London for that or Avengers: Doomsday's reshoots.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Holland, who hasn't had the best of luck outside the MCU, shared some insights into how he's now picking projects (you can hear more from him on The Odyssey here).
"I wouldn’t necessarily say that there’s a particular criteria. There’s so many different factors that go into the decision-making process of making a film. I’m very director-focused and eager to work with people that are going to challenge me and push me in ways that I haven’t been before. The script is obviously almost as equally important as whoever’s going to direct the film."
"So really, I spent a lot of time this year taking general meetings with writers to better understand the process, to better understand how much work goes into making these scripts. It’s very easy to read the first 30 pages and go, 'No, I’m not really into this.' And I find myself now more and more like, 'No, someone spent a year writing this. I can give them two hours of my time to finish this script.'"
"The studio is very important to me. I am a real advocate for theatrical and the cinema and the communal experience of sitting in a dark room and being entertained. And I think there are some studios that do a better job of that than others, and I’m really keen to build relationships with those guys so that as a community, we can keep the cinemas going. I think that that is something for the next 10 years of my life that I will be very focused on."
Despite missteps like Chaos Walking and Uncharted, the actor will likely star in two of 2026's biggest critical and commercial hits, thanks to Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
Following the next Spider-Man movie, Holland is expected to stick around for at least two more solo outings. However, having hinted at wanting to pass the baton to a young actor playing Miles Morales, his Marvel future beyond this latest trilogy could hinge on how well this new approach to his career goes.
Following the record-breaking success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins a brand new chapter for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult and living alone after erasing himself and the memories of him from those he loves.
In a New York that no longer knows his name, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to protecting his city as Spider-Man full-time. But as the demands on him grow, he is put under increasing pressure. This triggers an unexpected physical change that threatens his existence, while a strange wave of crime emerges - and gives rise to one of the most dangerous threats he has ever faced.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo.
The movie is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers. The film is produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad and Rachel O'Connor.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026.