Tom Holland wants to be the Robert Downey Jr. of the next Spider-Man era — and he’s making clear that Miles Morales is the character he’s building toward.
Speaking to Hobby Consolas ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s July 31 release, Holland said he is actively working to bring Miles Morales into the MCU. “I know that I have aspirations to bring Miles Morales into the universe, however that works out,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to bring that to life. But yeah, I feel really strongly about it.”
Holland drew an explicit parallel to the mentorship he received from Downey Jr., saying he hoped to return that favor to the next generation. “I feel incredibly grateful for the way I was introduced into this world and that I was shepherded by [Robert Downey Jr.]. I would love to kind of return that favor to the next generation of people that get the luxury of making these movies. So that is definitely something that I’m really working towards.”
The remarks echo comments Holland made to Empire magazine in May, where he expressed a desire to help set up “whoever’s next, whether that is a Miles Morales or a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman.” His language has grown more specific with each interview, moving from openness to aspiration to active pursuit.
Miles Morales already has a foothold in MCU continuity through Donald Glover’s appearance in Homecoming as Aaron Davis, whose nephew “Miles” was referenced by name. A live-action superpowered version has yet to appear.
The timing of Holland’s comments places them against the backdrop of a film already generating staggering pre-release numbers. The first trailer for Brand New Day became the first film trailer to surpass one billion views in just four days, while the second trailer earned 590.8 million views in its first week — the second-biggest trailer of all time. First-day advance ticket sales were the biggest for any movie in the last five years, since Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, follows a Peter Parker erased from public memory by Doctor Strange’s spell, now fighting street-level crime anonymously while undergoing a mysterious physical evolution that appears to give him organic webbing. Sadie Sink holds third billing behind Holland and Zendaya, yet her character remains entirely hidden from marketing — fueling widespread speculation she could be playing Jean Grey, which would mark the MCU’s first formal introduction of a core X-Men character.
