Tom Holland Hasn’t Been To The AVENGERS Set, But He’s Thought About What Robert Downey Jr.’s Return Means for Spider-Man
Marvel fans are still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is coming back to the MCU, this time as Doctor Doom. One person who’s just as curious as the rest of us is Tom Holland, who recently opened up about learning the news and what it could mean for Peter Parker moving forward.
While promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Holland revealed that he actually heard about Downey’s MCU return directly from the man himself.
"He just called me and I caught up with him a couple of days ago on the phone and we'll just have casual catch-ups every now and then," Holland said to Cinemania.es. "He checks in and he just told me and it's really exciting."
That personal connection makes the whole situation even more interesting. After all, Tony Stark and Peter Parker shared one of the MCU’s most memorable mentor-student relationships.
Seeing Downey return in an entirely different role opens the door to some fascinating possibilities, especially if Peter eventually comes face-to-face with a version of the actor who once played the person he admired most.
At the moment, though, Holland doesn’t seem to know much more than the fans do. The actor admitted that the directors of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, are keeping details under lock and key.
"I don't know a lot about those movies, by design," he added. "I have a reputation for spoiling certain things and I think the studios are keeping me from the juicy details but when I do get to grace that set, I'm so curious, 'What does that mean for Peter and how does that work?' I'm very excited about whatever it is."
That probably isn’t surprising. Holland has earned a legendary reputation for accidentally revealing Marvel secrets over the years, so it makes sense that the studio is being extra careful.
What’s particularly interesting is Holland’s comment about eventually getting to "grace that set." The actor was busy filming The Odyssey while production on Avengers: Doomsday was underway, and Marvel hasn’t officially confirmed whether Spider-Man will appear in that film.
Still, most fans expect Peter Parker to become a major player in Avengers: Secret Wars, which is shaping up to be Marvel Studios’ biggest multiverse event yet.
The potential dynamic between Spider-Man and Doctor Doom is one of the most intriguing aspects of Downey’s return. Peter’s journey in the MCU has been deeply connected to Tony Stark, from receiving his first advanced suit to carrying on Stark’s legacy after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Now imagine Peter encountering a villain who looks exactly like the mentor he lost.
Marvel hasn’t revealed how Doctor Doom’s introduction will work or whether the character will have any connection to Tony Stark. That mystery is fueling plenty of fan theories, and it’s clearly something Holland is eager to explore as well.
For now, he’s waiting just like everyone else, excited to see where Marvel takes Peter Parker next and how Downey’s unexpected return reshapes the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday is currently set to hit theaters on December 18, and until Marvel starts pulling back the curtain, fans can expect the speculation to keep rolling.