Passing the torch is never easy, especially when that torch comes with a red and blue suit and decades of fan expectations attached. Tom Holland has spent nearly a decade swinging through New York as Peter Parker, and now he’s started talking openly about what happens after he eventually hangs up the web shooters. In a new sit down with Esquire, the actor revealed he wants to do for the next Spider-Man what Robert Downey Jr. once did for him, and he even has a name in mind. Here’s everything Holland actually said, broken down clearly.
Tom Holland On New Spider-Man 2026 Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Who said it | Tom Holland, 30 |
| Where | Esquire interview |
| Mentorship inspiration | Robert Downey Jr. |
| Suggested successor | Owen Cooper, 16 |
| Cooper’s breakout role | Jamie Miller in Netflix’s Adolescence |
| Holland’s next film | Spider-Man: Brand New Day, July 31, 2026 |
Tom Holland Wants to Mentor His Spider-Man Successor
Holland made it clear that staying involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe matters to him, even after he eventually steps back from playing Peter Parker. He told Esquire that getting an official producer credit on future films is “pretty tough,” so instead he’s focused on offering guidance the same way Robert Downey Jr. guided him when he joined the MCU.
“In the way that Robert Downey was such a mentor for me in my first three movies, I would love to be that person for whoever is next,” Holland explained. That mentorship goes back to Captain America: Civil War, where Downey Jr.’s Iron Man took young Peter Parker under his wing on screen. Apparently, that same dynamic carried over behind the scenes too.
This isn’t the first time Holland has floated this idea either. Speaking to Empire earlier this year, he said he’d be happy handing the role to “a Miles Morales or a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman,” adding that he’d feel completely at peace “swinging off into the sunset” if he could replicate what Downey Jr. did for him.
Why Tom Holland Picked Owen Cooper
When Esquire pushed further on who specifically he had in mind, Holland didn’t hesitate. He named Owen Cooper, the breakout star of Adolescence, as someone who’d make a fantastic Spider-Man.
“Owen Cooper would be awesome,” Holland said. “Obviously, he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now.”
Interestingly, this isn’t a one-sided suggestion. Cooper himself told i-D Magazine back in March 2025 that he wanted to play Spider-Man, long before Holland’s comments ever surfaced. So the interest genuinely goes both ways.
Who Is Owen Cooper, and Why Is He “the Talk of the Town”?
For fans who haven’t caught Adolescence yet, Cooper’s resume explains exactly why Holland namedropped him. At just 14 years old during filming, Cooper played Jamie Miller, a teenager accused of murdering a female classmate, in Netflix’s gripping limited series shot entirely in continuous single takes. The show drew inspiration from the real knife violence crisis in the United Kingdom, where the Office for National Statistics has reported knife attacks nearly doubling over the past decade.
That performance turned Cooper into an awards magnet almost overnight. Here’s a quick look at his haul:
- Youngest-ever male Emmy winner in any acting category (2025)
- Best Supporting Actor on Television, Golden Globe Awards (2026)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series, Primetime Emmy Awards
- Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Critics Choice Awards (2026)
- Youngest-ever Actor Awards winner
Beyond Adolescence, Cooper has continued building momentum. He played young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights and appeared in the BBC series Film Club. He’s also set to star in the 2027 adaptation of Anne Rice’s Cry to Heaven alongside Nicholas Hoult, Adele, Colin Firth, and Lux Pascal. Given that trajectory, it makes sense fans are already buzzing about him as Marvel’s next big casting move.
What This Means for Spider-Man: Brand New Day
None of this changes Holland’s immediate plans. He’s still the MCU’s Peter Parker, and his fourth solo outing, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, swings into theaters on July 31, 2026. For context, that puts Holland one film ahead of Tobey Maguire’s original trilogy and two ahead of Andrew Garfield’s two-film run.
Marvel boss Kevin Feige has described Brand New Day as the first MCU Spider-Man film to fully lean into the character’s classic roots. According to Feige, the story finds Peter “living in a rather sad, small apartment, listening to the police scanner and going out and using his great power responsibly.” That tonal shift tracks with where the story left off after No Way Home, where the multiverse-altering ending wiped Peter Parker from everyone’s memory, including Zendaya’s MJ and his best friend Ned.
A Bonus Reveal: Holland Confirms His Marriage to Zendaya
While the mentorship comments grabbed headlines, Holland also used the Esquire interview to clear up months of speculation about his relationship status. When asked about fake AI-generated wedding photos that circulated online, supposedly showing a ceremony in Lake Como, Italy, Holland confirmed the rumors were true in a roundabout way. He joked that his grandmother got worried she hadn’t been invited to the real wedding, and when asked if any family members were fooled by the AI photos, he simply said no, “because they were all there.”
The Bottom Line
Tom Holland isn’t going anywhere just yet, with Brand New Day still on the horizon and more MCU appearances likely ahead. However, he’s clearly already thinking about legacy, mentorship, and who might eventually carry the Spider-Man mantle forward. Whether Owen Cooper actually ends up in the suit remains pure speculation for now, but given Holland’s public endorsement and Cooper’s own stated interest, it’s a pairing fans will be watching closely.
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