Tom Holland seems like the perfect choice to portray Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the actor had to beat out a long list of other notable names. Following Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man series, Sony and Marvel Studios began planning a new trilogy set in the MCU. Spider-Man's MCU debut came in 2016's Captain America: Civil War before getting his first solo film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, the following year.

Rather than re-tell Spider-Man's full origin story for the umpteenth time, the MCU elected to jump right into the action. Peter already had acquired spider-like powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider by the time he first met Tony Stark in Civil War. The teenager was then recruited by Iron Man to fight for his side. In Homecoming, Peter's responsibilities as Spider-Man started to get in the way of his attempt to keep up with his seemingly normal life. Tony continued serving as a mentor when Peter was thrust into the conflict with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. The young superhero was then forced to face his newfound role in a world without his role model following Tony's death in Avengers: Endgame.

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When Marvel and Sony were looking to develop a new series of Spider-Man films, they wanted to focus on a titular character younger than Andrew Garfield's portrayal. There was an emphasis on making the character a 15 or 16-year-old who was dealing with the struggles of being a teen in addition to his identity as Spider-Man. But before director Jon Watts could fully develop the first solo film, he had to tie-in Peter's involvement in Civil War. This made the casting process even more crucial. In early 2015, names like Dylan O'Brien and Logan Lerman started to circulate. It was then revealed that Nat Wolff, Timothée Chalamet, and Liam James were being considered. A handful of other names, however, became the final round of considerations.

Marvel Studios Narrowed It Down To 6 Actors In Consideration For Spider-Man

By mid-2015, a group of six young actors out of the 1,500 who auditioned made it to the screen test process. Those actors were Asa Butterfield, Judah Lewis, Matthew Lintz, Charlie Plummer, Charlie Rowe, and of course, Tom Holland. The group screen-tested with Robert Downey Jr. since Peter heavily interacted with Iron Man in Civil War. Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige, as well as the creative teams behind Civil War and Homecoming, realized that Butterfield and Holland had emerged as the frontrunners. Holland then tested with Chris Evans and became the favorite before acquiring the gig.

Feige and others were already impressed with Holland's past performances like The Impossible and In the Heart of the Sea. The young actor's background in dance and gymnastics was what truly set him apart from the other sho auditioned. The decision worked out for all involved since Holland's portrayal as Peter has been praised by fans and critics alike. Holland reprised his role for a second solo movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home, in 2019. He's set to make another MCU appearance in an untitled Spider-Man sequel set to release in late 2021.

Next: Every Character Who Knew Spider-Man's Identity Before Far From Home's Twist

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