Tom Holland has shared his thoughts on the future of the Spider-Man franchise, specifically naming Owen Cooper as a potential successor to play Peter Parker. While Holland is currently preparing for the next installment in the series, he is already looking ahead to a time when he will no longer be the face of the character.
Holland expressed his enthusiasm for Cooper during a recent interview with Esquire UK. He clearly believes the actor has the chops to handle the iconic role. “Owen Cooper would be awesome,” Holland told Esquire UK. “Obviously, he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now.” Cooper has certainly built up a massive amount of momentum lately, especially after his acclaimed performance in the Netflix miniseries Adolescence.
That particular project was a huge success for him, leading to awards at the BAFTA TV Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Primetime Emmys. Seeing him step into such a high-profile superhero role would be an interesting shift for the franchise.
Holland is clearly thinking about his legacy and how he can support whoever eventually takes over the mantle
He has frequently spoken about the impact Robert Downey Jr. had on his own career as a mentor during his early days in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland hopes to replicate that dynamic for the next generation of actors. “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,” he noted. He also mentioned that he would love to be involved in the development process for future films, although he admitted it is pretty tough to get a producing credit on future movies.
This isn’t the first time Holland has discussed his future with the series. He recently shared that he would be happy to help set up the next chapter, whether that involves a new Peter Parker or other characters like Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, or Spider-Woman. “Whatever that looks like, I don’t know. But if I could do what Downey did for me, then I would be so content swinging off into the sunset,” he said.
Holland first joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016 with his appearance in Captain America: Civil War. Following that, he starred in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, which featured Robert Downey Jr. returning as Iron Man. Over the years, Holland has appeared in several major hits, including Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, Avengers: Endgame in 2019, and Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. He also made appearances in Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021 and Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021.
Fans are currently waiting for the next big milestone, which is the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the film will see Holland reprising his role as Peter Parker alongside Zendaya as MJ. The cast is also set to include Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, and Liza Colón-Zayas.
It is a star-studded lineup for what is sure to be another massive entry in the series, but it is refreshing to see that Holland is already focused on how he can pay it forward when the time comes to pass the torch.
Published: Jun 17, 2026 08:00 pm