Tom Holland has said “no-one calms me down better” than his partner, Hollywood star Zendaya, as the couple attended the London premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in Leicester Square on Wednesday.
The couple met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, with Holland playing Peter Parker/Spider-Man opposite Zendaya’s MJ. Over the past decade, fans have seen the two characters fall in love on-screen, mirroring the actors’ off-screen relationship. Holland confirmed earlier this year that the pair are now married after months of speculation.
A Solemn New Chapter
The latest film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, follows Peter Parker four years after the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, where a spell made the world forget his real identity. His romance with MJ and friendship with Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) have been erased from civilians’ minds, leaving Peter to fight crime in secret.
Speaking at the premiere, Holland told the Press Association: “I think Zendaya always just brings me an unbelievable sense of calm, even in the midst of all of this craziness and travelling the world and making these movies and sometimes being really overwhelmed – that’s what happens when you’re a human being. No-one calms me down better than she does.”
Tackling Real-Life Issues
The film takes a more solemn tone, a decision Holland said was made to show Peter through a more vulnerable lens, tackling “real-life issues”. He said: “What makes Peter Parker so special is that he’s a human person, and I think that what people love about him is that they can relate to him, and they see themselves in him, and they aspire to be like him. So for us to tackle real-life issues like being young, feeling like you’re alone, being stuck in this digital age where everything happens, all of our connections happen on the phone, we wanted to find a way to personify that and bring it to the big screen.”
Holland wore a burgundy suit with a metal spider brooch on his tie. Zendaya wore a couture ivory Tamara Ralph gown with a sculpted bodice and mermaid tail draped in delicate crystal threads mimicking a spider’s web. A golden spider brooch sat at the base of her spine, mirroring a similar piece on Holland’s tie.
Star-Studded Cast
The film also stars Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, whose character is secret, as well as Mark Ruffalo reprising his role as Dr Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk. Peter meets characters from his past, including Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher, and Michael Mando’s Scorpion, while managing a new mysterious villain.
Holland first played Spider-Man in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. He became the youngest actor to play a title role in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Its sequels, Far From Home (2019) and No Way Home (2021), each grossed over one billion dollars worldwide, with the latter becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. Holland also appeared as Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out in UK cinemas from July 29.
