Spider-Man star Tom Holland has said that “no-one calms me down better” than his partner, Hollywood star Zendaya, as the couple attended the UK premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on July 29, 2026.
On-screen and off-screen romance
The couple first 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 characters fall in love on-screen, mirroring the couple's off-screen relationship. Holland confirmed earlier this year that the pair are now married after months of speculation.
Speaking through cheers 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.”
The new film: a more solemn tone
Spider-Man: Brand New Day follows Peter Parker four years after the events of 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which a spell made the world forget his real identity. This erased his romance with MJ and his friendship with Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) from civilians' minds, leaving Peter to fight crime in secret while his friends attend university.
Holland said the film takes a more solemn tone to show Peter through a more vulnerable lens, aiming to tackle “real-life issues”. He explained: “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.”
Cast and cameos
The upcoming film also stars Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, whose character remains secret, as well as Mark Ruffalo reprising his role as Dr Bruce Banner (the Incredible Hulk). Peter encounters familiar faces from his past, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), and Scorpion (Michael Mando), while facing a new mysterious villain.
Holland's Spider-Man journey
Holland first played Spider-Man in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. The following year, he became the youngest actor to play a title role in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Its sequels, Far From Home (2019) and No Way Home (2021), each grossed more than one billion dollars worldwide, with the latter becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. Holland also appeared as the character in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out in cinemas across the UK from July 29.
