Tom Holland: from Billy Elliot's buddy to the latest Brit cast as a US superhero
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Version 0 of 1. The search for a new Spider-Man had prompted months of speculation, but the announcement this week that 19-year-old Tom Holland would be donning the spandex suit and following in the web tracks of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield still came as something of a surprise. Related: Has Marvel chosen the wrong Spider-Man for its cinematic universe? The teenager from Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, who beat Asa Butterfield and a reported 1,500 other actors to the role, is the latest British actor to be cast as an American superhero. Holland started out aged 12 in Billy Elliot the Musical after a choreographer spotted him performing with his Wimbledon-based dance school. He graduated to the title role after mere months of playing Billy’s friend Michael. He subsequently appeared alongside Naomi Watts in the tsunami drama The Impossible and in the BBC’s dramatisation of Wolf Hall. Despite bigger projects, however, he remains under the radar. He will next be seen in Ron Howard’s nautical adventure In the Heart of the Sea. The actor’s youth makes him a particularly interesting choice for the role. Maguire was 26 and Garfield 27 when they were cast as the city-saving high school kid. “He’s the first actual teenager to play Peter Parker,” said Anthony Breznican, a senior writer with Entertainment Weekly. “I think Spider-Man strikes a nerve because it’s a coming-of-age story. We all take those steps from childhood to adulthood … I hope he brings some of that subtext and angst and enthusiasm to the role in between all the battles and web-slinging.” Casting a teenager is just what the character needed, said David Hughes, author of The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made. “I guarantee you, seven- to 13- year-olds will be eager to see a Spider-Man who looks closer to their age than their geography teacher,” he said. Aside from Holland’s young start and social media stunts – his Instagram profile includes a series of videos that showcase his skills from football tricks to backflips – one of his major selling points might be something more simple – his nationality. He is the latest in a string of British actors picked to play US superheroes, from Christian Bale in the Dark Knight trilogy and Henry Cavill as Superman, to Charlie Cox as Netflix’s Daredevil and Garfield’s Spider-Man. Related: Stan Lee: Spider-Man should stay white and straight On-screen portrayals of superheroes have shifted over the past decade, with the cartoonish tone of the past – from TV’s campy 60s Batman through to Bryan Singer’s lightweight Superman Returns – gradually giving way to more substance. Christopher Nolan’s franchise-restarter Batman Begins gave a character that had fallen into parody a moody and weightier face-lift, then emulated in Man of Steel, while Marvel’s cinematic universe has prioritised storytelling and acting talent over special effects. The casting of British actors has helped to give superhero characters more legitimacy, at least superficially, as studios take the genre more seriously thanks to its growing financial importance. This summer’s Avengers sequel has already made $1.3bn worldwide. “British actors used to get cast because they were cheaper,” Hughes said. “But it really comes down to three things: theatre, theatre, theatre.” At one point it might have been the fees, but it is increasingly British actors’ talents that are making them so attractive, agrees Andreas Wiseman, chief reporter at Screen International. “There’s no doubt that the US appreciates UK acting muscle, often developed in the rigorous theatre arena, and that UK actors have grown up accustomed to US shows so don’t always struggle with the accent,” he said. Holland’s stage background gives him an edge, and it is one that has helped fellow comic book Brits Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy, Hayley Atwell and Garfield bring something different to the table. IA more deep-rooted explanation is also possible, that Britain’s long tradition in, and commitment to the arts produces great acting talent. “We have great actors in the US, but in our schools, public or private, the first thing to get cut when budgets get tight is usually the drama programme,” said Breznican. “In the UK, theatre and performing have deeper roots in the cultural heritage, dating back centuries. That may be what generates such a deep bench of acting talent.” It is another fast turnaround for a character who was last on-screen in 2014’s rebooted sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Marvel’s ever-expanding cinematic universe, most recently seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, has yet to be integrated with Spider-Man, arguably their most globally recognised superhero. Issues with Sony, who hold the rights to the character, have been smoothed out and Peter Parker will debut in next year’s Captain America: Civil War. The casting process involved Holland screen-testing alongside Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans, who will both star in the upcoming sequel. There is bound to be some franchise fatigue with critics and audiences, Wiseman said, but the franchise is among the top 10 highest-grossing for a reason. “Enough people keep coming back for more, and studios will go with the money. New markets such as China are also enticing in the decision to pump these films out,” he said. |