Fresh off the release of a much-hyped Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, fans have been given a lengthy new interview with Tom Holland during which the actor gets remarkably candid about his relationship with co-star Zendaya and imagines a post-Spidey future.
In an interview with GQ as part of the publication’s Men of the Year rollout, the topic of tabloid pics from earlier this year showing the two kissing in a car was broached. As Holland explained, an unfortunate reality of his and Zendaya’s status in pop culture is the loss of privacy, particularly with regards to something they didn’t want to make public.
“One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore, and a moment that you think is between two people that love each other very much is now a moment that is shared with the entire world,” Holland said, later noting that he’s been “really adamant” about keeping his private life away from the public.
“We sort of felt robbed of our privacy,” he added.
Earlier in the interview, Holland praised Zendaya’s presence in his life, stating that having her in it “was so instrumental to my sanity.”
With Spidey-related promo commitments on the horizon, Holland suggested that he and Zendaya will have their own discussion about their relationship, with an emphasis placed on what they agree together to make public.
“It’s not a conversation that I can have without her. … This isn’t my story. It’s our story,” he said.
Zendaya is also quoted in the new GQ interview as criticizing the aforementioned speculative tabloid approach as “strange and weird and confusing and invasive.” Echoing Holland’s comments, the Euphoria star expressed a desire to keep certain things away from the clutches of the public’s prying eyes.
“The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own.… I think loving someone is a sacred thing and a special thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other,” she said.
Elsewhere, Holland—whose Spidey contract doesn’t currently extend beyond No Way Home—reflected on his future plans. The actor, now 25, didn’t mince words when sharing his opinion on how he would feel if he were to still be in the Spidey seat in his 30s.
“If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong,” Holland, who also noted “maybe it is time for me to move on,” said. The actor, most recently seen in the Russo brothers’ PTSD drama Cherry, suggested that perhaps “what’s best” for the larger franchise moving forward is a new film focused on Miles Morales. Back in 2018, of course, Morales was the focus of the animated Into the Spider-Verse film, which was met with widespread acclaim and eventually took home an Oscar.
Peep the full Holland chat here. And below, catch the new No Way Home trailer. The film, marking Holland’s fifth in the role of Spidey, opens Dec. 17.
