Tom Holland Opens Up About Regret For How He Handled Replacing Andrew Garfield As Spider-Man

Tom Holland has opened up about one of his biggest regrets in his career--and it all stems from the biggest role he's played so far.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Holland spoke about his controversial replacement of fellow British actor Andrew Garfield in the titular role in Sony's Spider-Man franchise back in 2015.

Sony's Spider-Man Universe is a media franchise and since 2015 a shared universe of films produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment. Marvel sold the rights to Spider-Man to Sony in 1999 before the MCU became box-office gold.

Holland told The Hollywood Reporter he was so excited about landing a major gig at just 19 he didn't consider how Garfield might be feeling in the midst of the switchover.

Garfield, who joined the Spider-Man franchise in 2012, is believed to have been pushed out of subsequent sequels after The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Garfield was openly critical of the films he appeared in, saying that he felt Sony and producers had excised several "deep scenes" from the second that he felt were important to the film.Neither of Garfield's films were critical successes and they did not live up to expectations at the box office.

The subsequent 2015 Sony hack revealed emails in which Sony staffers discussed being angry with Garfield over his comments and especially his refusal to attend a gala event in Rio de Janeiro at which the third and final Garfield-starring installment of the franchise was to be announced. Shortly thereafter it was announced that Garfield was out and would be replaced by Holland.

Holland told THR he now feels his handling of his casting was insensitive to Garfield because of his "naievete as a kid."

"I was 19 when I got cast. I was so caught up in getting the role that I never took any time to think about what it must have been like for [Garfield]."

"If I’d made my second movie, and it didn’t necessarily deliver in the way it should have done, and they recast me, I would really struggle to bounce back."

He went on to praise his colleague's handling of the controversy and expressed what he wishes he'd done differently.

"Andrew bounced back in the most unbelievable way. I just wish I’d called him and just said, 'You know I can’t turn down this opportunity.'"

There doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two, however.

Holland revealed he, Garfield and O.G. Spider-Man Tobey Maguire—who appeared together in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home—have a group chat they've named The Spider-Boys.

On Twitter, fans were moved by Holland's heartfelt words about his respect for Garfield.

They also loved that the three iconic Spider-Men are buddy-buddy now.

Holland also announced in his THR interview he is taking a year off from acting.

Butndon't worry, Holland is slated to appear in a fourth Spider-Man film, which does not yet have a release date.