Tom Holland Reveals Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Delayed ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) peers through the web in Columbia Pictures SPIDER-MAN™: BRAND NEW DAY. | photo by: Jay Maidment , Photo: Universal Studios, Spider-Man in Columbia Pictures SPIDER-MAN™: BRAND NEW DAY. photo by: Matthew Towers
The Marvel star says a difficult phone call to Sony ultimately helped both films, giving Christopher Nolan’s epic first priority and improving the development of the next Spider-Man movie.
Tom Holland is about to have one of the biggest summers of his career, but according to the actor, it almost didn’t happen this way.
The star of Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey has revealed that the two massive productions were originally on a collision course. Rather than choosing between them, Holland made what he described as an uncomfortable call to Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman and asked the studio to delay production on Marvel’s next Spider-Man film so he could shoot Nolan’s movie first.
The decision may have seemed risky at the time, but Holland now believes it ultimately benefited everyone involved.
Speaking in a new interview with GQ alongside The Odyssey co-stars Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson, Holland explained that when Nolan approached him about joining the filmmaker’s adaptation of Homer’s legendary epic, he immediately knew scheduling would become a problem.
“I said to Chris, like, ‘Look, I want to do this movie, but if I’m going to do it, I’m going to have to call Sony and have a very uncomfortable conversation,’” Holland recalled.
Fortunately for the actor, Sony agreed.
According to Holland, Nolan’s reputation as one of Hollywood’s most efficient filmmakers played a major role in convincing the studio. Unlike many modern blockbusters that routinely extend production schedules, Nolan’s films are known for staying remarkably close to schedule and budget.
“I think one of the reasons why Sony were happy to move is because Chris has that reputation of ‘This movie isn’t going to go five months over, and we aren’t actually going to lose Tom for two years,’” Holland explained. “Any other director, it might have been a slightly different conversation.”
The gamble paid off.
Not only did The Odyssey finish production nine days ahead of schedule, but the delay also created unexpected opportunities for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Most notably, it gave director Destin Daniel Cretton additional time to come aboard the project and work with the creative team on developing the script.
For Holland, that extra development period may prove just as important as the scheduling solution itself.
“The Odyssey almost saved Spider-Man because we wouldn’t have had Destin,” Holland said. “He wouldn’t have been ready to make the movie when we were ready to go. We wouldn’t have had the six-month period to develop the script with Destin to get it to a place where it is now.”
That confidence extends beyond simple optimism. Holland went so far as to make one of the boldest statements yet about the future of the franchise, suggesting the additional time helped create what he believes is the strongest Spider-Man film of his tenure.
“I truly believe that we’ve made the best version of any Spider-Man movie going,” he said. “So while it was a tough pill to swallow for Sony, I think in
hindsight, they’re very grateful that it happened.”
It’s a noteworthy statement considering Holland’s Spider-Man films have collectively grossed billions worldwide, culminating in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which became one of the highest-grossing superhero films in history and a defining moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Spider-Man and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) in Columbia Pictures SPIDER-MAN™: BRAND NEW DAY. photo by: Jay Maidment
Brand New Day arrives carrying enormous expectations. The film follows the events of No Way Home, which concluded with Peter Parker sacrificing his identity and relationships as Doctor Strange erased all memory of him from the world. The reset gives Marvel and Sony an opportunity to tell a very different kind of Spider-Man story, one that places Peter back at square one despite everything he has experienced.
The project also reunites Holland with Zendaya, while introducing Jon Bernthal into the Spider-Man universe. Behind the camera, Cretton’s hiring signaled a fresh creative direction after successfully launching Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
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Meanwhile, The Odyssey represents another ambitious swing from Nolan following the Oscar-winning success of Oppenheimer. The film adapts one of the most influential stories ever written, following Odysseus’ perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Matt Damon leads the ensemble as Odysseus, while Holland plays Telemachus, the hero’s son.
The production has become one of the most closely watched films in development, not only because of Nolan’s involvement but because of the extraordinary cast assembled around him. Even Robert Pattinson admitted during the GQ interview that accepting a Nolan film requires a unique level of trust.
Pattinson joked that he wanted to read the script before committing to the project, only to discover he may have been one of the few actors to ask.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, can’t wait to read it,’” Pattinson recalled.
Nolan’s response?
“‘You want to read it? Everyone else just said yes.’”
Given Nolan’s track record, it’s easy to understand why.
Now, with The Odyssey arriving on July 17 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day following just two weeks later on July 31, Holland finds himself at the center of what could become one of the most impressive back-to-back blockbuster runs of any actor this decade.
And if he’s right about both films, that uncomfortable phone call may end up being one of the smartest career decisions he’s ever made.
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