Tom Holland Has Already Picked the Young Star He Wants to Take Over as Spider-Man
There are very few moments in entertainment that feel as genuinely full-circle as one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes personally blessing the next-generation talent fans have been clamoring to see wear his suit. That kind of passing of the torch, even if informal, carries real weight in a franchise as massive and emotionally connected as the ‘Spider-Man’ series. And right now, one teenage British actor has the full attention of the current web-slinger himself.
That actor is Owen Cooper, whose name has become impossible to avoid throughout 2025. Cooper delivered a breakout performance as Jamie Miller in Netflix’s crime drama ‘Adolescence’, a role demanding emotional depth, vulnerability, and considerable complexity, one he brought to screen at just 14 years old. The series became the second most-watched English-language series in Netflix history, accumulating 142.6 million overall views. The accolades followed swiftly, with Cooper winning the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series, making him the youngest male actor in Emmy history to take home that award.
It is in that context that Tom Holland’s recent endorsement of Cooper as his ideal ‘Spider-Man’ successor lands with such force. “Owen Cooper would be awesome. Obviously he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now,” Holland said, making clear that the ‘Adolescence’ star is firmly on his radar. Given that Holland is currently deep in production on ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘, slated for release on July 31, 2026, with Zendaya returning and Destin Daniel Cretton directing, this is no farewell speech. It is, however, a meaningful nod toward who might eventually carry the mantle.
The connection between the two runs deeper than any recent soundbite might suggest. Cooper has said publicly that it was Holland’s performance in ‘The Impossible’ that made him want to pursue acting, describing Holland as the first actor he ever truly noticed, and reportedly watching that film over 30 times. Holland has also personally reached out to congratulate Cooper on ‘Adolescence’, a detail Cooper recalled with evident warmth, making the admiration genuinely mutual.
Cooper himself has been candid about his Spider-Man ambitions while keeping expectations grounded. Speaking to Variety, he said he would like to play the role but not for a good long time, somewhere in the range of ten to fifteen years, and only once Tom Holland steps away from the part. That kind of self-aware humor, paired with Emmy-winning dramatic firepower, is precisely the combination that made Holland such an enduring Peter Parker.
Beyond the Marvel conversation, Cooper’s trajectory already looks extraordinary. He is set to appear in director Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ adaptation as the young Heathcliff, joining Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. He also claimed a Golden Globe, setting a record as the youngest actor to win the award. The industry has taken notice at every level, with Leonardo DiCaprio among those calling Cooper a massive talent after watching ‘Adolescence’.
Whether Marvel has any actual conversations happening behind closed doors remains unknown, but hearing the current Spider-Man voluntarily put a name forward suggests Cooper’s star power has already transcended any single genre. With ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ still to come and Cooper’s career ascending at a remarkable pace, the question of what a future handoff might look like feels far less hypothetical than it did even a year ago.
Do you think Owen Cooper has the range and the presence to one day pick up where Holland leaves off, or should Marvel cast its net elsewhere when the time comes?
