Tom Holland Just Weighed In on Whether Spider-Man Could Ever Take Down Superman
Tom Holland has spent the better part of a decade defending Spider-Man’s honor against every rival hero thrown his way. Between press tours, red carpets, and constant fan debates online, the actor has become something of a go-to voice whenever the conversation turns to superhero showdowns. His fourth solo outing as Peter Parker, Spider-Man Brand New Day, arrives in theaters on July 31, 2026, marking his first solo Spider-Man film since No Way Home in 2021.
With the movie’s release just days away, Holland has been everywhere doing press, and it seems every interviewer wants to pit his web slinger against a rival from the other side of the comic book aisle. Just weeks earlier, at the New York premiere of ‘The Odyssey,’ he was asked what Batman has over Spider-Man and famously answered that the Dark Knight’s only real advantage is his bank account.
Now a new exchange is making the rounds online, this time comparing Spider-Man to DC’s Man of Steel. According to a post from the account MCU Film News, Holland was asked point blank if Spider-Man could beat Superman in a fight. His response, quoted directly in the post, was blunt and playful, joking that Peter would need a piece of Kryptonite to even stand a chance.
The comparison lands at an interesting cultural moment for both franchises. ‘Superman,’ James Gunn’s 2025 reboot starring David Corenswet, became the highest grossing superhero movie of the year, outperforming every Marvel release from Captain America Brand New World to Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four First Steps. That success has kept Superman firmly in the pop culture conversation, which only fuels these kinds of “who would win” questions whenever Holland sits down with reporters.
Holland’s Kryptonite joke fits neatly into a pattern he has developed on this press cycle. Rather than dodging the comparisons, he leans into them with self aware humor that avoids trashing either character. His Batman comment from earlier in July followed the same formula, acknowledging Bruce Wayne’s wealth while still keeping Spider-Man’s actual powers untouchable in his eyes.
Do you think Spider-Man can take down the Man of Steel?
‘Spider-Man Brand New Day’ finds Peter Parker rebuilding his life after being erased from the world’s memory, working alongside returning faces like Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Jon Bernthal, plus newcomers Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who takes over the franchise after Jon Watts helmed Holland’s first three outings.
Fans online have already latched onto the Superman exchange, with reactions ranging from amusement to fresh rounds of the eternal Marvel versus DC argument. Whether or not Kryptonite would actually be enough to tip the scales, Holland’s answer has once again kept Spider-Man at the center of superhero internet discourse just days before his own movie hits theaters.
With ‘Brand New Day’ swinging into theaters this week and the Kryptonite quip already spreading fast, do you think Spider-Man would really need Superman’s greatest weakness to win that fight, or does Peter Parker have a shot on his own terms?
