Tom Holland

Tom Holland's career began at nine, in a dancing class. A choreographer noticed him and arranged an audition for Billy Elliot the Musical at London's Victoria Palace Theatre; after two years of training he took a supporting part in 2008, was upgraded to the title role later that year, and played it until 2010. His film debut was the disaster drama The Impossible (2012). He has since won a BAFTA Award and three Saturn Awards, and appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2019.

The dance training is why his Spider-Man reads differently from the others. He moves like someone who knows exactly where his weight is, so the physical comedy lands and the action has a shape to it rather than being handed entirely to animators. Just as important, he was cast young enough to play Peter Parker as an actual teenager. Across Captain America: Civil War, three solo films and two Avengers films, the consistent note is that he is the only person in those movies who sounds frightened, and the franchise leans on that more with each entry.

Outside the suit the record is mixed and more interesting than the box office suggests. Lucas in The Impossible is still his best straight dramatic work, and he was a teenager when he did it. Arvin in The Devil All the Time is the darkest thing he has attempted and mostly succeeds. The Lost City of Z is the most restrained. Cherry and Chaos Walking are clear misfires, and Uncharted drops him into a franchise built for someone a decade older. The interesting stretch of his career is probably still ahead of him.