Tom Holland and Zendaya are ready to get off the press-tour treadmill. After promoting both Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and the record-breaking Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the pair are expected to take some well-earned time away from the spotlight.
Asked about Holland’s future as Spider-Man, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said the franchise always has plans in motion, but the immediate priority is rest.
“There are always plans,” Feige told Variety. “But right now, he’s going to rest after that global tour.” He added, “He and Zendaya are going to take a good and restful victory lap, which they very much deserve.”
The pause comes after an unusually intense summer for the two actors, who appeared in both major releases and then carried out global promotional duties for each.
Feige also pointed to the box office success of Brand New Day, The Odyssey and Toy Story 5 as proof that theatrical moviegoing remains powerful, even as streaming continues to reshape the industry.
“I can only speak to Brand New Day, and audiences responded to a movie that’s well-crafted and well-made,” Feige said. “They don’t always do that. But when they do, it’s a nice reminder that success builds success.”
He continued, “The Odyssey, Toy Story 5 and all the great movies that have been in theaters this year remind people there’s nothing like a shared experience. There’s nothing like a moment for the whole globe to come together.”
Feige described Brand New Day as a direct continuation of Spider-Man: No Way Home, while emphasizing that the new film also tells a story designed to resonate beyond superhero fandom.
“Brand New Day is very directly a part four,” he said. “It picks up right after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and yet it tells a story that resonates.”
According to Feige, the film’s deeper subject is isolation. “It’s ultimately about loneliness and the dangers of staying in our apartments by ourselves, looking at our phones,” he said. “That resonates across cultures and across the globe right now.”
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That emotional focus appears to have connected with audiences in a major way.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened with $355 million domestically from 4,487 theaters, giving Sony its biggest debut ever and the second-largest domestic opening weekend in movie history.
Only Avengers: Endgame, which launched with $357.1 million in 2019, opened higher. Globally, the film has now earned a billion dollars, also ranking as the second-biggest worldwide debut of all time.
Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman credited the success not only to the character’s popularity, but also to the film’s emotional core. “To be truly honest, it feels fantastic,” Rothman told The Hollywood Reporter. “You’ve just got to make a really, really great film.”
He added that the long gap between installments helped create demand, but argued that the story’s emphasis on human connection was equally important. “The audience is very, very connected with this character,” Rothman said. “It’s a very relatable story. No matter how old or young you are, everybody wants connection in the world. Everybody needs friends—and that’s what the movie is about.”
As for Holland’s future in the suit, Feige made clear that Marvel’s plans are not over. But for now, Peter Parker and MJ are taking a breather. After a $927 million opening, they’ve earned it.
After 15 years of almost constant public attention, she appears ready to let the spotlight dim for a while.
