Robert Downey Jr. Saved Tom Holland’s First Spider-Man Scene From Being Cut Down, Questioned the Russo Bros: ‘Where Did All of the Kid’s Lines Go?’

As a fan, I can’t help but be moved by Tom Holland’s heartwarming story about his first encounter with Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man himself. The way Downey stepped up to support Holland during his debut as Spider-Man is truly inspiring and speaks volumes about the kind of person he is. It’s not every day you see a superhero off-screen, but Downey proved to be one in more ways than one.

In a conversation on the “Rich Roll Podcast”, Tom Holland shared an instance where Robert Downey Jr. supported him, particularly during his initial days playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was when he first appeared as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War”. His very first scene involved acting alongside Downey’s character, Iron Man (Tony Stark).

During the time when I had to perform my part alongside Downey, I found it incredibly intimidating,” Holland admitted. “However, I’m deeply appreciative of his guidance. My screen test contained a lengthy eight-page dialogue scene, which was quite challenging. I was instructed by my agent to memorize every line precisely. When I filmed my first take with Downey, he began improvising and altering everything on the spot. This allowed me to feel more at ease and join in with the improvisation. You can’t outshine Downey, but you can tag along with his brilliance. And it’s a fantastic ride to be on his coattails. I simply followed his lead, and we continued to improvise. I felt after that audition that I had the role secured. It went exceptionally well.

Upon reaching the film set following my successful casting, I discovered that my scene had been drastically reduced from what I performed during the audition. It was now only about two pages long,” Holland explained further. “Downey then asked, ‘Where did they take away all of the child’s lines?’

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I found it fascinating to learn that during the making of “Captain America: Civil War,” the Russo brothers (Joe and Anthony) shared with Robert Downey Jr. their predicament – their script was already sprawling, leaving little room for the in-depth scene he had initially auditioned with. However, Downey being Downey, he had his own creative ideas on how to bring his character to life.

Holland recalled Downey stating, “No, you’ll find it valuable to invest time in this. We should film the entire thing during the audition. You can always edit it later, but you’ll want to have it.” Remarkably, they followed his advice and utilized every bit of footage. I owe that decision to him. It’s really impressive. If given the chance, I’d like to replicate that experience for a young actor…Should I be fortunate enough to introduce Miles Morales into the MCU, I’d aim to emulate what Downey did for me.

Additionally, Holland shared that he “emptied the mini bar” during the evening preceding his initial screen test alongside Downey, news of which reached Marvel. Since then, the actor has abstained from alcohol and is now sober. More recently, he introduced a non-alcoholic beer brand called Bero.

Tom Holland’s first appearance as Spider-Man in “Civil War” quickly earned him widespread admiration within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He later starred in his own movie, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” in 2017, and featured in two more solo blockbusters and numerous other “Avengers” films. At present, Marvel and Sony are working on a fourth standalone film featuring Holland’s Spider-Man.

Watch Holland’s full interview on the “Rich Roll Podcast” in the video below.

2024-10-22 02:18

Robert Downey Jr. Saved Tom Holland’s First Spider-Man Scene From Being Cut Down, Questioned the Russo Bros: ‘Where Did All of the Kid’s Lines Go?’

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