The “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” star would happily step into a “mentor” role, just like Robert Downey Jr. did for him.

Tom Holland thinks this actor should succeed him as Spider-Man

The "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" star would happily step into a "mentor" role, just like Robert Downey Jr. did for him.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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June 16, 2026 2:44 p.m. ET

Tom Holland as Peter Parker in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'. Credit:

Matt Kennedy/MARVEL

- Tom Holland is thinking ahead to the next generation of Marvel heroes.

- The MCU star recently shared that he would be happy to "mentor" the next onscreen Spider-Man, just as Robert Downey Jr. did for him.

- Holland even had a name in mind when asked which young actor would make a worthy successor.

Tom Holland is very invested in the future of Spider-Man, whether he's in front of the camera or not.

Weeks away from the release of *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* — his seventh outing as the titular character and fourth standalone movie — Holland is already thinking about the far away future. While the British actor has said that he hopes to play Peter Parker in a few more superhero entries, he also knows the day will come when his tenure as the web-slinger will end. At which point, Holland has insisted he would love to stay involved.

"In the way that Robert Downey [Jr.] was such a mentor for me in my first three movies, I would love to be that person for whoever is next," Holland told *Esquire* in an interview published Tuesday.

Asked if he has any suggestions for who might make a good successor, the actor revealed that he does in fact have a name in mind.

"Owen Cooper would be awesome," Holland answered, referencing the 16-year-old Brit who is hot off of a huge year after his breakout role in *Adolescence*.

Holland in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'; Owen Cooper in Santa Monnica last January.

Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel; Monica Schipper/Getty

Holland added, "Obviously he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now."

Cooper made his onscreen acting debut in the Netflix series, making such an impression on audiences that he soon became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy, scoring Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology series at 15. Cooper also scored at the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, and the SAG Awards. He later played a Young Heathcliff in *Wuthering Heights *and is next set to appear in *Cry to Heaven*, Tom Ford's adaptation of the 1982 Anne Rice novel.

The high praise from Holland marks an especially full-circle moment for the young actor, who told I-D in April 2025 that he was inspired to pursue acting after watching Holland in his live action film debut,* The Impossible*.

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In the same interview, Cooper confessed, "I want to play Spider-Man."

As the awards campaign around *Adolescence *peaked, his Spider-Man comment took on a life of its own, including rumors that Cooper was in talks to fulfill the dream role. Before long, the young actor was fending off questions about the Marvel hero in interviews.

Cooper attends the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards in London.

Mike Marsland/WireImage

"I’ve genuinely got no idea where that came from," Cooper said of the rumors in an August 2025 interview with *Variety*. "Perhaps I said it on my very first interview, but I can’t remember."

He added, "I’d like to do it, but not for a good long time, like 10-15 years. But that’s only when Tom Holland backs off."

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Whoever steps into the role after Holland, the actor has made it clear that he'd like to help them find their footing when that next chapter of the franchise kicks off.

"For whoever’s next, whether that is a Miles Morales or a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman or something like that, I would love to be a part of setting up the next chapter," he told *Empire* earlier this month. Whatever that looks like, I don’t know. But if I could do what Downey did for me, then I would be so content swinging off into the sunset."

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