Tom Holland knew Robert Downey Jr. was returning to Marvel as Doctor Doom long before the studio announced it to the public. Holland is infamous among Marvel fans for letting spoilers slip early (the YouTube compilation titled “Tom Holland Spoiling Marvel Movies for 13 Minutes Straight” has 21 million views), but he managed to keep Downey’s news a secret save for telling one person immediately. Zendaya, Holland’s wife and longtime “Spider-Man” wife, told Cinemania that she found out “right away” once Downey told Holland.
“I think I hung up the phone and said [to Zendaya], ‘Downey is coming back,'” Holland admitted. “[Robert and I] just have casual catch-ups every now and then. He called and told me. It’s really exciting. I don’t know a lot about those movies by design. I have a reputation for spoiling certain things and I think the studio is keeping me from the juicy details… when I do get to grace that set, I am so curious what does that mean for Peter [Parker] and how does that work. It’s really cool. I am really excited about whatever it is they are doing.”
Holland revealed on the “Rich Roll” podcast in 2024 that he was one of the select few people Downey told about coming back to Marvel, adding: “I’ve been speaking to [Robert] a lot, especially about him making his [Marvel] return, which is super exciting. That was a tough secret to sit on because I have a reputation for ruining things and I strategically have done no press.”
