Tom Holland is an excellent Peter Parker, and completely held his own in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Holland is a natural: funny, charming, endearing, and all-together believable in his web-slinging outings, and he can be an absolute badass, too. Despite being the weaker installment in the trilogy, Spider-Man: Far From Homehas Tom Holland’s most badass moment in the MCU. Now, that’s not to say Far From Home is bad. At first, it was a tough pill to swallow, learning that his second film would not only remove him from the traditional “friendly neighborhood,” it would take him across the Atlantic Ocean. Expectations (preferences?) notwithstanding, we were gifted with a continuation of Holland’s expert performance, coming into his own right alongside Peter’s journey into the confident and capable Spider-Man he’s meant to become.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Wasn’t Always in Tune With His Spidey-Sense
After Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, Peter had still only shown small hints of his Spidey Sense — most notably, the hair on his arm stands to alert the arrival of Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) and Cull Obsidian (Terry Notary) in New York. His eyes preemptively widened before a blow during his clash with the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and he seemed to have sensed the arrival of the Guardians of the Galaxy when he was spacefaring with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). However, Spidey-Sense was never a key factor in his arsenal, and Far From Home would make this a part of his central arc. Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) cutely dubs it his “Peter Tingle,” which almost annoys him as much as his inability to tap into the skill at will. Some call it his Spider-Sense, I like to call it his Spidey-Sense, and Aunt May prefers Peter Tingle. No matter the verbiage, it’s a principal element of Spider-Man’s power set.
Spider-Man Defeating Mysterio Is His Most Badass Moment in the MCU
Peter was traveling through Europe on a school trip. Quentin Beck, better known as Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), successfully infiltrated Peter’s inner circle, posing as a multiversal hero here to thwart world-ending foes. All Quentin truly wanted was Peter’s access to Stark’s posthumous weaponry, but he worked his way in by filling the mentor void left after Stark’s death. Mysterio is a master of illusions, adding to Peter’s mistrust once he figures out the ruse. In the final battle against Mysterio, Peter has to make his way down a corridor filled with armed invisible drones. The drones engage Mysterio’s illusion, placing Peter in a black abyss.
The music cuts out entirely. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Come on, Peter Tingle,” he softly commands himself. By now, Peter has finally learned to trust himself as Spider-Man without a mentor to guide him. This newfound confidence seems to, at last, engage his Spidey-Sense to its fullest extent. Completely blind, he charges through, dodging every bullet and pulverizing the drones (again, without music, which is just too cool). After finally reaching Mysterio, they have their final conversation, with Peter dismayed that someone he looked up to betrayed him so fully. However, Mysterio’s body is another illusion. The real Mysterio is next to Peter, invisible, with a gun to his head. He tries to shoot Peter, but the Spidey-Sense is still going, and Peter grabs his hand to avert the shot with perfect timing. He isn’t even looking. Badass.
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker Truly Became Spider-Man in ‘Far From Home’
“You can’t trick me anymore,” Peter says, looking Quentin directly in the eye. In his many MCU outings, Tom Holland has always given top-notch performances, but this moment is a true showcase of his talent. After blocking Quentin’s shot, Peter stares at him with utter dismay. The MCU’s Spider-Man skipped the Uncle Ben storyline and jumped straight to his pseudo-audition with the Avengers, with Tony Stark recruiting him and quickly becoming his mentor.
Before Endgame, his only solo venture was Spider-Man: Homecoming, which heavily featured Stark in an adviser capacity. Far From Home forced Peter to face the world without close counseling, though he wanted it desperately. When Quentin filled the role, his subsequent betrayal was particularly devastating. Learning to trust his powers and rectify catastrophe on his own, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker became Spider-Man, not just by name, but by ability and virtue.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.
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