Tom Holland has admitted that promoting The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day was an easy, enjoyable press run, compared to some of his earlier films, that felt bad to promote.
Speaking on the Dish podcast in an episode released on 22 July, Holland explained that promoting a film he’s genuinely proud of removes any pressure to oversell it.
“I’m absolutely loving it,” he said.
“When you’re doing press for movies you’re really proud of, it’s really easy. Because when they ask you questions about why should people go and watch this movie, you’re not lying to anyone. You really think people should go see it.”
He then compared that with less comfortable experiences earlier in his career, admitting there had been films where he privately felt the opposite.
“I’ve had experiences before when people say, ‘Why should you see this movie?’ And in the back of your mind, you’re like, ‘You shouldn’t, because it’s shit.'”
Holland didn’t name which specific films he was referring to, but the comments arrive at a high point in his career.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, in which Holland plays Telemachus, has already crossed $300 million globally in its opening week and is drawing strong reviews and early awards buzz.
His fourth outing as Spider-Man, Brand New Day, opens 31 July.
Describing the current run of promotion, Holland called it “a bit of a victory lap,” adding: “I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m super proud of both of the films.”
The remarks have sparked some debate online, with reactions split between those who admired Holland’s candour and others who felt publicly dismissing past work risked disrespecting the people who made those films with him.
Holland has previously spoken about the pressures of promotional cycles more broadly, including the differences he’s experienced working on notably different sets, from Nolan’s tightly controlled productions to the larger machinery of Marvel Studios releases.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theatres on 31 July.
