Current Spider-Man inhabitant Tom Holland has named the rising, already history-making young actor he believes would make an awesome successor: Owen Cooper.
We can see that! During a new interview with Esquire, Holland was asked who he would like to see follow in his web-slinging footsteps. His answer came quickly: “Owen Cooper would be awesome.”
Holland praised the Adolescence breakout as “super-talented” and the talk of the town. The endorsement is not an official casting announcement, and Holland is not preparing to abandon the suit just yet, but it is a fascinating vote of confidence from the actor who has played Marvel’s Peter Parker for the past decade.
One British breakout recognizing the next? The Spidey sense is definitely tingling.
Read Holland’s comments and revisit the comics and films behind Marvel’s most famous wall-crawler.
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Owen Cooper Has Already Made Television History
Cooper became an immediate international breakout through his performance as Jamie Miller in Netflix’s Adolescence. At 15, he became the youngest male Emmy acting winner ever when he won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
The full-circle part is especially sweet. Cooper has previously spoken about being inspired to pursue acting after watching Holland in The Impossible, and he has admitted that playing Spider-Man would be a dream—just not one he expects to happen anytime soon.
Now Holland is the one looking across the room and recognizing something special in Cooper. No contract, no official handoff and no secret Marvel announcement—just one performer spotting the spark in another.
Tom Holland Wants to Mentor the Next Spider-Man
Holland also explained that he would love to guide whoever eventually inherits the role, much like Robert Downey Jr. mentored him during his earliest Marvel films. Whether the next chapter centers on another Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen or someone entirely different, Holland wants to help set that performer up for success.
For now, his own story continues in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the fourth Holland-led solo film is scheduled to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.
So no, the mask is not changing hands today—but Holland has already found one young actor worth watching.
Who Will Play Spider-Man Next?
Watch the quick breakdown of Tom Holland naming Owen Cooper as an actor who would be “awesome” as a future Spider-Man successor.
Owen Cooper has already proven that he can carry intense material with extraordinary control. Add Holland’s endorsement, Cooper’s own love for the character and that shared British breakout story, and the idea suddenly does not feel so far-fetched.
Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not even in the next decade. But yes, we absolutely see the vision.
Sources: Esquire’s report on Tom Holland’s ideal Spider-Man successor, Marvel’s official Spider-Man: Brand New Day page, the Television Academy’s 77th Emmy Awards report and the verified “Who will play Spider-Man next?” video.
