Tom Holland boasts undeniable acting prowess, earning acclaim as the lead in some of the most lucrative superhero films of the past decade. Particularly noteworthy is his portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Despite being under thirty, Holland has already clinched a BAFTA for his remarkable acting skills.
However, the anomaly lies in the perplexing challenge Holland faces in transcending the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) success to carve a distinctive niche in his career. Over the past two years, films such as Uncharted, Cherry, and Chaos Walking have garnered only lukewarm reviews. Even his recent venture as the lead in Apple TV+’s The Crowded Room has faltered, earning a meager 31% critics’ rating on Rоtten Tomatoes as of the current writing. Holland reportedly expressed dismay at the unfavorable reviews.
This raises the question: What is holding back Holland’s success outside the MCU, and how can he reverse this trend? Here are some considerations.
Could Spider-Man be an inescapable defining role for Tom Holland?
The challenge may not lie in his acting choices but rather in the audience’s fixed perception of him after spending an extended period as the iconic character. This situation differs from traditional typecasting. Many actors, faced with a similar challenge, have opted for radical reinventions. Timothy Dalton, formerly James Bond, successfully transitioned from a suave leading man to a mustache-twirling villain in Hоt Fuzz (2007) and later portrayed a malevolent Time Lord and a villain supermarket manager in Doctor Who. A whole generation now associates him more with these diverse roles than as the world’s most famous sеcrеt agent. Tom Holland seems cognizant of the potential for a similar shift in perception, evident in his recent choice of roles. Despite this awareness, why is success proving elusive at the moment?
Poor choice of projects?
Tom Holland has actively avoided the easy route of transitioning into another superhero role, instead exploring diverse genres like detective and hard science fiction. Despite opting for projects with promising pedigrees, such as The Crowded Room with showrunner Akiva Goldsman, known for successes like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, it seems Holland may have been unlucky in choosing projects that fall just short of greatness.Criticism of films like Chaos Walking tends to focus less on the acting, which is generally deemed decent despite perceived chemistry issues between Holland and co-star Daisy Ridley, and more on the weighty script. While nobody enjoys being associated with box office disappointments, in this instance, little blame can be attributed to Holland.
Learning from who came before.
The preceding information indicates that Tom Holland has started to diversify his roles. For instance, in “Cherry,” he took on a lead role in a show portraying a veteran. Holland received praise for his performance in “Cherry,” supported by Ciara Bravo as Cherry’s girlfriend. However, the film was not universally well-received due to its challenging themes and some formulaic drаmаtic elements. In “Chaos Walking,” Holland delivered a commendable performance, but the film’s proximity to the superhero genre may have hindered his efforts to distance himself from the Spider-Man persona. A notable precedent for Holland’s situation can be found in Daniel Radcliffe, known for his role as Harry Potter. Like Holland, Radcliffe faced challenges in breаking away from his iconic character. However, instead of sticking to familiar roles, Radcliffe embraced unconventional projects. He ventured into mid-budget movie with “The Woman in Black” (2012) and took on the supremely quirky comedy drаmа “Swiss Army Man” (2016), where he played a character befriended by the protagonist. Radcliffe’s diverse choices, including romantic comedies, detective shows, proved successful. This strategy paid off, leading to Radcliffe’s current status as a respected actor in his mid-thirties, earning significant roles and garnering award nominations, such as for his performance in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” Perhaps, instead of pursuing major box office hits, Holland could consider following his instincts. By exploring diverse roles and projects, success may come to him organically.