“Actually Torturous”: Tom Holland Opens Up About Keeping the Spider-Man: No Way Home Secret—and the Joy of Sharing the Screen with Maguire and Garfield
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
For Tom Holland, being Spider-Man comes with great power—and even greater pressure to keep secrets. In a revealing interview on Good Morning America in October 2024, Holland described the experience of hiding one of the biggest surprises in modern cinema—the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home—as “actually torturous.”
Released on December 17, 2021, No Way Home was a cinematic event that shattered expectations and box office records, grossing over $1 billion globally. But behind its multiverse magic was an ironclad layer of secrecy, one that tested Holland’s self-control in ways even Thanos couldn’t.
“I’ve never had to keep something like that to myself before,” Holland said, recalling the months leading up to the film’s release. Known within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for his occasionally loose lips, the actor was under immense scrutiny to remain silent—even as fan theories exploded across the internet. “It was really hard. Torturous, even.”
Marvel and Sony left nothing to chance. To protect the film’s surprises, returning cast members like Alfred Molina and Willem Dafoe were hidden in long black cloaks while on set. According to Holland, similar measures were taken with Maguire and Garfield, whose appearances were pivotal to the film’s multiverse twist and emotional arc.
Yet amid the stress of secrecy, Holland found profound joy. Once the curtain was lifted on set, he reveled in the chance to collaborate with his predecessors. “I loved being on set with those guys in our suits,” he told Good Morning America. “We had the freedom to kind of just make stuff up and have fun with it.”
That creative freedom, fostered by director Jon Watts, led to some of the film’s most heartfelt and hilarious moments. The three Spider-Men, often described as a “Spider-Man support group” by Screen Rant, improvised dialogue, supported each other’s performances, and bonded over their shared legacy in the iconic role.
“It was like therapy in tights,” Holland joked in an interview with AOL, noting that the improvisation sessions brought out some of the most “cool and honest” moments in the film.
The payoff was enormous. The secret reveal stunned audiences, triggering standing ovations in theaters and endless online tributes. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, the film’s emotional weight and nostalgic reunions were a large part of its critical and commercial success.
Andrew Garfield later reflected on the experience in a BuzzFeed interview, echoing Holland’s sentiments. “We just had a blast,” he said. “There was something sacred about it.”
Ultimately, Holland’s “torture” was our reward. The secrecy preserved the magic, the improvisation added authenticity, and the multiverse of Spider-Men reminded fans why this franchise—and its cast—continues to swing above the rest.
