Tom Holland picks ‘Adolescence’ star Owen Cooper to replace him as Spider-Man

Tom Holland has his sights set on the next generation of wall-crawlers and has declared ‘Adolescence’ standout Owen Cooper would be “awesome” as his successor.

Holland’s Succession Plan: ‘Owen Cooper Would Be Awesome’

In a recent Esquire interview that was published on June 16th, the 30-year-old revealed his plans to eventually depart the role and stated that the 16-year-old Emmy award-winning actor would be his ideal choice. “Owen Cooper would be awesome. Obviously he’s super-talented and the talk of the town right now,” Holland commented.

Cooper is already an Emmy winner for his groundbreaking performance as a 13-year-old murder suspect in Netflix’s Adolescence, marking his professional acting debut, and he recently portrayed young Heathcliff in the 2026 release Wuthering Heights.

Holland isn’t the first to suggest Cooper for the role, and fans of the franchise have been pushing for him since Adolescence premiered in 2025. In fact, Cooper told Variety: “I’d like to do it, but not for a good long time, like 10-15 years… Only when Tom Holland backs off”. During a 2023 appearance on The Tonight Show, he also shared that Spider-Man was a “dream of mine since I was a kid”.

From Web-Slinger to Mentor: Holland’s Producing Ambitions

Although Holland plans to eventually step away from the mask, he hopes to remain involved with the Spider-Man franchise by taking on a mentoring role. “In the way that Robert Downey was such a mentor for me in my first three movies, I would love to be that person for whoever is next,” he told Esquire.

He acknowledges that achieving a producer credit can be “pretty tough,” but he’s committed to guiding the next era of the web-slinger. Additionally, Holland has openly expressed interest in a live-action Miles Morales, following Donald Glover’s Prowler cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

‘If I’m Playing Spider-Man After 30, I’ve Done Something Wrong’

When Holland turned 30 this past month, he recalled his 2021 GQ comment about not wanting to play Spider-Man past the milestone. “It’s funny, I saw that quote pop up somewhere recently and I kind of reeled,” he said. “I think the point of it is that I would love to pass the baton on, and I haven’t achieved that yet… So maybe I need to change the quote to 37.”

He also hinted that the quote may have been a negotiation tactic: “I could also have been trying to leverage Sony and scare them into thinking I wasn’t going to do Spider-Man 4”.

What’s Next: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Hits July 31

Holland’s statements come as he prepares for the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, his first appearance as Peter Parker since 2021’s No Way Home. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film is set to debut globally on July 31, 2026. While there’s no confirmation it will be Holland’s final outing, he has confirmed his increased creative involvement and said he has been studying fan feedback between films.