Spider-Man returns to the theatres after a four-year gap this year. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland is entering uncharted territory as the first actor to headline a fourth solo Spidey film. The film also brings several Marvel fan favourites into the live-action Spideyverse for the first time, including the Punisher and the Hulk. The film’s trailers hint at a battle between Tom’s Spider-Man and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. In a recent press meet for the film, which was attended by Hindustan Times, the actor and the film’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton, unpacked their encounter.
On Hulk and Spider-Man squaring up
Brand New Day sees Tom’s Peter Parker interact with Bruce Banner for the first time, before unfortunate circumstances lead to Banner turning into the Hulk and Spider-Man having to square up with him. Talking about the scene, director Destin Daniel Cretton said, “Putting Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo in a scene together is wonderful and explosive. It gets surprisingly intimate. They are two top-tier actors, and what I didn’t realise is that when you shoot the Hulk, you are shooting Mark and Tom. It was very easy for me. They were able to improvise and bring life to every moment they were together.”
Tom admitted that the sequence was a challenge due to the logistical difficulties of bringing the Hulk to life. “It’s a really peculiar experience because the moment you step outside the bubble, if there’s a mirror on set and you can see what you were doing, it really requires full commitment. I remember standing on an apple box while Mark held this gigantic Hulk hand, and I would pretend it was choking me. He does the voice, and there were moments where I said, ‘I just have to trust the process’,” said the actor.
Kevin Feige calls it a ‘geek moment’
Till 2016, despite being a Marvel character, Spider-Man sat away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Two series of films were made with the character, but none were part of the MCU, before Tom’s Spidey debuted in Captain America: Civil War. MCU boss Kevin Feige admits that a lot is possible now that Spider-Man is in the MCU. He explained, “Mark Ruffalo is a big geek moment to see (in the film). To see Spidey and Hulk together is one of those things that I didn’t dare dream would be possible.”
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day stars Tom Holland alongside Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo. The film releases worldwide on July 31.