Tom Holland Calls The Odyssey His Final Role as “a Boy
Tom Holland is signaling that he’s ready to graduate into the next stage of his acting career. After taking on the mantle of a young ruler in The Odyssey—as heir to Ithaca and the son of the long-missing Odysseus—Holland says he views the role as essentially his final on-screen time playing “a boy.” With his reputation now firmly built on Spider-Man quips and MCU momentum, he’s approaching this chapter with the feeling that it’s closing a long-running era.
From Billy Elliot to Peter Parker: Holland’s “bookend” era
Holland’s rise began early. At 12 years old, he went to London’s West End to play Billy Elliot. He later broke into film with The Impossible in 2012, and then landed his best-known role in the MCU at age 20, appearing as Peter Parker in Civil War. Now 30, he’s set up for two major releases this summer—The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day—and frames this stretch as the moment to “grow up.”
When discussing The Odyssey, Holland described it as a classic coming-of-age story in Western literature, calling it one of the strongest “grow-up” narratives of his career. He added that, to him, the film feels like the last time he’ll get the chance to play a boy on screen, and that it serves like a perfect wraparound to the early part of his career—his “first chapter.”
Telemachus’ self-discovery: learning to step up
Holland’s focus isn’t just on the plot—it’s on Telemachus as a character. He explained that Telemachus’ path centers on self-discovery: the character is still missing his father, unsure of where he belongs, and grappling with who he is. Across the movie, Holland says Telemachus learns what it means to become a man, to step up, and to take the throne—though only when he’s truly ready.
He also indicated that the material gives him space to perform in a more demanding way than audiences may associate with the Marvel era. The Odyssey, from Christopher Nolan, asks for a harsher, more serious tone than the quick, playful MCU style Holland is known for. Even so, there’s one constant he isn’t ready to leave behind yet: a co-star he shares screen time with, Jon Bernthal.
The Odyssey cast connection: working with Jon Bernthal again
Nearly a decade of shared screen time
Holland and Bernthal both star in The Odyssey, and they also appear together in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The two have been on screen opposite each other for close to ten years, and they previously both appeared in the 2017 Apple TV thriller Pilgrimage. Holland describes the relationship as something he looks back on with real affection.
Holland on their first day—and what Nolan’s early tests do
Holland said that their first day filming The Odyssey felt “legendary” for the pair. He described how the schedule originally had two days of work planned, but they managed to complete it all in a single night, and that the resulting scene was extremely emotional and presented a major challenge. He also said the experience left them feeling like they’d accomplished something significant.
He then pointed to Nolan’s approach: Holland believes Nolan tests performers early on, and if the cast can meet that challenge, it builds confidence for the rest of the film—because you start thinking, “It definitely can’t get any tougher than that.” Holland said that mindset shift came from that early pressure, and it stayed with him through production.
Why Bernthal feels especially meaningful this time
Looking ahead to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Holland added that he loves Jon Bernthal and that he’s known him for a long time. He said it’s particularly special to share the set again given their past roles as Spider-Man and the Punisher, noting that they even did each other’s self-tapes about ten years ago.
Release date and how to watch
The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17. More coverage is planned, including a guide on which viewing format is best and a feature explaining how Nolan built a 60-foot Cyclops Pupper without relying on CGI.
