Back in February,Marvelmade the announcement comic book fans had been waiting years for, thatSpider-Manhas finally joined theMarvel Cinematic Universe. The studio struck a joint deal with Sony Pictures, which allowed Spidey to be used as a supporting character in the MCU, while bothMarveland Sony will produce a newSpider-Manreboot. It was revealed that this beloved character will first debut in aMarvelmovie, which was always expected to be next year’sCaptain America: Civil War, but it was never officially confirmed. DuringEntertainment Weekly’s visit to the set, the site got starRobert Downey Jr.to reveal thatSpider-Manis actually in the movie.
“[Don] Cheadleand I are just going, ‘Wow, dude, look at this.’ We’re now like the old guard, and our storyline carries real weight just because of our history in the [canon]. But we’re also looking around like, ‘Who thought that Falcon andBlack PantherandAnt-Manand nowSpider-Man?’ I mean it’s like wow, this thing is just crazy.”
The site reveals that during a major battle sequence, they spotted a stuntman wearing, “a very familiar red and blue suit that covered him from head to toe.” ProducerKevin Feigewouldn’t confirm it wasSpider-Man, hinting that it may have been a “cosplayer” on the set. However, later on that day,Robert Downey Jr.himself was spotted walking with his arm aroundTom Holland, who was wearing the full classicSpider-Mancostume without the mask. While no one atMarvelwill confirm Spidey’s presence inCaptain America: Civil War, directorJoe Russorevealed that he and his brotherAnthony Russoheld two screen tests for the character, while praisingTom Holland.
“We did two screen tests with the character. We were pretty vocal about who we wanted for the part. He’s fantastic. Amazing. It’s likeChristian Balein Empire of the Sun. Rarely do you see a kid carry a movie like that. He’s also a dancer and a gymnast. He fits the part like you’re able to’t believe. Another thing that we were really pushing for was to go young with the part. It’s the only way to differentiate it from what’s been done in the past. Get him as close as you can to the age that [the actor] is.”
Chris Evanstried to save face by saying that sometimesMarvel, “shoots things and then don’t use them.” While that certainly could be true,Spider-Man’s inclusion inCaptain America: Civil Warmakes sense, since the character was featured in the comics and it debuts more than one year before theSpider-Manreboot debuts on June 16, 2025. It still isn’t known which side Spidey will fight for inCaptain America: Civil War, but we’ll keep you posted with more details as soon as they come in.
