Tom Holland’s Secret High School Mission: How He Prepared for Spider-Man!

by

Approximately ten years ago, following numerous “Spider-Man” films, Sony and Marvel Studios entered into a landmark licensing agreement regarding the movie rights for Spidey. As part of this agreement, the character was set to be incorporated into the cinematic universe owned by Disney. Tom Holland was chosen to play the role, making his big-screen debut as Spider-Man in “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016. To prepare for his first standalone film, which was slated for release the following year, Holland went to great lengths, even disguising himself as a student at a high school.

In “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Peter Parker’s character returns to school and offers a fun, teenage-focused adventure packed with comics charm. Since the movie is set in a scholarly environment, it makes sense that the actor from “Billy Elliot: The Musical” would attend a school for his preparation in the superhero film. The Londoner has spoken about this experience before, but we’re going to delve deeper now. So let’s dive into this fantastic tale together, shall we?

How Did Tom Holland’s Venture Into A U.S.-Based High School Come To Be?

People who have followed the Marvel movies sequentially and kept tabs on Peter Parker’s storyline likely recognize that he studied at Midtown School of Science and Technology. Given the unique educational background offered by technical schools, Marvel Studios chose this type of institution to prepare the “In the Heart of the Sea” actor. They ultimately selected The Bronx High School of Science, and to get things moving, they contacted a student from there to assist with preparations.

Marvel Studios contacted Arun Bishop, who was a senior student at the time, to arrange for Tom Holland to observe a student specializing in STEM subjects. Excited by this opportunity and being a robotics expert and an avid superhero fan, Bishop agreed, even though he wasn’t particularly interested in celebrity circles. In 2017, he discussed his feelings about the situation with Business Insider.

I’ve never shown much interest in celebrities, I’ve never paid much attention to them. However, I found the idea of experiencing something associated with them quite intriguing.

It took quite a bit of effort to enroll the up-and-coming actor into the school without causing a stir. To achieve this, it was decided that Tom Holland would pretend to be the cousin of Arun Bishop, with Ben being the son of a military man who had just been transferred to New York. This fabricated backstory allowed the new student to bypass the entrance exam. Fortunately, despite a close call involving an ID card, the plan for Holland to spend some time experiencing life at the American tech high school was set in motion.

What Did Tom Holland Due During His Undercover High School Assignment And What Has He Said Since?

It might seem like Tom Holland’s brief stint at high school was easygoing, but nothing could be further from the truth. Despite being an actor, he did attend classes during his limited time there. Since Arun Bishop was enrolled in advanced courses, this meant that Holland had to study rigorous subjects such as AP Calculus AB, experimental engineering, and AP British Literature (which I too studied in high school). As Sean O’Connell points out in his book With Great Power, Holland himself has spoken about the challenges he faced due to his lack of science knowledge, which often put him in tricky situations.

In a scientific institution, some instructors were unaware that I wasn’t their typical science pupil. On several occasions, they would summon me to the classroom and attempt to make me solve complex mathematical problems related to science. It was quite humiliating for me!

If I had been in his situation, I’d likely have felt equally uncomfortable. However, the alum of ‘How I Live Now’ persevered and took note of his surroundings as expected. It’s intriguing to know that towards the end of his time at The Bronx High School of Science, he even tried to disclose his real identity to some students. Some students were thrilled upon learning this, but as the star of ‘Cherry’ explained to Variety years ago, not everyone was certain he was a famous person.

On the final day, I shared my secret with a single individual, and soon enough, it became common knowledge, much like a fast-spreading blaze. This girl questioned me, saying, ‘What’s going on here?’ To which I replied, ‘I am Spider-Man.’ However, she found it hard to believe, instead dismissing me as a bit of a madman.

It seems clear from Tom Holland’s jovial account that he probably didn’t find the incident too upsetting. Moreover, it appears recognition was the main objective, since he aimed to experience high school life. Successfully achieving his goal, he eventually moved on to shoot a movie that would later become part of the 16th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

How Did Spider-Man: Homecoming Ultimately Perform?

More on Spider-Man: Homecoming

One memorable line from Tony Stark in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” makes the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” even more touching and heartbreaking, as it foreshadows Tony’s ultimate sacrifice.

In this version, I tried to convey the same meaning while using simpler language that is easier for a wider audience to understand. The first sentence sets up the context by mentioning the movie “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and its character Tony Stark, while also hinting at the emotional impact of the events in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The second sentence further elaborates on this by explaining that a particular line spoken by Tony in “Homecoming” is significant because it sets up the tragic outcome in “No Way Home.

There was a lot of excitement leading up to the debut of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and when the first trailer came out in late 2016, the high school atmosphere felt authentic. Luckily, Jon Watts’ movie lived up to its promise, overflowing with teen energy and echoes of John Hughes comedies. For instance, some might recall a car chase scene reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In the end, the Marvel Cinematic Universe film received accolades from both fans and critics, with TopMob’s Homecoming review granting it top grades.

Indeed, not only did it become a blockbuster, earning more than $880 million on a budget of just $170 million, but even the cast and crew, including Arun Bishop, couldn’t help but feel proud as the film began to generate substantial profits. After all, Bishop was instrumental in pre-production, so it’s no surprise that he couldn’t resist boasting a bit when the cash started rolling in. In my opinion, this backstage account of an MCU production is one of the most fascinating high school trips I’ve ever heard about. Bravo to everyone involved for successfully executing this covert operation!

You can stream the movie “Spider-Man: Homecoming” by subscribing to Disney+. Don’t forget to keep yourself updated about the upcoming Marvel films as well!

Read More

2025-01-20 01:38