We all know why Tom Holland’s life changed when Marvel and Sony cast him as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. The results speak for themselves. Like how he’s currently the star of one of the world’s highest grossest films ever. But what we did need to hear is exactly how he secured the role of Peter Parker. It was more than just his acting ability. And it was more than his natural charm and good looks. Turns out he could also move like everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. One of the film’s stuntmen shared the story of how Holland used his own superhero-like flipping skills into the role of a lifetime.
Marvel alums and professional stuntmen James Young and Gui DaSilva-Greene joined the YouTube channel Corridor Crew to evaluate some of the most famous action scenes in the MCU. The entire video is a must-watch for fans of the franchise. They offer more than just an analysis of stunts. (Though that alone is worth it.) There’s also plenty of insight into the creative and planning process that brought them to the screen.
Those insights included the story of how Tom Holland ended up playing Spider-Man. (The story begins at around the 10:30 time stamp in the video above.) Civil War‘s iconic airport fight scene was close to filming. But the movie still had not found its Peter Parker. A day before Holland’s full-screen test, Young met with the baby-faced actor. That’s when Holland wanted to show off his own flipping skills. Holland wasn’t talking about doing a simple cartwheel, either. He really had some impressive moves in his repertoire.
Young was still worried about Holland showing them off the next day when he’d be auditioning for the ultimate decision-makers. Fortunately, those fears were unfounded. Holland did a perfect side-flip to begin his read with Chris Evans. That’s when Young says everyone in the room knew they had found their Peter Parker.
The rest, as they say, is box office-breaking history. And it’s also a lesson to parents everywhere. You might not want your kids flipping on the couch or off their bed. But you never know when those skills will result in them becoming a superhero.
