‘Pressure Is a Privilege’: Tom Holland Opens Up on Spider-Man’s New Era as Zendaya Reveals the Sweet Habit She Never Breaks

As excitement builds for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Hollywood stars Tom Holland and Zendaya are embracing a new chapter both on and off screen. The couple, who recently tied the knot, reunited with co-star Jacob Batalon during the London promotions of the highly anticipated Marvel film and reflected on their decade-long journey with the Spider-Man franchise.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with HT City, the trio shared heartfelt memories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and what it feels like to return to one of cinema’s most beloved superhero universes.

‘We’ve grown up, but we’re still the same kids’

Having spent nearly ten years together on the Spider-Man series, Zendaya said the cast has matured personally and professionally, but their chemistry remains unchanged.

“We’ve grown up a lot,” she said, adding that whenever the team reunites, they instantly return to the playful energy they shared during the first film.

“We’re still the same kids from the very beginning,” Zendaya remarked, with Tom Holland agreeing.

Tom Holland calls Brand New Day ‘the beginning of a new era’

Without revealing spoilers, Tom Holland described Spider-Man: Brand New Day as a fresh start for Peter Parker following the emotional ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

According to Holland, the new film explores the consequences of Peter’s life-changing sacrifice at the end of the previous movie, where the world forgets his identity.

“I think it feels like the beginning of a new era and the start of a new chapter,” he said, hinting that audiences will see Peter Parker facing the impact of those decisions.

Improvisation keeps every scene unpredictable

When asked whether working together still brings surprises despite knowing each other so well, Holland revealed there is one particular scene in the film that completely caught him off guard, though he couldn’t discuss it because of spoilers.

Zendaya, meanwhile, laughed while explaining that whenever Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon start improvising together, no one knows where the scene is heading.

She joked that many of their funniest moments never make it into the final film because they’re simply too outrageous to use.

Tom agreed, saying that although most improvised moments end up on the cutting-room floor, there is usually “a little bit of gold” that eventually finds its way into the movie.

‘Pressure is a privilege’

With enormous expectations surrounding every Spider-Man film, Holland admitted that the anticipation brings both excitement and responsibility.

“I think both of those things are true. In some circumstances, pressure is a privilege,” he said.

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The actor added that the excitement from fans motivates the cast to do justice to the iconic Marvel characters and reminded audiences that they never take the responsibility lightly.

Zendaya’s unusual food tradition on film sets

One of the lighter moments of the interview came when the actors were asked whether they follow any rituals before a film’s release.

Zendaya revealed she doesn’t have a traditional superstition but develops a unique food obsession during every shoot.

For Spider-Man 3, she ate the same pasta every day for months, while filming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, she started every morning with potato bites and a favourite dipping sauce.

She also recalled surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while shooting Dune, and Cool Ranch Doritos during the early days of Euphoria, saying every project is connected to a particular meal in her memory.

Tom Holland, on the other hand, admitted he doesn’t have any special ritual but said he always carries a part of Peter Parker with him.

How Spider-Man changed the cast

Reflecting on how their Marvel characters have influenced their real lives, Holland said he tries to adopt Peter Parker’s optimism in everyday situations.

“I try to live my life a little bit like Peter. Being positive is something I really work towards,” he explained.

Jacob Batalon added that portraying Ned inspired him to become less pessimistic, while Zendaya joked that her character MJ balances the energy of both Peter and Ned.

She also admitted that she enjoys MJ’s quirky and unconventional personality, calling it one of her favourite aspects of the character.

With Spider-Man: Brand New Day set to be one of the biggest global releases of the year, the cast’s reflections have only heightened anticipation among Marvel fans eager to witness the next chapter of Peter Parker’s journey.