Protecting Spider-Man's true identity is important to actor Tom Holland. Image Press Agency

Tom Holland was initially 'pretty worried' about Peter Parker's identity being revealed

Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) revealed Spider-Man's true identity to be Peter Parker in 2019's Spider-Man: Far from Home, setting up the ambitious Spider-Man: No Way Home that involves the multiverse.

At first, though, Tom Holland was skeptical.

"I think that was a decision made later while we were shooting the second film," the 25-year-old actor, who has portrayed Spider-Man/Parker since 2016, recently told Variety. "I don't think it was in the initial script. Yeah, I was pretty shocked. I was also pretty worried because I care a lot about Peter Parker, and I know that his identity being revealed would be a bad thing for him. So, I was worried about it but equally excited at the challenge and the prospects of what might come along with that idea."

"I think [director] Jon Watts was very brave to do that because one of the most exciting things about Peter Parker's story is him keeping Spider-Man a secret," Holland continued.

The official trailer foreshadowed the litany of problems Peter has to navigate in the aftermath:

No Way Home is swinging into theaters Friday (Dec. 17). 

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
The most influential movies ever made
20 period pieces you should watch
Longtime ‘SportsCenter’ anchor announces he is leaving ESPN
Second chances: Notable bands and musicians who experienced a career resurgence
The 25 most entertaining horror movies
The 20 concert tours you can't miss in 2024
20 albums turning 50 in 2024
The 20 greatest heist movies
20 movies that should be adapted into musicals
Super Bowl LVIII halftime show takeaways
Brad Pitt shades Eagles while praising Philly superfan Bradley Cooper
The 20 best modern rom-coms
20 performances that thwarted audience expectations
Comedy gold: 20 funny films that won an Oscar
23 actors that need to have a renaissance
The best karaoke songs from the 2020s
20 great movies that didn’t get nominated at the 2024 Oscars
The 25 best movies about high-school sports
The 23 best films of 2023
The 50 best albums of 2023