Tom HolandaFilms outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been very unpredictable, but his casting in the lead role of Christopher NolanHis latest project practically guarantees him commercial and critical success. Nolan is returning to work with Universal, the studio that brought him Oscar wins and box office success for Oppenheimerfor his next film. Plot details are being kept under wraps – Nolan hasn’t even revealed the genre of his new project – but Nolan’s involvement alone is enough to make this one exciting. It was set for IMAX release on July 17, 2026.
When Nolan’s new film was first announced, the only actor attached to the project was Matt Damon, who had already worked with Nolan on Oppenheimer and Interstellar. Now, Holland has joined Damon in the cast. Having just finished working with Robert Downey Jr. on his latest film, Nolan is now collaborating with Downey’s protégé at Marvel. Just as Spider-Man followed Iron Man into the Avengers, Holland is now following Downey into Nolan’s work. After the great success of OppenheimerNolan’s next film is practically a guaranteed success and should finally put an end to Holland’s string of disappointments outside the MCU.
Tom Holland’s film roles outside of the MCU have been very uneven
Not all of his non-Marvel movies were terrible, but a lot of them were
Of Avengers: Infinity War to Spider-Man: No Way HomeHolland has been front and center for some of the MCU’s biggest successes, both in terms of box office numbers and overall quality. But outside of his Marvel appearances, his filmography has been very uneven and mediocre. He’s done some good things in his post-Spider career – The devil all the time was an interesting southern gothic thriller and Forward was a heartwarming Pixar animation with a very poorly timed release – but its non-Marvel projects have mostly failed.
Cherry and The crowded room showcased a darker, grittier side to Holland’s performance, but were panned by critics. Dolittle It was a disastrous box office bomb and Chaos Walk emerged from years of hellish development with completely botched execution. Unknown It was a commercial success, but failed to recapture the fun of video games — and Holland’s performance failed to recapture the gruff charisma of Nolan North’s Nathan Drake. Holland can be trusted with a good Spider-Man outing, but he has yet to have a genuine success that doesn’t rely on the Spidey brand.
Christopher Nolan’s new film practically guarantees Tom Holland a non-MCU success
Nolan is a hugely successful franchise right now
Starring in Nolan’s next film practically guarantees Holland major success outside of the MCU. Nolan is a franchise at this point; their involvement alone is enough to draw crowds to theaters. Nolan’s only box office wobble was Principlewhich was released at the height of COVID lockdowns in the summer of 2020, and still grossed more than some of 2024’s biggest tentpole films. If his name can turn a three-hour biopic of a physicist into a blockbuster, then it can turn practically anything into a blockbuster. at the box office.
Literally nothing is known about Nolan’s next film at this point. It’s rumored to be about everything from vampires in the 1920s to police helicopter pilots in futuristic New York. When Damon’s casting was announced, it was speculated that it would be a Oppenheimerstyle political epic about John F. Kennedy dealing with the Cuban missile crisis. But it doesn’t really matter. Whatever the subject of the film, What will put butts in seats is the fact that Nolan is directing. Holland couldn’t have chosen a safer coat to walk in.
A Nolan film will be a very different role for Tom Holland
Starring in a Nolan film will require a harrowing, brooding performance from Holland
The lead role in Nolan’s next film will be a very different type of role for Holland. By Leonardo DiCaprio in Start to Cillian Murphy in OppenheimerThe lead role in a Nolan film typically requires an actor to give a dark, moody performance. It will be much more aligned with the work of the Netherlands in Cherry and The crowded room than his many performances as the friendly, bright-eyed neighborhood superhero Peter Parker. Many of the Netherlands’ recent turnarounds, such as UnknownI’ve been Spidey Liteas he got used to playing Peter. But Nolan’s latest film will require a very different kind of acting.
From Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception to Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer, the lead role in a Nolan film typically requires an actor to give a dark, moody performance.
Since it’s still unclear what Nolan’s film is about, it’s unclear what kind of role Holland will play. But there is an undeniable pattern to Nolan’s filmography. None of his films revolved around fun, light-hearted characters; they all focused on brooding, conflicted characters, like Al Pacino’s grizzled detective in Insomnia or Matthew McConaughey’s astronaut/absent father in Interstellar. It will be interesting to see how Tom Holanda adapts to the lead role in a Christopher Nolan film.