The first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day landed this week, and if the comments are anything to go by, one thing stands out more than all of the usual Marvel action: Tom Holland is looking bigger than ever.
Known for a more lithe, wiry appearance, Holland is visibly carrying more size through his shoulders, arms and chest, even under the suit. It’s a move away from a CGI-assisted costume doing all the heavy lifting, towards the star doing that heavy lifting himself. And it’s something Holland has been working towards for a while.
Speaking to Men’s Health last year, Holland explained that his focus had moved away from simply looking lean with his shirt off, to bulking up to fill out the suit itself.
‘In these movies the suits are often padded,’ Holland said. ‘Then they’ll add CGI to make the way the padding moves look more natural. I want to add enough muscle that the padding and CGI aren’t necessary.’
That mindset came, somewhat unexpectedly, from working with Christopher Nolan on his upcoming film The Odyssey. Nolan’s preference for practical effects – doing things for real, rather than fixing them in post – made Holland rethink how he approached his own preparation.
Instead of relying on the suit to create a heroic silhouette, he wanted to bring the mass himself. Holland told MH he’d been training ferociously, using a mix of bodyweight work, weighted vest training and traditional bodybuilding training to add size without losing the athleticism that underpins the role. At the time, he estimated he still had around 4kg of muscle to gain.
What to read next
Based on the trailer, he’s made a significant dent in that. The new suit, also revealed this week, appears far less padded than previous versions, putting more emphasis on what’s underneath – and highlighting the shift Holland has been putting in under a barbell.
He’s never been short on fitness. His performances in high-rep bodyweight workouts and eye-watering scores on classic CrossFit sessions have already proven that. But this latest phase looks to have been about adding mass, without compromising movement.
