Tom Holland had a really hard time being accepted by fans

 

Tom Holland is one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now. Though he starred in many well-recognized projects like Uncharted, Cherry, and The Devil All the Time, his most well-known appearance has to be that of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Appearing in many Avengers films, as well as his own trilogy, his character had one of the most beautiful arcs for one of the most beloved superheroes. He managed to prove himself over the course of three films, perfectly embodying the character, his casting, however, did not come without pushback.

Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
In the first film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, as well as his first appearance in the franchise, Captain America: Civil War, many were skeptical of whether he was the best for this character. Though he managed to prove all of these people wrong, it is very surprising to find out that the legendary, Stan Lee was one of them.

 

Tom Holland Wasn’t Accepted By All

 

Tom Holland had a really hard time being accepted by fans, initially, when he was cast in the role of Spider-Man. A majority of the criticism was surrounding the fact that people did not like his version of Peter Parker. The main reason for this is because his character would have to constantly depend on Tony Stark in his initial appearances, which goes completely against the character of Peter Parker, who people are supposed to depend on and not the other way around.

Tom Holland in a scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming
However, there are many who simply did not like Holland as a choice for this character, having nothing against the way he was portrayed on screen and everything against the actor who was portraying him. Some of this criticism may have to do with the standard that was set by the Spider-Man who came before him, Andrew Garfield. He was, arguably the most fitting person for the personality of Peter Parker and the man he becomes when he puts on the mask, making it very difficult for Holland to fill these shoes.

 

Stan Lee Was One Of Them

It would seem that these people aren’t alone in their criticism as initially, when the legendary, Stan Lee met with Tom Holland for the first time, he wasn’t very impressed when comparing what he heard about him, with what he saw. in the book, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, it was revealed that when Lee met with Holland, for the first time, he told him that he had heard great things about him, but he, personally, couldn’t see it.
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in the MCU
“Everyone says you’re great! Personally, I don’t see it.”
This was an extremely harsh criticism, that would stick with anyone, naturally. These words mean a lot when coming from Lee, not only because Spider-Man was the one character closest to the heart of the comic book writer, but also the fact that many in this fandom looked for the seal of approval for new choices.
Tom Holland in a still from Spider-Man: No Way Home
“Oh, he’s wonderful. I was with him the other day. He is great,” Lee said of working with Holland on Homecoming. “I can’t believe it. It’s as if we created a living being to be Spider-Man, and it turned out to be Tom.”
Thankfully, he ended up, changing his mind, as revealed by EW, understanding the ‘hype’ surrounding the casting of this actor. Later on, Lee stated that Holland is like if they turned Spider-Man into a living, breathing person, which can easily be the highest compliment to give to an actor playing a character as iconic.