Tom Holland says he knew about RDJ's MCU return before Marvel's official reveal
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Holland revealed that he was among the first people to learn about Robert Downey Jr's (RDJ) return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor shared that Downey personally informed him about his comeback as Doctor Doom in 'Avengers: Doomsday'.
Holland said he was asked to keep the information private until Marvel made it official. However, he admitted that he immediately told Zendaya, who was with him when he received the call and helped ensure the secret did not spread any further.
Robert Downey Jr personally shared his Marvel return plans with Tom Holland
Holland revealed that Robert Downey Jr personally broke the news to him, making him one of the first people outside Marvel's inner circle to know about the actor's return.
After receiving the call, Holland said he was instructed to keep the information confidential until Marvel made the announcement. The excitement, however, proved difficult to contain.
Recalling the moment, Holland said, “I think I hung up the phone and was like, ‘Downey’s coming back.’”
Zendaya later confirmed she was with him when he received the call and helped keep the secret from spreading beyond their immediate circle.
Holland also added, “Yeah, he just called me.”
Downey is set to return to the MCU in 'Avengers: Doomsday' as Doctor Doom, also known as Victor Von Doom. The character is expected to serve as the film's primary antagonist, facing both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.
Tom Holland's history of accidental Marvel spoilers
For longtime MCU fans, Holland has developed a reputation for unintentionally revealing major spoilers during interviews and promotional appearances.
During the 2017 press tour for 'Spider-Man: Homecoming', he casually mentioned that Spider-Man would receive a full trilogy before Marvel officially confirmed the plans.
In another memorable incident, Holland went live on Instagram while opening a gift from Mark Ruffalo and accidentally showed an 'Avengers: Infinity War' poster marked “Confidential: Do not share.”
The following year, while appearing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', he discussed a script he believed was fake and inadvertently confirmed details about Spider-Man's journey into space.
Holland also famously walked into a movie theater and shouted, “I’m alive!” before many fans had seen the ending of 'Avengers: Infinity War'.
His track record of accidental reveals eventually led Marvel Studios to limit the amount of script material shared with him before filming.
Despite that history, Holland successfully kept one of Marvel's biggest recent surprises under wraps, with Zendaya helping ensure that Downey's return remained a secret until the studio was ready to make it official.
