Marisa Tomei Reflects on WatchingSpider-ManCostars Tom Holland and Zendaya 'Fall in Love'

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: Marisa Tomei; Tom Holland; and Zendaya.Photo:Daniele Venturelli/Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Christina House / Los Angeles Times via GettyTom HollandandZendaya’s romance has blossomed in the years since they first costarred in theSpider-Manmovies together, and their costarMarisa Tomeihas been there for it all.While appearing atFan Expo 2024in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 25, Tomei — who played Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the three most recentSpider-Manmovies — told an audience that one of her favorite parts of working on the trilogy was “really just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and watching them fall in love … and seeing their phenomenal talent.““Just being, like, blown away from the the get-go … just seeing them step into [those] shoes — I mean, I’m blown away,” the Oscar winner, 59, added of Holland, 28, and Zendaya, 27. “Some people are just meant for it, and they are meant for it.“Holland was first introduced to a worldwide audience as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2016’sCaptain America: Civil Warand has since appeared as the character in three solo films and the last twoAvengersmovies. Zendaya, who plays Michelle “MJ” Jones in the series, has continued making hits outside theSpider-Manseries with her 2024 sci-fi epic,Dune: Part Two, and the tennis dramaChallengers.From Left: Marisa Tomei, Zendaya and Tom Holland on Dec. 14, 2021.Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock"They carry enormous, enormous star power, enormous power and they manage to be real people at the same time and just, they’re multitalented,” Tomei said of couple, who have beendatingsince 2021. “They can do everything! They sing, they dance, they act, they do stunts, they design fashion. I mean, what are they not doing? They’re incredible, incredible people.“Tomei even said she recently saw Holland during his return to the stage in the West End production ofRomeo & Juliet, which ran from May 13 to Aug. 3. “He can do everything,” she added.Audiences have not seen Holland and Zendaya on screen together since 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, in which Tomei’s Aunt May dies and Peter Parker sacrifices his friends and family’s memories of him in order to protect his work as Spider-Man and end the film’s conflict.From Left: Zendaya and Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’.J Whilden/Columbia/Marvel/Kobal/ShutterstockThe franchise’s future has been up in the air since then, though Holland said as recently as April that afourth movie remains in development.“This is the first time in this process that I’ve been part of the creative so early. It’s just a process where I’m watching and learning. It’s just a really fun stage for me,” he toldDeadlineat the time. “Like I said, everyone wants it to happen. But we want to make sure we’re not overdoing the same things.“Off-screen, a source told PEOPLE that same month that “there has been talk of marriage” between Holland and Zendaya.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

From Left: Marisa Tomei; Tom Holland; and Zendaya.Photo:Daniele Venturelli/Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty

Daniele Venturelli/Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty

Tom HollandandZendaya’s romance has blossomed in the years since they first costarred in theSpider-Manmovies together, and their costarMarisa Tomeihas been there for it all.While appearing atFan Expo 2024in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 25, Tomei — who played Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the three most recentSpider-Manmovies — told an audience that one of her favorite parts of working on the trilogy was “really just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and watching them fall in love … and seeing their phenomenal talent.““Just being, like, blown away from the the get-go … just seeing them step into [those] shoes — I mean, I’m blown away,” the Oscar winner, 59, added of Holland, 28, and Zendaya, 27. “Some people are just meant for it, and they are meant for it.“Holland was first introduced to a worldwide audience as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2016’sCaptain America: Civil Warand has since appeared as the character in three solo films and the last twoAvengersmovies. Zendaya, who plays Michelle “MJ” Jones in the series, has continued making hits outside theSpider-Manseries with her 2024 sci-fi epic,Dune: Part Two, and the tennis dramaChallengers.From Left: Marisa Tomei, Zendaya and Tom Holland on Dec. 14, 2021.Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock"They carry enormous, enormous star power, enormous power and they manage to be real people at the same time and just, they’re multitalented,” Tomei said of couple, who have beendatingsince 2021. “They can do everything! They sing, they dance, they act, they do stunts, they design fashion. I mean, what are they not doing? They’re incredible, incredible people.“Tomei even said she recently saw Holland during his return to the stage in the West End production ofRomeo & Juliet, which ran from May 13 to Aug. 3. “He can do everything,” she added.Audiences have not seen Holland and Zendaya on screen together since 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, in which Tomei’s Aunt May dies and Peter Parker sacrifices his friends and family’s memories of him in order to protect his work as Spider-Man and end the film’s conflict.From Left: Zendaya and Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’.J Whilden/Columbia/Marvel/Kobal/ShutterstockThe franchise’s future has been up in the air since then, though Holland said as recently as April that afourth movie remains in development.“This is the first time in this process that I’ve been part of the creative so early. It’s just a process where I’m watching and learning. It’s just a really fun stage for me,” he toldDeadlineat the time. “Like I said, everyone wants it to happen. But we want to make sure we’re not overdoing the same things.“Off-screen, a source told PEOPLE that same month that “there has been talk of marriage” between Holland and Zendaya.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Tom HollandandZendaya’s romance has blossomed in the years since they first costarred in theSpider-Manmovies together, and their costarMarisa Tomeihas been there for it all.

While appearing atFan Expo 2024in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 25, Tomei — who played Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the three most recentSpider-Manmovies — told an audience that one of her favorite parts of working on the trilogy was “really just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and watching them fall in love … and seeing their phenomenal talent.”

“Just being, like, blown away from the the get-go … just seeing them step into [those] shoes — I mean, I’m blown away,” the Oscar winner, 59, added of Holland, 28, and Zendaya, 27. “Some people are just meant for it, and they are meant for it.”

Holland was first introduced to a worldwide audience as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2016’sCaptain America: Civil Warand has since appeared as the character in three solo films and the last twoAvengersmovies. Zendaya, who plays Michelle “MJ” Jones in the series, has continued making hits outside theSpider-Manseries with her 2024 sci-fi epic,Dune: Part Two, and the tennis dramaChallengers.

From Left: Marisa Tomei, Zendaya and Tom Holland on Dec. 14, 2021.Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

“They carry enormous, enormous star power, enormous power and they manage to be real people at the same time and just, they’re multitalented,” Tomei said of couple, who have beendatingsince 2021. “They can do everything! They sing, they dance, they act, they do stunts, they design fashion. I mean, what are they not doing? They’re incredible, incredible people.”

Tomei even said she recently saw Holland during his return to the stage in the West End production ofRomeo & Juliet, which ran from May 13 to Aug. 3. “He can do everything,” she added.

Audiences have not seen Holland and Zendaya on screen together since 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, in which Tomei’s Aunt May dies and Peter Parker sacrifices his friends and family’s memories of him in order to protect his work as Spider-Man and end the film’s conflict.

From Left: Zendaya and Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’.J Whilden/Columbia/Marvel/Kobal/Shutterstock

J Whilden/Columbia/Marvel/Kobal/Shutterstock

The franchise’s future has been up in the air since then, though Holland said as recently as April that afourth movie remains in development.

“This is the first time in this process that I’ve been part of the creative so early. It’s just a process where I’m watching and learning. It’s just a really fun stage for me,” he toldDeadlineat the time. “Like I said, everyone wants it to happen. But we want to make sure we’re not overdoing the same things.”

Off-screen, a source told PEOPLE that same month that “there has been talk of marriage” between Holland and Zendaya.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

source: people.com