No matter what universe Spider-Man is in, whoever plays him eventually dates his costar in real
life. That’s just how it is, no questions asked. Or, maybe, a few? It happened with
Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst from the original trilogy, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone from The
Amazing Spider-Man franchise, and Tom Holland and Zendaya from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But, according to a veteran Spider-Man producer, she sat down with both Emma and
Andrew and Tom and Zendaya to specifically discourage them from getting romantic.
During an interview with The New York Times, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and
Spider-Man: No Way Home producer Amy Pascal discussed the evolution of Spider-Man over the
years and where the story goes in the future. They covered a lot of ground about the past,
present, and future, including the trends that have occurred throughout all adaptations.
Yes, you know it, including how all stars seem to couple up in real life… and later break up.
Pascal said that she cautioned Tom and Zendaya against dating the minute they
landed their roles as Peter Parker and MJ. “I took Tom and Zendaya aside, separately, when we
first cast them and gave them a lecture. Don’t go there — just don’t. Try not to,” Amy said.
“I gave the same advice to Andrew and Emma. It can just complicate things, you know? And they
all ignored me,” she added. Well, at least Holland and Zendaya waited a few years after their first
Spider-Man movie to get together, right? Pascal’s comment had prompted when the
interviewer, Brooks Barnes, mentioned that past Spider-Man costars had real-life romances
as well. Tobey and Kirsten portrayed iconic comic-book love interests Peter Parker and
Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s films released in the early to mid-2000s. The actors coupled up for
a brief romance while working on the first film. “I actually had some worries about that,” Raimi
told The Sydney Morning Herald after the release of Spider-Man 3. “They apparently began dating,
I think, in the middle of the first movie ... although I didn’t know it at the time,” he said.
However, their relationship didn’t last long. The couple broke things off before the second movie.
Sam was concerned that they wouldn’t get the same chemistry back, but his worries were just that,
his worries. “They really like each other, I think, very much.
And that relationship probably just added to their ability to trust each
other,” he explained. Well, isn’t that great? Of course, history repeated itself when Garfield
and Stone were cast as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy in Sony and Marvel’s reboot. Back in 2012,
when The Amazing Spider-Man was released, Garfield said he was “so happy” when Stone was cast.
“Those are the days I’d look forward to, you know? For Peter as well, because Peter goes through some
horrible stuff in the movie. There’s some joy to be had when experiencing his first love,” he said.
In a Teen Vogue interview that same year, the actor vividly recalled his
first interaction with Stone. “It was like I woke up when she came in,” Garfield said,
describing it as “diving into white-water rapids and having no desire to hang on to the side.”
Aww, someone was falling in love here… “Throughout shooting, it was wild and exciting. I
couldn’t help but try to stay with her, keep pace with her, and not let her get away,” he added.
Emma and Andrew did have many things in common — charities, a great sense of humor,
and a love for animals — including their beloved dog, Ren. And even though they were one of those
couples that never in four years confirmed their love, fans were delighted when the pair turned
their on-screen romance into a real-life one. The sad news broke in April 2015:
Garfield and Stone called it quits the year after the second movie hit the theaters.
Since then, Andrew has continued to voice support for Emma, telling Vanity Fair two years after the
breakup how much they care about one another. In September, the actor reflected on his time
shooting the Amazing Spider-Man films, telling Variety how beautiful it was.
“I got to meet Emma and work with her and Sally Field. I had karma with Amy Pascal,
who was a mother figure, and we would fight, but ultimately, we loved each other on a deep level.”
Tom Holland, the latest actor to portray Peter Parker, met Zendaya during her Spider-Man:
Homecoming screen test for the role of MJ. The stars denied romance rumors for years,
but this summer, they were photographed kissing in a car, and the whole thing blew up, of course.
In a cover story for GQ’s Men of the Year issue, Holland said that he and Zendaya felt robbed of
their privacy when paparazzi took photos of them. “Loving someone is a sacred thing and a special
thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the
two people that love each other,” Zendaya said. According to the actor, one of the downsides of
fame is that privacy isn’t really in your control anymore, and a moment you think
is between the two people very much in love becomes a moment shared with the entire world.
In terms of what he does share now, he said, “It’s not a conversation that I can have without her.
You know, I respect her too much to say… This isn’t my story. It’s our story.
And we’ll talk about what it is when we’re ready to talk about it together.”
Overall, it seems that Zendaya and Tom Holland’s relationship is stronger than ever,
despite the sudden reveal almost half a year ago. “Zendaya and Tom are in the best place they
could be right now,” an insider said of the couple. “Going public with
their relationship has made them even more strong and confident in their relationship.”
The young couple has made several red carpet appearances together to promote their new film,
Spider-Man: No Way Home. In public, Holland and Zendaya are keeping their relationship
relatively low-key, but they’ve still engaged in some light flirting during the press tour.
The source noted that the couple’s friends support the relationship, and they have
no doubt it will last. “They seem to be in it for the long haul together,” the insider said.
One of their sweetest moments came earlier in December, when a French outlet asked them to
name each other’s best qualities. “Yours is that you are super pretty,” the U.K. native told his
girlfriend. “Your kindness is your best quality. You’re a very kind person.” The Dune actress,
for her part, replied, “You’re always thinking about others. And you’re pretty, too.”
Recently, Zendaya unveiled a big hair change on her Instagram Story, but some fans wondered
whether Zendaya was subtly making a bigger announcement because of the ring she was wearing.
Hair-wise, the actor revealed she’s gone red and short (a real Mary Jane Watson move, might
we say) after having long brown hair throughout the Spider-Man: No Way Home press tour. “It was
time for a change,” Zendaya captioned the post. Fans also noticed that she had a yellow diamond
ring on her left finger. Some pondered whether it was an engagement ring, given that Z and Tom
seem to be in a serious relationship. However, others were quick to point out that it looks a
lot like the yellow diamond Bulgari ring Zendaya bought for herself that she has regularly worn.
“This is my splurge, my treat-myself,” she told British Vogue for its October issue interview. “I
do get a little employee discount,” she said with a laugh, referencing her role as an ambassador.
“It feels like it’s gonna be an heirloom, like one day I can give it to my grandchildren.”
Zendaya can be seen wearing the ring during the press tour,
although it’s typically on her right ring finger. Zendaya and Holland have made a point to keep
details of their romantic relationship as private as possible, so even if they were engaged,
they might opt not to share the news with the world — at least for now.
Still, here and there, we can see glimpses of their future together. In a recent interview, Tom
said that he dreams about having a family one day. The actor spent the last six years being so
focused on his career, so now he wants to take a break and focus on figuring
out what he wants to do outside the acting world. Holland also added that he would be
very happy with just being a stay-at-home dad and producing a movie now and then.
He continued by saying that if he wasn’t an actor, he’d be a teacher.
“I love kids. I can’t wait to be a dad — I can wait, and I will, but I can’t wait! If I’m at a
wedding or a party, I’m always at the kids’ table, hanging out. My dad’s been such a great role model
for me. I think I’ve got that from him.” So, the question is, are they in it for the
long haul? Will they join the club of Spider-Man amicable exes? Or maybe the youngest couple will
outlive the rest? What do you guys think? Drop your opinions in the comments below.
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