Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo says Tom Holland is "the last great movie star" with a quality "very few actors in history" have had
Joe Russo has high praise for Tom Holland
Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo has very high praise for Spider-Man star Tom Holland.
"I think Tom Holland translates in a way that I don't know if very few actors in history translate," he told CBR, discussing the financial success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. "There is a charm and a genuineness and a warmth to him that really resonates with audiences. And he's so authentic as a person and his performances are so authentic, and he really embodies that character in a way that's straight off the page of the comics.
"And I think that movie is a testament to his star power," he continued. "We've said this before, he's the last great movie star. There's a vintage quality to Tom Holland that feels like it comes from a time that doesn't exist now. There's lots of great movie stars out there, but [his] energy is different. He's got that quality that very, very few people have had."
Tom Holland is “the last great movie star,” according to Joe Russo. 🕷️ Russo explains why Holland's authenticity, charm and ability to embody Spider-Man give him a rare quality in Hollywood. Watch the full retrospective on CBR Presents. https://t.co/YymZlek5tzOctober 10, 2026
While the Russos directed Holland's Spidey in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame (as well as their non-Marvel movie Cherry), the webslinger isn't currently slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Time will tell if he makes an appearance in either.
"Doom’s magic is ancient," Joe Russo has said of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. "He is a very powerful character, as you can see in the trailer, and he's a genius. He studies his foes. He understands them, and he's also well-planned. He's not somebody who just does something off the cuff."
He added: "Everything is meticulous with him, and he knows that if he's going to step onto a battlefield against somebody, he has to have the tactical advantage or a power advantage against that person. So, he's very difficult to beat."
Doomsday arrives this December 18. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.
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I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film section. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.
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