Uncharted: Tom Holland talks putting on "timber" so he didn't look "like a child" next to Mark Wahlberg

Tom Holland in Uncharted — (Image credit: Sony)

When Tom Holland first stepped into Nathan Drake’s swashbuckling shoes for the upcoming Uncharted adaptation, they didn’t quite fit.

"When we went to set for the first time, I saw Mark Wahlberg [who plays mentor figure Sully], and Mark is massive. He is a unit,” the actor tells Total Film in the latest issue of the magazine, featuring Black Adam on the cover.

"I was in good shape, but I wasn’t by any means big." A few days later, the set was closed down due to Covid. And while the rest of us were stuck inside, eating copious amounts of ice-cream to help cope with the pandemic, Holland set about growing into the part of Drake, the wisecracking adventurer from the massively popular Uncharted videogame series. "We went home for five months, all I did was eat and train, eat and train, eat and train – to put a bit of timber on, to make me look not like a child next to Mark."

The results speak volumes: Drake’s much bigger and more confident than the awkward Peter Parker. Yes, the quips are there, but Drake’s a swaggering explorer. And if you’re thinking that sounds like a character more suited to Wahlberg’s physique, then you’re not alone – the Transformers actor was once in line to play Drake. However, after multiple directors dropped out of production (David O. Russell, Shawn Levy, and Dan Trachtenberg among them), the story changed to focus on a younger version of the character – and Holland was in the perfect place to take on the role.

"I’m always looking for a challenge. I’m looking for something I haven’t done before," he says. "I’m now using my job as an excuse to travel, and see the world, and meet amazing people. In a similar way to Nathan Drake, I really just like adventure." Sounds like Holland was Drake’s shoe size after all.

For much more on the biggest films coming in 2022, check out the brand new issue of Total Film magazine when it hits stands from Thursday, December 9.

Total Film's Black Adam cover — (Image credit: Warner Bros/Total Film)

If you’re a fan, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? You’ll save money on the cover price, have the issue delivered to your door before it’s on newsstands, *and* you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers like the Black Adam one below. What are you waiting for?

The Total Film Black Adam cover — (Image credit: Future/Warner Bros)

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.