When Tom Holland found out he'd landed the much-coveted role as the new Spider-man, it wasn't via an agent's text, a call from a studio head, or the director leaving a voicemail. Instead, the 21-year-old discovered he was to play the most famous victim of a spider bite via Instagram.

Sitting in his childhood bedroom at home in Kingston Upon Thames on a Saturday, having just played ("and been badly beaten by") his dad at a morning's round of golf, he suddenly came across the Marvel account, showing a picture of Spider-Man and directing followers to the website to find out who the actor would be. It was him. Holland, predictably, went nuts. The dogs started barking. His mum rushed upstairs, thinking he'd hurt himself. What's wrong? I'm Spider-Man!

Jacket, £2,190. Trousers, £1,328. Both by Giorgio Armani. armani.com . Watch by Montblanc, £1,460. montblanc.com . Necklace by The Great Frog, £243. thegreatfrogoflondon.com . Sunglasses by Garrett Leight, £388. At matchesfashion.com © Carter Smith

It was his older brother who advised caution. It was just after the Sony hack. Have they actually called you? Well, no...

Luckily for Holland, it was caused by a leak rather than a hack; Marvel rushed out the news after it was about to spill anyway, hence the late phone call, which duly came from the studio half an hour later.

Suit by Boss, £662. hugoboss.com . Shirt by Levi’s Vintage, £153. levi.com . Watch by Montblanc, £3,160. montblanc.com © Carter Smith

"So I think before it looked like a leak, Marvel did a big press release to make it look like they had released it. Though obviously I've just kiboshed those plans by telling you!"

Plus, he says, not only was it a relief when he did get the call to confirm it, he'd also got the proper celebrating out of his system. "I was lucky to get the huge excitement out of the way, then have a calm, collected conversation with my new bosses."

Jacket by Giorgio Armani, £2,268. armani.com . Sunglasses by Garrett Leight, £310. At matchesfashion.com . Necklace by The Great Frog, £243. thegreatfrogoflondon.com © Carter Smith

The role sees Holland - who first came to prominence in tsunami drama The Impossible playing the son of Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts - as the second Brit (following Andrew Garfield) to slip into the spandex of one of the US's most iconic superheroes, and also helped him win the recent Rising Star Bafta. It may just be the latest Spider-Man reboot (this will be the third series in 15 years), but what sets this one apart is that he will join the larger Marvel universe, which meant a wise-cracking cameo in last year's Captain America: Civil War and recently saw him shooting the Marvel royal rumble that is next year's Avengers: Infinity War, also starring (deep breath) Robert Downey Jr (as Iron Man), Brie Larson (as Captain Marvel), Scarlett Johnasson (as Black Widow), Vin Diesel (as Groot), Chris Hemsworth (as Thor), Chris Pratt (as Star Lord), Chris Evans (as Captain America), Elizabeth Olsen (as Scarlet Witch), Mark Ruffalo (as The Hulk), Benedict Cumberbatch (as Doctor Strange), Paul Bettany (as Vision), Paul Rudd (as Ant-Man), Jeremy Renner (as Hawkeye) and Bradley Cooper (voicing a genetically modified racoon called Rocket).

Shirt by All Saints, £121. allsaints.com . Trousers by Theory, £192. theory.com . Sunglasses by Garrett Leight, £266. garrettleight.com . Necklace by The Great Frog, £243. thegreatfrogoflondon.com © Carter Smith

It meant, as Holland was also filming a Cumberbatch Oscar-bait film about the birth of electricity (The Current War) at the same time, "shooting two days in Atlanta, two days in London, flying every third day in between". There was a time he was held up in customs, he says, only getting to his hotel at 4.30am, before being picked up for a 16-hour Avengers shoot an hour later, then flying directly back to London. That, he says, was not fun. Talk to most actors slipping on a cape or into spandex and they will tell you what a fan they were of the comics as a child. But Holland's Spider-Man obsession surely goes one step beyond.

Jacket by Dolce & Gabbana, £2,582. dolcegabbana.com . Shirt by Levi’s Vintage, £153. levi.com © Carter Smith

Over the years, he says, "as a child, I definitely went through multiple costumes. I'd go to bed in my costume, wake up in it, spend all day in it..." Tom Holland liked Spider-Man.

Just five years ago, he adds, he went to a party dressed as - you guessed it - Spider-Man. There was just one problem. "It wasn't a fancy dress party. It was just a regular party. And I was there as Spider-Man."

The real costume, he says, was trickier. Due to a head he describes as "weirdly egg-shaped", he wore a helmet under the suit. Once the eyes were clipped in, he says, "I could only see about five feet in front of me, with no peripheral vision." It led, once, to him being clobbered by a stuntman. "Yeah, I got punched in the face. I was supposed to dodge it and I just didn't see it coming. He cracked me in the head. He had this massive gauntlet in his hand, a big metal fist type thing, and he punched me in the face so hard, like you wouldn't believe. But it looks great! I hope they use it. It's one of those things where you stand up and you're angry, like, 'What the hell, man? You punched me in the head!' Then you realise it's entirely your fault."

© Columbia Pictures

Next up, he says, he'd naturally like to play some edgier roles ("I've played a lot of wide-eyed kids"), but before then there's the small matter of being contracted for three more Spider-Man movies. "But on the second film, we're gonna have to sort the suit."

Spider-Man: Homecoming is out on 7 July.

Fashion Editor: Grace Gilfeather Producer: Ariana Trinneer at Copius Management **Hair: **Christine Nelli at The Wall Group Shot on location in Los Angeles

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