Tom Holland has revealed the unusual preparation he attempted for one of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s most talked-about scenes. The actor tried dehydrating himself before filming the sequence in which Peter Parker is forced to strip down while visiting Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova at a Russian bathhouse.
Holland explained that he avoided drinking water the day before the shoot in an attempt to make his physique appear more defined. However, the Spider-Man star admitted the tactic did not produce the dramatic results he expected and instead left him in a bad mood.
Tom Holland Tried Dehydration for His Shirtless Spider-Man Scene
The bathhouse sequence sees Peter seeking information from Yelena about the mysterious threat confronting him. Before allowing Spider-Man into her private space, Yelena orders him to remove his clothes so she can make sure he is not carrying a weapon.
Peter ultimately remains in his mask and underwear, creating one of the movie’s more comedic moments. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Holland revealed that he deliberately experimented with his hydration before shooting the scene.
“I had tried to do that stupid dehydration thing for that scene, where I didn’t drink any water the day before and then I drank loads of water the day before that,”
Holland said.
The actor’s experiment was apparently far less effective than he hoped. Rather than noticeably changing his appearance, Holland said the biggest result was its impact on his mood.
“I tried to see if it would make a difference, and the only thing it did is it just made me really grumpy,”
he explained. Holland also acknowledged that he did not think the strategy made
“that much of a difference.”
Despite the uncomfortable preparation, Holland had positive memories of filming the sequence, particularly because he was working with Pugh. He praised his co-star and described her as “the funniest person in the room,” while saying that their scene itself went smoothly.
Zendaya and Jacob Batalon were not present when Holland and Pugh filmed the sequence. Holland joked that their absence was probably for the best because the actors were working in their underwear.
The scene has also prompted comparisons with Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man titles, which feature an unlockable Spider-Man outfit consisting of his underwear and mask. Holland, Zendaya and Batalon acknowledged the similarity when asked about the possible Easter egg, although Holland could not officially confirm that the movie was directly referencing the games.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige separately told Entertainment Weekly that the film contains shots inspired by the video games, although he stopped short of confirming this particular connection.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day follows Peter Parker as he struggles with isolation and a changed life while confronting a new mind-controlling threat. The film stars Holland alongside Zendaya, Pugh, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal and Mark Ruffalo.
