Tom Holland and Zendaya married: the Spider-Man franchise's real-life romance tradition

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened July 29 and crossed 4 million cumulative viewers on its seventh day — faster than any other film released this year has managed.

The milestone arrives with renewed attention to the franchise's most consistent off-screen pattern: its leads falling for each other. Tom Holland and Zendaya first met during the 2016 shoot of Spider-Man: Homecoming (Holland as Peter Parker, Zendaya as Michelle Jones/MJ). In 2021, they were photographed kissing in a car in Los Angeles. By January 2025, Zendaya appeared at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards wearing a large diamond ring on her left ring finger.

Holland effectively confirmed the marriage in a June Esquire interview. Asked whether he needed to explain AI-generated wedding photos to family, he said, "No. Everyone was there," then added, "I'll stop here" — declining to elaborate. He described Zendaya as his best friend and said he experiences "support and stability he had never felt before" when with her.

Producer Amy Pascal has since revealed she advised the two not to pursue a romantic relationship when they joined the project.

The pattern goes back further. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst — Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson in the 2002 film — had a secret relationship from 2001 to 2002. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, who played Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man, were official partners from 2011 to 2015.

All three actresses also share a tennis-film credit. Dunst played American tennis star Ridgeley Bradberry in Wimbledon (2004). Stone played Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes (2017). Zendaya played tennis coach Tashi Duncan in Challengers (2024). Zendaya acknowledged the pattern directly: "We joked among ourselves, 'I guess this is my turn to complete this.'" The Spider-Man-to-tennis pipeline is apparently non-negotiable.

The three Spider-Men share a military-role credit too. Maguire in Brothers (2009), Garfield in Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Holland in Cherry (2021).