After five appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marisa Tomei‘s favorite part of the superhero franchise was actually a behind-the-scenes love story.
The Academy Award winner had fond memories of watching her Spider-Man co-stars Tom Holland and Zendaya “fall in love” while making the movies as she appeared on a recent Fan Expo 2024 panel in Toronto.
“I think some of the favorite things were really just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and watching them fall in love… and seeing their phenomenal talent,” said Tomei, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Just being, like, blown away from the the get-go… I mean, I’m blown away.”
She starred opposite Holland’s Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) as Aunt May Parker in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
“Some people are just meant for it, and they are meant for it,” she said of Holland and Zendaya, who played Parker’s love interest Michelle ‘MJ’ Jones-Watson.
Tom Holland and Zendaya
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“They carry enormous, enormous star power, enormous power and they manage to be real people at the same time and and just, they’re multitalented,” raved Tomei. “They can do everything! They sing, they dance, they act, they do stunts, they design fashion. I mean, what are they not doing? They’re incredible, incredible people.”
Holland and Zendaya were first romantically linked in 2017 while promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming. Although the pair has become more public in recent years, Zendaya told Elle last year that her priority is “protecting the peace” in their relationship.