Key Insights

Tom Holland’s audition was significantly influenced by Jon Bernthal.

Both actors filmed their audition tapes during the production of Pilgrimage.

Bernthal aimed to manage Holland’s expectations about becoming Spider-Man.

Holland’s confidence led to creative suggestions from Bernthal for his audition.

Jon Bernthal, who appears as The Punisher on the big screen for the first time in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, played a key role in Holland’s journey.

The Odyssey co-stars were making the 2017 film Pilgrimage, and “that was where both Tom did his audition for Spider-Man and I did my audition for [Netflix’s] Punisher,” Bernthal said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in April 2025. “We actually made each other’s audition tapes on that film.”

Holland was super-confident, Bernthal noted, so he admittedly tried to temper the teen’s expectations.

“I was like, ‘There’s probably a lot of people that want to be Spider-Man. I mean, you’re super talented and all, but the odds are kind of against you, but yeah, let’s make the tape,’” Bernthal recalled. But, not wanting Holland to get lost in the shuffle, either, “I gave him the note, ‘Tom, maybe you should run up that wall and do a double backflip and then start the scene.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, you think I should do that? That’s not too much?’”

Bernthal quipped, “It’s not that I take responsibility for him [getting cast], but you know, like a little something.”