Marvel fans around the globe have been flocking to cineplexes all weekend to catch Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which marks his sixth appearance as the webhead. The British star has come a long way since he first joined the MCU in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, then. And he’s come even further since his breakout film role, acclaimed disaster movie The Impossible, which you can catch on streaming once it hits Hulu from this January 1st.
Experts on Tom Holland’s career will know that he’s been performing for much of his life, as he landed the title role in stage musical Billy Elliot in 2008, when he was just 12 years old. It wasn’t until two years later, though, when he landed his first major Hollywood gig in The Impossible, which filmed in 2010 but didn’t reach cinemas until 2012.
As based on true events, the film follows the Bennett family as they fight to survive the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while spending their Christmas vacation in Thailand. Naomi Watts stars as matriarch Maria, with Ewan McGregor as father Henry. Holland plays the couple’s oldest child, Lucas, with Paddington‘s Samuel Joslin as younger son Thomas. Future Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom helmer J.A. Bayona directed.
The Impossible was met with nothing but positive notices at the time, with Watts’s powerhouse central performance earning her Academy Award, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations. Holland is also exceptional, however, displaying a maturity beyond his young age that would make him the perfect choice to be the new Spider-Man a few years later. Watching him in this, it’s no surprise that he’s gone on to become one of the most popular stars in the world.
Don’t miss The Impossible once it lands on Hulu from New Year’s Day. As for his next new movie, Tom Holland stars in Sony’s Uncharted in February.