Tom Holland reveals Zendaya threatened to leave him if he turned down ‘The Odyssey’ role

Actor secured Sony approval to adjust filming schedule, allowing both blockbuster projects to move forward

Tom Holland has revealed that Zendaya jokingly told him she would "leave" him if he rejected Christopher Nolan's offer to join The Odyssey, as the actor weighed one of the biggest career decisions of his life.

Speaking alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Christopher Nolan in an interview with People, Holland recalled the moment he returned home after meeting the acclaimed filmmaker about starring as Telemachus in the epic adaptation of Homer's classic tale.

The decision proved complicated because Spider-Man: Brand New Day was originally scheduled to begin production at almost exactly the same time as The Odyssey. Accepting Nolan's offer meant Holland would need to find a way to resolve the scheduling conflict with Sony Pictures, the studio behind the Spider-Man franchise.

Holland said he discussed the opportunity with Zendaya, whom he married earlier this year after the couple confirmed their long running relationship. Recalling the conversation, he explained that he told her he had been offered "the big one" before revealing that Christopher Nolan was the filmmaker behind the project.

According to Holland, Zendaya immediately understood the significance of the opportunity. He said she jokingly replied, "I'll leave you if you don't do The Odyssey."

The remark drew laughter from everyone involved in the interview, including Nolan himself. The Oscar winning director thanked Zendaya for encouraging Holland to accept the role, while Holland jokingly responded, "Here I am."

Taking part in The Odyssey ultimately required Holland to ask Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman to postpone production on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The actor previously explained in an interview with GQ that he sought permission to adjust the filming schedule so he could appear in Nolan's latest project.

Sony agreed to the request, allowing Holland to complete work on The Odyssey before returning to his iconic role as Peter Parker. The decision means the actor headlines two of the year's biggest studio releases, with The Odyssey arriving in cinemas on July 17 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day following on July 31.

The scheduling change also allowed Holland and Zendaya to share another major screen project together. While Holland portrays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, Zendaya appears as Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. The pair previously worked together throughout the Spider-Man franchise, where Zendaya plays Michelle "MJ" Jones.

Nolan revealed that Holland had been on his wish list for some time, explaining that he had admired the actor's work for years despite never having collaborated with him before.

The director acknowledged that bringing Holland onto the production was not straightforward because of the actor's demanding commitments. Even so, Nolan praised Holland and the rest of the cast for embracing the physically challenging production, describing the experience as demanding "in the right way" and saying the performers rose magnificently to every challenge.

Holland has also shared that Nolan allowed him to break another piece of exciting news at home by letting him tell Zendaya first that the director wanted her to play Athena. According to the actor, she realised the role after carefully rereading the screenplay, making the experience another memorable milestone for the couple as they prepared to star together in one of Christopher Nolan's most ambitious films.