Tom Holland under fire for explicit 'The Crowded Room' scene
What's the story
British actor Tom Holland has often proved his acting versatility with various roles—be it Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Nathan "Nate" Drake in Uncharted. Now, he has upped his game by essaying a character with deep psychological issues in the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room. However, Holland has faced criticism over an explicit gay sex scene in the series's latest episode.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Holland gained worldwide popularity after he was cast as Spider-Man in Jon Watts' Spider-Man franchise in the MCU. A Marvel favorite, the 27-year-old actor went on to play the Spidey character in other Marvel films, too, including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. His 2021 release, Spider-Man: No Way Home, became a blockbuster hit at the global box office.
Details
Fans upset with Holland for intense scene with Elijah Jones
In the eighth episode of The Crowded Room, Holland's Danny Sullivan visits a club where he is eventually shown getting physically intimate with actor Elijah Jones's character. The video of the particular scene has now gone viral on social media over which many were disappointed. There were also fans who said they now knew why Holland needed a year-long break from acting after TCR.
Criticism
'Not my Spider-Man'
Many of Holland's fans were left disappointed after watching his intense gay sex scene with Jones. Several users took to Twitter to share their reactions to the scene. One of the many users wrote, "Not my Spider-Man," while another one tweeted, "Come on Tom Holland, you making the rest of us spider dudes look bad."
In Holland's support
Some fans supported Holland, defended him against online hate
However, there were also many fans of the actor who found nothing wrong with the aforementioned scene and went on to defend Holland against criticism and online hate. "No way people are saying 'not my Spider-Man' about Tom Holland because of The Crowded Room. Then who is your Spider-Man because they've all played LGBT roles at some point," tweeted a user.
About his character
Everything to know about Holland's character, Sullivan
In the Apple TV+ series, Holland plays the role of Sullivan, a young man who is arrested on suspicion of committing a serious crime. During the investigation and interrogation, his multiple personalities are revealed. His character has been portrayed not only as a criminal but also as a mental health patient. It is said to be one of the most challenging roles Holland played.