After five appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marisa Tomei cherishes a particular behind-the-scenes love story as her favorite memory from the Spider-Man films.
The Academy Award winner recently shared her fond recollections of witnessing her Spider-Man co-stars, Tom Holland and Zendaya, “fall in love” while working on the movies. Tomei spoke about this heartwarming experience during a Fan Expo 2024 panel in Toronto.
“I think some of my favorite moments were just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and fall in love,” Tomei said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Seeing their phenomenal talent from the start was truly awe-inspiring… I was just blown away.”
Tomei played Aunt May Parker, Peter Parker's beloved aunt, in several Marvel films alongside Holland's Spider-Man. Her appearances include 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).
Speaking about Holland and Zendaya, who portrayed Peter Parker's love interest, Michelle ‘MJ' Jones-Watson, Tomei remarked, “Some people are just meant for it, and they are meant for it. They have enormous star power, yet they manage to remain genuine, real people. They're multitalented—they can sing, dance, act, perform stunts, and even design fashion. What can't they do? They're incredible, incredible people.”
Holland and Zendaya were first romantically linked in 2017 while promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming. Although they have become more open about their relationship in recent years, Zendaya emphasized in an interview with Elle last year that her priority is “protecting the peace” in their relationship.
