Tom Holland and Timothée Chalamet are two of their generation’s biggest movie stars, and both of their 2026 movie schedules are packed with highly anticipated tentpole films. Yet their signature roles could hardly be more different. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides spends Dune brooding over visions, power and the possibility of becoming a galactic tyrant, while Holland’s Peter Parker can barely explain himself without tripping over his words or revealing classified Avengers information. But what if the two actors had swapped places? I'm cracking up over the Holland's take on how he would've played Paul.
Said contrast came up in Holland’s recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. The host imagined an alternate Hollywood timeline where Chalamet became Spider-Man, and he led Denis Villeneuve’s (Steven Spielberg-approved) Dune trilogy. Holland gave Chalamet a genuine vote of confidence as Peter Parker, then offered a much less flattering description of his own Paul Atreides:
I think he would make a great Spider-Man. I think he would really bring a lot of emotion. I think he would be a more brooding version of the character, which might be kind of interesting. And you know, maybe I got Dune. And Dune would be this kind of like, blumbering idiot, like running through the sand. That’d be kind of fun, though.
The host immediately pushed back and said he did not believe the Brand New Day actor would actually play the role that way, and he is probably right. The star of Christopher Nolan's latest box office hit, The Odyssey, has done enough dramatic work to prove he could handle Paul’s fear, anger and increasingly heavy sense of destiny.
With that said, I cannot stop picturing his proposed version. Instead of solemnly walking across the desert while visions of a holy war flash through his mind, Holland’s Paul would presumably tumble down a sand dune, lose one of his boots and accidentally spoil the Fremen’s entire battle plan. His first sandworm ride would feel less like the arrival of a messiah and more like Peter Parker clinging to the side of an airplane.
It would be a very different performance, but Holland is right that something is interesting there. The Wonka star’s Spider-Man would probably be less likely to greet a villain with an enthusiastic pop-culture reference. He might also make Peter Parker look like he has not slept since Uncle Ben died.
Shortly after the trip into "what if" fancasting land, Holland recalled being only 17 when he began auditioning for the role. Looking back at those old screen tests now, he said he can't help but see himself as a child compared with the actor he is now, leading the recently released Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Playing Peter Parker has taken up “damn near the majority” of his life.
Holland also explained that his dance background helped define his version of Spider-Man. Because the costume covers his face, he had to communicate through movement. He even developed a physical detail in which Peter’s arms occasionally hang loose in the suit, almost as though he does not fully control them. That small bit became part of how he plays the character.
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Chalamet would undoubtedly have created a different take on the Web-Head. Audiences probably would have gotten a more withdrawn and brooding Peter Parker, though the actor behind Paul Atreides can be very funny when a role allows it. Chalamet’s recent work hardly suggests he would spend every scene staring sadly from a rooftop.
I'd say the Uncharted star is being too hard on his possible Dune. He could bring plenty of emotion to Paul, and his physicality might make the desert action terrific. I still would not trust him near the Water of Life without supervision.
Thankfully, both actors landed the roles that helped define this stage of their careers. Chalamet became the haunted heir of House Atreides, while Holland brought nervous energy and gymnastic movement to Peter Parker. I'd like to think, though, that somewhere in the multiverse, however, Spider-Man is moodily considering destiny while a blundering Paul Atreides runs from a very confused sandworm. That is one heck of a funny image.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is playing in theaters now but, if you want to revisit Holland's prior turns as Spidey, stream his Home trilogy with a Disney+subscription. As for Chalamet, his first two Dune films are streaming with an HBO Max subscription, with Dune: Part Three, the third and final entry, landing in theaters on December 18.
