Tom Holland reached back to one of Andrew Garfield's finest cinematic moments and, with impeccable comic timing, reminded everyone why audiences collectively gasped. Garfield's desperate dive to save MJ rewrote the tragedy of Gwen Stacy and ended in tearful relief, a hard-earned emotional redemption—or, in Holland's delightfully simpler vocabulary, 'redemption.'

Tom Holland turned one of Spider-Man: No Way Home's most heartbreaking moments into a punchline during a Letterboxd interview with Zendaya and Jacob Batalon. Reflecting on Andrew Garfield's rescue of MJ, Holland joked that the sequence transformed Garfield's Spider-Man from tragedy to triumph.

"It is a major L into a major W," Holland declared. In internet slang, an "L" means a painful loss or failure, while a "W" represents a hard-earned win. His joke perfectly summed up Garfield's journey from failing to save Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to finally saving MJ, earning the redemption fans had long hoped for.

Although he did make sure to mention in the Letterboxd interview that he was joking. He praised the scene as deeply moving, recalling that Garfield's chance to save MJ stood out the moment he read the script. Holland was delighted it survived to the final cut, proving that behind the humor was genuine admiration for one of the Marvel franchise's most cathartic emotional redemptions.

It was classic Tom Holland: a cheeky one-liner that fans immediately recognized as praise wrapped in playful banter for Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man.

Behind Tom Holland's affection for Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man

Tom Holland has never treated Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man as competition. From the moment he inherited the mask, Holland openly praised Garfield's performance, even admitting in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he regretted not calling his predecessor after landing the role. He later apologized, a gesture that revealed admiration rather than obligation.

That respect only deepened on Spider-Man: No Way Home. Holland repeatedly described The Amazing Spider-Man films as "fantastic" and "brilliant," while filming alongside Garfield transformed professional respect into genuine friendship. The trio's emotional rooftop embrace reflected a bond that had grown naturally behind the cameras before it ever reached the screen.

Respect, unlike radioactive spiders, has a habit of lingering. Garfield's influence even echoed through the design language of Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit, quietly honoring the hero who came before. Which is why that cheeky "major L into a major W" quip sounded less like mockery and more like applause wearing a smile.

What do you think of Tom Holland's joke about Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man's cathartic experience? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Hriddhi Maitra