The relationship between Spider-Man and Iron Man--aka Peter Parker and Tony Stark--is a big part of the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming. But it seems that the pair actually met in an earlier Marvel movie--namely, 2010's Iron Man 2.
The scene is question occurs during the ill-fated Stark Expo, where a host of robotic Hammer Drones go on the rampage. A young boy wearing an Iron Man mask bravely confronts one of the Drones, and it has been a fan theory for some time that the boy is actually a young Peter Parker. Watch it below:
Homecoming star Tom Holland has now confirmed that this is, indeed, Peter. Holland was asked about the scene by the Huffington Post and referred to a conversation between him and Marvel boss Kevin Feige on the same subject.
"I can confirm that is Peter Parker," he said. "I can confirm that as of today. I literally had a conversation with Kevin Feige only 20 minutes ago. Maybe I've just done a big, old spoiler, but it's out there now. It's cool. I like the idea that Peter Parker has been in the universe since the beginning."
In terms of story, this makes sense--the boy would be the around the correct age for Peter at the time, and the Expo takes place in Queens, New York, where he grew up. Of course, whether this was the plan back in 2010 is another matter entirely, especially as this was several years before the deal between Marvel and Sony--who own the movie rights to Spider-Man--had been agreed.
Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7. We'll find out then if there's any reference to this scene in the movie. In the meantime, check out the latest trailer here.
In related news, Feige this week confirmed that the Homecoming sequel will kick off Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "So much happens in [the third and fourth Avengers movies], as you can imagine, and so much is affected by it, that we felt what better person to hold your hand and lead you into the next incarnation of the MCU, in a grounded, realistic manner, than Peter Parker?" he said. "So, coming out two months after Untitled Avengers, [that's what] much of what the next Spider-Man film will be about."