Tom Holland, who since 2016 has played Marvel's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on the big screen, is looking like anything but a do-gooder in a first-look image from CHERRY, the upcoming biopic helmed by Joe and Anthony Russo.
Holland posted the new image to his personal Instagram account on Friday, which gives us our first glimpse at Holland's Nico Walker, a former Army medic turned bank robber. As you can see, Holland's new look is quite the departure from, oh, I don't know, let's say Marvel's Peter Parker. Gone is Parker's boy-next-door hairdo, which has been replaced by a militant, freshly-shaven dome. Holland is also sporting a rather serious expression on his face in the photo, as he brandishes a handgun inside a Shitty Bank. As far as one-eighties go, Holland looks to have his most recent transformation on lock.
The story for CHERRY comes from Walker's own biographical novel of the same name, which had been published by Knopf on August 14, 2018. The book, which has been hailed as a cross between Jesus' Son and Reservoir Dogs, takes place in Cleveland and revolves around a young man from an affluent family who marries his hometown girlfriend before joining the Army and shipping out to Iraq. As an Army medic, Walker is unprepared for the grisly reality that awaits him, and the rough and tumble nature of his fellow soldiers who smoke, take painkillers, watch porn, and get gruesomely injured all too regularly. By the time the soldier returns home, he has an un-diagnosed case of extreme PTSD and has become hooked on the opioids prescribed him. He finds an outlet that forces him to focus and makes him feel the way he did in pressure combat situations: he robs banks.
Starring alongside Holland in the upcoming biopic co-written by Jessica Goldberg (DECEPTION) and Angela Russo-Otstot (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER), are Ciara Bravo (RED BAND SOCIETY) as the female lead, Bill Skarsgard (IT: CHAPTER TWO), Jack Reynor (MIDSOMMAR), Forrest Goodluck (THE REVENANT), Jeffrey Wahlberg (DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD), Michael Gandolfini (THE DEUCE), and Kyle Harvey (THE AFTER PARTY). Directing the film in addition to producing are Marvel titans, Joe and Anthony Russo.
CHERRY is due to arrive in theaters on January 1, 2020.