Life imitates art. History repeats itself. The wheel comes full circle and whatnot. Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire—the three live-action Spider-Man leads have shockingly upheld one tradition seemingly intrinsic to the Spider-Man universe. What one can only deem a bizarre coincidence has been dubbed on the internet by many as the ‘Spider-Man Curse.’
Before anyone gets concerned, it’s not exactly a curse, per se, but a pattern that has weirdly followed the actors behind all the live-action iterations of the web crawler. With the precedence Tom Holland’s relationship with Zendaya has taken in pop-culture happenings, we must remind you: they are not the first pair to date from the live-action Spider-Man universe!
Funnily enough, before them, The Amazing Spider-Man lead Andrew Garfield dated his on-screen love interest, Emma Stone, in real life. Preceding them were Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst! It’s unbelievable that a single IP birthed three couples out of it, all of whom played each other’s romantic counterparts in their respective films!
The ‘curse’ part, however, isn’t that every Spider-Man star has seemingly been involved with their leading ladies, but that two of those relationships didn’t stand the test of time. Naturally, when news of Tom Holland and Zendaya dating broke, people wondered where this new fiction-to-reality romance could head.
Fortunately, the current-gen Spider-Man star could become the first to escape the so-called ‘curse.’
All Three Live-Action Spider-Man Couples Have Also Dated In Real Life
As illustrated in this YouTube short—which has convinced fans in comments that Tom Holland is breaking a canon event—the three live-action Spider-Man stars are linked together beyond the superhero gig that defines a large portion of their careers. All of them have dated their on-screen leading ladies, translating a fictional romance into an off-screen one.
Alas, the relationships that preceded Tom Holland and Zendaya‘s culminated in subsequent break-ups. This is why people think it’s a ‘curse.’ Whether it’s a coincidence or not, the idea that there is an unintentional pattern is absolutely mind-boggling.
It started with Tobey Maguire, the definitive web-slinger of Sam Raimi’s iconic trilogy, and Kirsten Dunst, the Mary Jane of that iteration. According to reports (via InStyle), the two stars dated for slightly more than a year after meeting on the set of the first Spider-Man movie. They eventually called quits in 2002, before the second film.
Although Dunst and Maguire did not publicly declare their romance or breakup, Sam Raimi became the one to spill the beans in a later interview in 2007 (via The Sydney Morning Herald):
“They apparently began dating … each other, I think, in the middle of the first movie…although I didn’t know it at the time…but definitely they eventually broke up before the second movie,”
Then, of course, came The Amazing Spider-Man duology. Soon, another on-off-screen romance transpired.
Andrew Garfield And Emma Stone Followed Suit
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield were among the most beloved former Hollywood couples to grace the pop-culture mosaic. Their break-up remains the most heartbreaking affair among many ardent Spider-Man enthusiasts. Nonetheless, even after deciding to part ways, they have remained visibly and vocally supportive of one another.
According to People, Stone and Garfield met in late 2010 on the set of their first Spider-Man film, The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Like their on-screen counterparts, the two would soon fall in love. Reports of their split arose in 2015 after four years together.
The two have since remained friendly, with Garfield even attending the London premiere of Poor Things (which stars Stone in the lead role) in 2023. She was excited to see the Hacksaw Ridge alum, and her cute reaction was captured by a fan (via X).
Following this Spider-Man couple, the next to send tremors across the internet with their wholesomeness was birthed out of the MCU, over whom many continue to experience pure parasocial joy.
Fans Think Tom Holland-Zendaya Will Break The So-Called ‘Curse’
Dubbed ‘Tomdaya’ by fans on social media, Tom Holland and Zendaya’s relationship is speculated to be the one that will finally end this so-called Spider-Man ‘curse.’
The two met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), the first film in the second Spider-Man film reboot. From the get-go, rumors brewed about a potential off-screen romance between them.
At the time, Zendaya dismissed these reports (via X). And while conjectures would govern their friendship even after, it was only in the summer of 2021 that paparazzi photos of the two going viral seemingly confirmed their burgeoning love affair. In the same year, further reports and headlines solidified their off-screen relationship.
It was their interactions during the Spider-Man: No Way Home press junket, though, that presumably got most of their fans giggling and kicking their feet. The two quickly became the most beloved Hollywood couple in recent times.
And as of 2024, Zendaya and Tom Holland have maintained that stature, with the former recently gushing over her partner’s charisma (via BuzzFeed Celeb).
With their love for one another as strong as ever, many have speculated that they may take their relationship to the next level soon. Although whether that’s actually true is not for anyone but them to decide, some fans believe it could finally break the Spider-Man ‘curse’ of unfulfilled romances heading nowhere in particular.
They do say the third time’s the charm!
Nevertheless, reality is seldom so predictable. So, it’s a safe bet to avoid such conspiracy theories, have well-wishes for the current couple, and look at the ‘curse’ for what it is: a fascinating coincidence.
