Tom Holland May Be Retiring His Trademark Backflip

HE’S BEST KNOWN as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but Tom Holland knew all about peak physical performance long before he donned a superhero suit. The British actor’s breakout role was on the West End stage, playing the lead in Billy Elliot, a ballet-heavy role that required athleticism beyond even usual musical theater standards.

Since then, Holland’s core strength, agility, and high energy have been well-documented. Footage of him performing his own Spidey stunts went viral online prior to the release of No Way Home, and fans are still sharing that now-famous video from 2src17 of him lip-syncing to Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” an internet-breaking number which culminated in him executing his signature backflip (in a corset and high heels, no less).

But that particular move could soon be retired. In his Men’s Health cover story, Holland recalls how, while he and girlfriend Zendaya were at a recent family gathering in the UK, he agreed to demonstrate the famous flip at his young cousin’s request, only to find that he wasn’t able to do it with his same old ease.

“So I went outside and I was getting ready, and I was thinking, I can do this. I can totally do this. I’ve done this thousands of times. And Z was there, and she was like, ‘Are you sure you can still do this?’… I actually did land it, but I pulled every muscle in my stomach, because when you do a backflip, it’s all about extending up as much as you can and then tucking. For weeks, I could not laugh because my stomach was so sore.”

Holland is still in incredible shape, of course—but he is starting to acknowledge some of his physical limits. Even at the spry young age of 28, he’s well aware that he would now struggle to perform any of the Billy Elliot dance routines that first launched his career.

“The show was incredibly taxing on the body. I couldn’t do it now,” he says. “Eleven-year-old me would annihilate me now in a fitness race.”

You can read Tom Holland’s full Men’s Health interview here.