Tom Holland somehow has two of the biggest films of the summer arriving within weeks of each other, but you’d never guess they belonged to the same actor based on the promo. On one side you’ve got Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where Sony has gone absolutely all in. Tom’s filming silly videos with football icon Lionel Messi, turning up to fan events, and generally being everywhere you look online. Via Sony Then there’s The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan’s massive adaptation lands in cinemas on 17th July, and despite being less than a fortnight away, it’s basically been marketed with the energy of someone replying with a thumbs up in the group chat. People online have summed it up perfectly, joking: “The contrast between Spider-Man and The Odyssey marketing is killing me. Sony has Tom Holland making promo vids with Messi and doing several fan events, while The Odyssey is 15 days away and relying on the cast’s pull and ‘directed by Christopher Nolan.'” Honestly… they’re not wrong. Via Universal Unlike most blockbuster releases in 2026, The Odyssey hasn’t done influencer screenings or invited fan sites to see the film early. Instead, Universal is sticking to an old-school rollout, with a huge London premiere on 6th July before reviews begin dropping closer to release. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has even skipped the influencer preview screenings it would usually hold, suggesting it has enough confidence in the film to let it speak for itself. That decision also comes as audiences have become increasingly sceptical of blockbuster marketing. Studios have faced criticism in recent years when influencer-first campaigns have felt a bit too manufactured, with glowing early reactions sometimes ending up looking wildly different to wider audience opinion. It’s not that The Odyssey has completely ignored marketing. It has, naturally, joined the increasingly cursed popcorn bucket cinematic universe with a giant Trojan Horse-themed popcorn bucket that’s already gone viral online. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Odyssey Movie (@theodysseymovie) Meanwhile, over in Marvel land, Sony seems determined to remind everyone Tom Holland exists every other day. The latest promo sees Lionel Messi unexpectedly appearing alongside Holland in a funny teaser for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The Inter Miami star. who’s spent decades looking superhuman on a football pitch, swaps football for superheroes in what might be one of the more random crossovers of the year. The contrast couldn’t really be bigger. One studio is treating Tom Holland like he’s on a worldwide press tour. The other seems perfectly happy to let the words “Directed by Christopher Nolan” do absolutely all the heavy lifting. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: Universal Post navigation Next story
