Sometimes there are performances that are so well crafted, so perfectly cast, and so completely iconic that they transcend the actor and the project, and instead define an era and a culture. These include James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple, Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, and, of course, Tom Holland’s 2018 performance of “Singin’ in the Rainâ€/“Umbrella†on Lip Sync Battle. More than his work as Spider-Man or in any of the other projects he’s starred in, this is his defining moment, his magnum opus, his contribution to the culture. And he knows it. “I’m proud of it,†the actor recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “I like that it left a lasting impact. It was an amazing time.†In fact, the impact is so large that it has cast a shadow over the rest of his oeuvre. “I’ve really worked hard in my career, and I’ve really been calculated in deciding what it is I do and when I do it,†he said. “And for all the movies that I’m incredibly proud of, the Lip Sync Battle is what I get the most compliments for.â€
That combination of fishnets, water, and thrusting led to a magic on the dance floor that has never been equaled for its force of femininity on the body of a superhero. Not that he was attempting to make a comment on “toxic masculinity,†because, when asked about that, he says, “No. Mm-mm,†which is kind of indiscernible in a specifically male way. “I’ve grown up in the most nontoxic-masculine environment possible,†he continued. “I didn’t realize what I was doing was so forward-thinking. I was just like, ‘Yeah, fuck it, I’ll put some fishnets on and dance in the rain. That’ll be really fun. I don’t care.’†You know, he already puts on skintight bodysuits and shoots out white webs for his work as Spider-Man, so we shouldn’t be surprised that this is a man confident in his sexuality.