Liza Colón-Zayas Reveals the Hilarious Line Tom Holland Improvised Mid-Scene on ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has spent the past few weeks dominating box office charts, but some of the most entertaining stories about the film are only now surfacing from the people who helped make it. Emmy winner Liza Colón-Zayas, who joined the MCU as Detective Jean DeWolff, recently sat down for an extensive interview covering her experience filming alongside Tom Holland, and one story in particular has fans laughing well after the film’s theatrical run began.

Colón-Zayas, best known for her Emmy-winning role as Tina Marrero on FX’s ‘The Bear,’ described Holland as immediately warm and welcoming from their very first meeting on set, recalling how he greeted her by grabbing her hand and telling her how excited he was to work together. That easy chemistry apparently carried over into their scenes together, including one emotionally intense moment that ended up producing an unexpectedly funny outtake.

Speaking with BuzzFeed, Colón-Zayas described the scene in detail, explaining that it takes place right after Spider-Man’s battle with Scorpion, when Peter starts experiencing debilitating headaches and DeWolff realizes something is seriously wrong. She explained that Tom was supposed to lower his hands away from his face while she held his wrists, trying to get him under control.

That’s when things took a comedic turn. According to Colón-Zayas, director Destin Daniel Cretton kept instructing Holland to bring his arms down further during the take, only for Holland to eventually break character entirely. She told BuzzFeed that Destin kept telling Tom to bring his arms down further, and finally Tom broke, saying in a British accent, “I can’t. Liza is so strong!” The crew ended up adjusting the blocking, but Colón-Zayas said the moment stuck with her specifically because of how physically strong Holland actually is in real life.

Colón-Zayas didn’t hold back describing just how impressive Holland’s real strength is off camera, joking that he’s built “like a rock” despite momentarily struggling against her grip during the scene. She said the fact that he was even briefly overpowered gave her a real confidence boost, treating the whole moment as a lighthearted highlight from her time on set.

That story was just one of several behind-the-scenes anecdotes Colón-Zayas shared during the same conversation. She also described her audition process, which took place over a relaxed Zoom call with Cretton, and recalled watching the film’s fight sequence between Spider-Man and Tombstone, played by Marvin Jones III, describing Jones as a sweet, lovable presence off-screen despite his horrifying on-screen look.

Colón-Zayas plays Jean DeWolff, a comic-accurate detective character who serves as a close confidante to Peter Parker throughout much of the film. The role marked her first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, joining a cast that also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, and Mark Ruffalo, among others, in Destin Daniel Cretton’s fourth installment of the Spider-Man franchise.

With ‘Brand New Day’ continuing to break box office records well into its theatrical run, stories like this one from Colón-Zayas offer fans a lighter, more personal glimpse into what filming the blockbuster was actually like behind the scenes. Between her genuine warmth toward Holland and her clear affection for the rest of the cast, the interview paints a picture of a genuinely fun set.

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