NEURODIVERSITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA THURSDAY: Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man

 

"With great power, comes great responsibility"

Anyone who knows me personally, knows how much I love Tom Holland and his version of Spider-Man.  Because of his Spider-Man, my love for the Marvel Cinematic Universe grew.  Tom Holland's Spider-Man was introduced to the world about 10 years ago and his first stand alone film for the character was in 2017.  

I'll say this, when Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) first came out, MY GOSH!! I had never related to any character like Peter Parker in my life.  Tom Holland's Spider-Man/Peter Parker displays a lot of neurodivergent qualities.  It helps too that Tom Holland has shared he has dyslexia, which makes it hard to read.  

I'm no psychologist, but whenever I watch a Tom Holland Spider-Man movie, my neurospicey-spidey-senses can sense ADHD in Peter Parker.  Peter is a curious lad who causes chaos when he gets too curious.  

He's also very hyperactive and hyper-communicative/hyper-social when excited.  There are times where you're sitting there and he's talking 100mph and you're like "woah, slow down you're talking buddy!" which is very common in individuals with ADHD.  At the beginning of the Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) film, he gets very excited and happy about being part of the Avengers.

Another example of ADHD in Peter Parker is in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).  The whole movie plot is because of Peter's impulsive reaction to the world knowing that he's Spider-Man.  (Then again, the movie wouldn't exist if he wasn't impulsive.). His impulsive behavior cost him to lose the ones he loves, his girlfriend, his aunt, and his best friend.  At this point, his choice had a consequence and that was losing those he loves.  

On top of all of this, Peter is VERY smart.  Viewers can see this throughout all of his films.  

Let's not forget about the spidey-sense!  We all know Peter Parker/Spider-Man gets a tingle when danger is about to come on.  This is a common quality in people with AuDHD. We sense something "dangerous" and we get overwhelmed or overstimulated, which can be a disadvantage.


Here we see a chart that shows some neurospicy qualities in Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man:

Domain Traits Displayed Examples from MCU & Fan Observations
ADHD-like Traits • Restlessness & fidgeting • Impulsivity • Hyperfocus on interests • Often pacing, bouncing, talking fast (e.g. in class or labs) • Rushes into situations without planning (Homecoming) • Obsessively focused on tech and science tasks
Autism Spectrum Traits • Sensory sensitivity • Social awkwardness • Special interests • Uses goggles to filter sensory input (Civil War) • Talks too much during battles, misses social cues • Intense passion for engineering & superheroes
Emotional Regulation / Trauma • Anxiety • Guilt • Emotional outbursts • Deep guilt over Uncle Ben and Tony Stark • Breaks down after losing loved ones (Infinity War, No Way Home) • Struggles with panic and overwhelm under pressure
Masking & Identity • Acts differently in public vs private • Feels more “free” as Spider-Man • Nervous and unsure as Peter, confident and expressive as Spider-Man • Uses humor and energy to hide discomfort or stress

DISCLAIMER NOTE: MR PETER PARKER/SPIDER-MAN ISN'T DIAGNOSED WITH ANY DISABILITY.  THE TRAITS IDENTIFIED IN THIS POST ARE TRAITS THAT MATCH WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING NEURODIVERGENT!  I CANNOT DIAGNOSE PETER, BUT I CAN SAY HOW MANY SIMILAR TRAITS HE HAS TO ME AS WELL AS MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE NEUROSPICY COMMUNITY!!

If you liked this blog post, PLEASE comment down below what your favorite part was, share with your friends and family, etc.  Have any comments, questions, etc. about what you were reading? Reach out to me by messaging me on instagram or TikTok @neurospicyblondie or email me  alyssa.onthespectrum@gmail.com.  

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