Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ Standout Owen Cooper Addresses Spider-Man Casting Rumors at ‘The Tonight Show’, Sets the Record Straight

Owen Cooper is riding high off Adolescence, Netflix’s twisted crime mini-series, which catapulted the 14-year-old into 2025’s ranks of breakout stars. With Jamie Miller’s troubled world behind him, Cooper found himself fielding questions on red carpets and late-night couches—including The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Toss in his Marvel love, childhood admiration for Tom Holland, and fan edits flooding TikTok, and it is no wonder people started talking. But not everything shared online is what it seems—not even when it goes viral.

Between laughs and unexpected reactions, the conversation veered into fan-theory territory. With Tom Holland shoutouts and Marvel nods in the air, Cooper found himself in the middle of a moment that had fans raising eyebrows—and pressing replay.

The Spider-Man buzz that left Owen Cooper momentarily speechless

On The Tonight Show, Owen Cooper looked totally caught off guard when Jimmy Fallon tossed out to him the Spider-Man casting talk. With a surprised “what?” and a laugh, Cooper coolly waved it off, saying that playing Spider-Man was “like everyone’s dream as a kid”. He made it clear that playing Spider-Man was not something he was counting on or assuming would happen anytime soon. Instead, it was simply more of a childhood dream he was happy to have, without putting pressure or setting high hopes on making it real. 

Cooper went on to express his massive admiration for Tom Holland, revealing how he watched The Impossible “over 40 times” as a kid—and was even brought to tears. When Fallon suggested he should be Spider-Man, Cooper grinned and said, “in like 10 years maybe.” Instead of leaning in, Cooper kept it breezy—letting the world talk while he moved on to some surprise revelations from sweets to about America.

After shutting down Spider-Man talk, Owen Cooper surprised everyone by spilling on a very unexpected pet peeve—and it has to do with America’s snack culture. But that was not all; he also revealed his quick ascent in Hollywood, alluding to greater things to come.

The Spider-Man talk took a backseat to Owen Cooper’s snack debate and his big break

Owen Cooper brought more than Spider-Man talk to The Tonight Show — he threw down on American snacks, calling sweets and chips “just terrible” compared to what he was used to back home. He brought out British snacks like Maltesers and Monster Munch to prove his point. Jimmy Fallon jumped in with Sour Patch Kids and Häagen-Dazs, turning the segment into a playful snack taste-off showdown between the UK and the US.

Beyond the snack drama, Cooper also talked about his whirlwind rise from unknown Brit to Netflix star, now rubbing elbows with names like Robert De Niro in award talks. Mix in the Spider-Man talk and his Tom Holland fandom, and Cooper’s proving he is looking both relatable and ready for the Hollywood spotlight.

Did you ever want Owen Cooper to be Spider-Man? Let us know in the comments!