Tom Holland has Kerala Marvel fan in his web after Berlin meeting for ‘Spider-Man’ show

Never in his wildest dreams did Emmanuel Anthony imagine that he would one day meet Tom Holland, let alone have the Spider-Man star sign the very first ticket for a fan show in Kerala. Even as he settled into his seat at Vanitha Vineetha Theatre in Kochi on Thursday to watch his favourite Marvel superhero swing back onto the big screen in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, the surreal experience still hadn't quite sunk in.

"It still feels like a dream," says Emmanuel, who is currently pursuing his higher studies in Berlin. A die-hard Marvel fan, Emmanuel made sure he planned his vacation around the release of the latest Spider-Man film so he could watch it with his friends and fellow Marvel enthusiasts in Kerala.

"Watching a Marvel film in Kerala is a celebration," he told Onmanorama. "The last Marvel movie I watched was Deadpool & Wolverine in Germany. There was hardly any excitement inside the theatre. I was probably the only one cheering. That's when I decided I wouldn't miss another Marvel release in India. My parents know the routine now. Whenever I tell them I'm coming home, the first thing they ask is, 'Which movie is releasing this time?'"

For Kerala's Marvel fan community, the first ticket of every fan show has traditionally been inaugurated by a celebrity. This time, however, Emmanuel wanted to take that tradition to an entirely different level. "We usually invite a celebrity from Kerala to inaugurate our fan shows. It creates buzz and makes the event even more special. Since I was in Germany, I asked my friends if I should try meeting Tom Holland himself and get him to inaugurate the fan show. They told me to go for it."

The idea wasn't completely far-fetched. Back in 2024, Emmanuel had managed to get autographs from Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman during the promotions of Deadpool & Wolverine. "I'm a huge Hugh Jackman fan, so that experience gave me the confidence to try again. When I heard there was going to be a fan event in Berlin with Tom Holland and the film's team, I knew I had to be there. Later, I found out it would only be Tom and Zendaya attending, but that was more than enough."

Getting to the event, however, proved to be an adventure in itself. "I travelled for hours and then stood in a long queue just to get inside. I almost missed the event," he recalled. "I met the organisers and showed them my Marvel Fans card. I explained why I had come all the way from India and told them about our fan show in Kerala."

The organisers initially offered to get the ticket signed on his behalf. "But I refused," Emmanuel said. "I wanted to meet Tom in person. I wanted him to know what he was signing." After patiently waiting and convincing the organisers, Emmanuel finally got his chance.

"I had prepared an entire speech in my head. I wanted to tell him about the incredible Marvel fan culture in Kerala, our fan shows, and the community we've built around these films. But when I finally stood in front of him, there was no time." Instead, he simply held out the ticket. "I told him that we were doing this fan show and this is the first ticket and he acknowledged me in a very Tom Holland way by saying, Hey, No way!” He signed the first ticket and we posed for a photo and video. "That moment still doesn't feel real. I keep watching the video and the photos over and over again because I still can't believe it actually happened."

In Kochi, fan shows were spearheaded by Aiwin Johns (State Head of Marvel Fans Kerala), and San Ramsankar (Founder of Comic Mantra) along with Sree Nandan Chengannur (Co-founder of Kerala Pop Con).