Why India wants to boycott Spider-Man

In India, the hashtag #BoycottSpiderman has spread across social media, after a namesake of Tom Holland mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.

British actor Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man on screen, found himself at the heart of a Twitter storm in India for a mocking comment towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi… posted by a namesake.

British historian Tom Holland, using the social media handle @holland_tom, mocked India’s prime minister on Wednesday after a huge cricket stadium was renamed in his honour.

« I’m a huge admirer of the modesty Modi has shown in naming the world’s greatest cricket stadium after him, » he teased on Twitter.

The post provoked outrage in India, where some confused this Twitter account with that of another Tom Holland: the famous 24-year-old actor playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Studios film series, whose handle is @ TomHolland1996.

#BoycottSpiderMan

The hashtag #BoycottSpiderMan quickly became popular in this country of 1.3 billion people.

« It’s an internal matter in India. We will give you a lesson in life. #boycottspiderman », launched a user.

« You who are conspiring against the world leader (Modi). Wait, Delhi police are coming for you, » another wrote.

Tom Holland, the actor, has been active on Twitter this week, but rather teasing his fans about possible titles for the latest film in the series.

Tom Holland, the historian, meanwhile apologized, tweeting, « Oh dear, it looks like I single-handedly destroyed the prospects of the next Spider-Man in India. »

« I should have remembered that with great power comes great responsibility, » he added, taking up a cult phrase from Spider-Man.

The stadium in Ahmedabad, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, was renamed « Narendra Modi » on Wednesday. This enclosure, which can accommodate 110,000 spectators, was one of the flagship projects of the current Prime Minister when he was at the head of this state.