You would think it could not get any better for an actor than to be cast in the lead role in a billion-dollar grossing MCU film. But for Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, doing a smaller role in a character-driven drama is also important. The actor recently took to Instagram to thank fans for their support of his new movie The Devil All the Time, which he called a big step in his career.

"The love and support for our film The Devil All The Time has been incredible. Thank you to everyone that has given it a watch. It's been a big step for me in my career and I'm so glad to be finally showcasing it with all of you [heart emoji]."

In The Devil All The Time, Tom Holland plays the lead role of Arvin Russell, a teen from a small town in the south in the 1960s. Arvin is one of the few innocent characters in the film, who becomes increasingly corrupted by the ugly behavior of those around him, prompting him to set out on a dark path of violence. The role is a sharp departure from the world of awkward superhero Peter Parker aka Spider-Man that Holland is best known for. The director of The Devil All The Time, Antonio Campos, had previously revealed what Holland brought to the role of Arvin that made the character work.

"In the hands of a lesser actor, Arvin would have just been an impenetrable, potentially alienating character who did a lot of awful things. The key to him was understanding his trauma and communicating the humanity in him. Beyond adapting his voice and his physicality, Tom was able to take on and carry the trauma Arvin had lived but was still able to communicate the warmth and humanity that made Arvin an accessible character we could actually connect with and root for."

The Devil All The Time is an ensemble film, with many distinguished actors, from Bill Skarsgård to Robert Pattinson all appearing in the Netflix original. Working with such a roster of talent on such a complicated role can be an intimidating task, and Holland has shed some light on the effort he put into becoming Arvin.

"This was a very different role for me to jump into in terms of the world, which was so different from how I grew up or what I knew. Even just in terms of the character, the challenge for me was the physicality aspect of it and really trying to go for something new that I hadn't tried. That's where the director comes in, the vision they have and how specific they are. He knew very specifically where to go with this thing and with this guy."

Featuring Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Jason Clarke, Riley Keough, Robert Pattinson, Eliza Scanlen, Sebastian Stan, Harry Melling, Haley Bennett and Mia Wasikowska, The Devil All the Time is streaming on Netflix as well as some select theaters. This news comes directly from Tom Holland on Instagram.