Tom Holland Sticking With The Russo Brothers For 'Cherry'

Cherry, the first post-Marvel film for the Russo Brothers, will have a familiar Marvel face. Tom Holland, who worked with the filmmakers on Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, has signed on to star in the film about a former army medic who becomes a bank robber to fuel his drug addiction. This sounds about as far-removed from an MCU film as you can get. More on the Cherry movie cast below.

The Russo Brothers may be stepping away from Marvel after Avengers: Endgame, but they're sticking with what they know for their next film – at least in terms of casting. Variety reports that Tom Holland will star in the Russo's Cherry, based on the novel by Nico Walker. Here's the official novel synopsis:

It's 2003, and as a college freshman in Cleveland, our narrator is adrift until he meets Emily. The two of them experience an instant, life-changing connection. But when he almost loses her, he chooses to make an indelible statement: he joins the Army.

The outcome will not be good for either of them.

As a medic in Iraq, he is unprepared for the realties that await him. He and his fellow soldiers huff computer duster, abuse painkillers, and watch porn. Many of them die. When he comes home, his PTSD is profound. As the opioid crisis sweeps through the Midwest, it drags both him and Emily along with it. As their addictions worsen, and with their money drying up, he stumbles onto what seems like the only possible solution—robbing banks.

Jessica Goldberg, creator of the Hulu series The Path, is adapting Walker's novel. This is definitely not a Marvel movie, and it'll be interesting to see how the Russos and Holland work together here. This isn't the first non-Marvel gig for the brothers – they directed the comedies Welcome to Collinwood and You, Me and Duperee before joining the MCU. But since 2014, Marvel has been their entire world.

I know the Russo Brothers have their fans, but I've found their direction to be a bit flat – especially when it comes to big Marvel action scenes. But Cherry won't have those, which might give the Russos the perfect opportunity to stretch themselves artistically and show what else they have up their sleeves. Holland is an extremely likable actor, and this, too, sounds like a departure for him – a much darker role than we're used to seeing him. Overall, Cherry looks to be something new for everyone involved. Filming is expected to start this summer.