Arun told Business Insider, “What Marvel wanted was just to get the experience of a typical STEM high schooler’s life. They didn’t want me to do anything special — just walk through the day as I would any other day.”
In 2017, Tom told Jimmy Kimmel Live, “As a joke, I suggested to Marvel that I should go to a high school undercover. And it was completely a joke, and Marvel took it completely seriously. I guess they didn’t get my British sarcasm…Bronx School of Science is a school for genius kids, and I am no genius.”
He also said that the teachers didn’t know he wasn’t a real student, so it was “very embarrassing” when they’d bring him in front of the class and ask him questions.
Eventually, he did try to blow his own cover. He said, “I was sat at the back of a classroom next to quite a pretty girl, and eventually, she was like, ‘So, dude, what’s your deal, man?’ I was like, ‘Well, do you wanna know my secret?’ She’s like, ‘Okay.’ ‘I’m actually Spider-Man.’ She was like, ‘Dude, you’re nuts, bro. You’re nuts.’ I was like, ‘No, seriously. I’m actually an actor. I’m British. I’m playing Spider-Man.’ And she didn’t believe me.”