Did Son Heung-min make the sale? Spider-Man uses a Galaxy instead of Sony

As the first trailer for the superhero film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," produced by Marvel and distributed by Sony, was released, viewers have zeroed in on the smartphone used by the main character, Spider-Man Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland). Among fans, there is even lighthearted speculation that soccer star Son Heung-min of LA Galaxy, known as a close friend of Tom Holland, may have had some influence.
According to industry sources on the 21st, the official trailer for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" released on the 19th features the smartphone Spider-Man uses. What stands out is that the device is not Sony’s Xperia, but a model from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series.

In the trailer, Spider-Man hangs from a construction crane high above New York City and watches a congratulatory video on a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, celebrating the admission of his former friend Ned Leeds and ex-girlfriend Michelle Jones-Watson to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Considering that key characters in Sony Pictures Entertainment films have typically used the company’s own Xperia line, the appearance of a Galaxy smartphone is seen as highly unusual.
This has led some to suggest that Son Heung-min, who serves as an official ambassador for Samsung Electronics and has acted as a kind of "Galaxy evangelist," might have recommended the Galaxy to Tom Holland. Holland has often professed to be an avid fan of Son Heung-min, while Son has shown his affection in return with goal celebrations reminiscent of Spider-Man’s web-shooting pose. The two have even met in person and exchanged greetings.

However, industry insiders say that regardless of their friendship, Samsung Electronics arranged product placement (PPL) for the film. A Samsung Electronics representative confirmed, "That scene is indeed PPL." Samsung Electronics has previously featured Galaxy smartphones in Marvel titles such as "The Avengers," but their appearance in a Sony-distributed film is being viewed as a break from past practice.
At the same time, viewers have been joking about a realistic "continuity error" in the setup. Given that Peter Parker is canonically always struggling to make ends meet, many questioned how he could afford an expensive foldable phone, leaving comments such as, "How did he buy a Flip that costs more than 1.5 million won?", "Maybe his Avengers pay finally came through," and "He probably switched because Galaxy phones hold their resale value better than Xperia."
solidkjy@fnnews.com Gu Ja-yoon Reporter