By: Phoebe Piserchio; Staff Writer
[Spoilers for the film ahead] The movie Spider-Man: No Way Home, released on December 17, 2021, was no doubt one of the most anticipated movies of 2021. With a total earning of $1.6 billion dollars and taking the top spot in the box office, No Way Home has been titled as one of Sony’s highest-grossing films ever made. Starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker, Zendaya as Michelle Jones, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, the film continues from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s previous Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Far From Home. Since the film’s record-breaking trailer, welcoming the return of Doctor Octavius (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Electro (Jamie Foxx), Spider-Man villains from the previous films Spider-Man 1, 2, 3, and The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2, fans did not hesitate to theorize what else, or who else, might appear in the movie.
The unprecedented amount of fan anticipation led to high expectations for this ambitious film. With iconic characters being brought back on screen, No Way Home was said to have the potential of surpassing the “hype” of Avengers: Endgame, as well as being the best Spider-Man film ever made. If you entered the theaters with these preconceptions, there’s a good chance you were not disappointed. The film manages to balance its dark moments with incredible action sequences, emotional scenes, and nostalgic lines such as, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It goes without saying that Tom Holland’s performance as Peter Parker was beyond incredible with dramatic, character-driven moments that allowed both the characters and audience to sit in their emotions. Apart from Holland, Willem Dafoe also delivered yet again the intense, creepy performance of Green Goblin we all know and love. Emmy award-winning actress Zendaya, who plays MJ, Peter Parker’s girlfriend, said in an interview that Dafoe switched into character so well he scared everyone on set.
However, not only were villains brought back, but previous Spidermen Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker in Spider-Man 1, 2, and 3) and Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2) returned. Their entrances left fans in shock, as well as brought hope in a dark moment of the film. The chemistry between Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield was no doubt a highlight of the entire movie, bonding like brothers and had many funny, comforting scenes together. Garfield, the award-winning actor who played Peter Parker in the Amazing Spider-Man films, was continuously interviewed and asked about No Way Home before its release, such as whether or not he was in it, if he would come back as his own Spider-Man (for a third movie), and other fan theories that had been made. Despite multiple leaked set photos, Garfield kept his mouth shut. Since the release of the movie and his anticipated return, he has since opened up about the experience and said it was “stressful but weirdly enjoyable” keeping the secret. It’s clear he had an enjoyable time on set, especially since he has always been very open with his love for the role he played. With his return, fans fell in love with his version of Parker all over again. In fact, so much so that it led to the trending hashtag “MakeTASM3” on Twitter, which stands for “Make The Amazing Spider-Man 3”. Since Garfield is the only Spider-Man who did not get a trilogy (the third ended up being canceled), many are now demanding for another. When recently asked if he was open to doing another film, Garfield said, “Yes, definitely open to something if it felt right.” With this and the constant love from fans, there are rumors a third movie might just happen.
Two other cameos were also made in the movie: one by Charlie Cox, who plays Matt Murdock in the Marvel Netflix series: Daredevil, and one by Tom Hardy, who plays Eddie Brock and Venom in the films Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Although Cox was only in one scene, his return was a pleasant surprise for Daredevil fans, as it confirmed his character officially in the MCU. This was the first we’ve seen of him since the ending of Daredevil, and it definitely wasn’t the last. There are many rumors a reboot of Daredevil is in the works, which would be streaming on Disney+ as opposed to Netflix. Hardy, whose character was transported into the MCU the same way the other villains were, was only in the end-credit scene, but his appearance was just as important as everyone else’s. His scene ended with him being transported back to his own universe; however, a piece of (Venom’s) symbiote was left behind. This means that in future MCU Spider-Man films, we will most likely see Parker interact with the alien symbiote (which we have previously seen in Spider-Man 3 with Tobey Maguire).
Circling back to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, many fans were worried that this movie might be his last. However, it was recently reported that Holland signed on for three more movies; a whole other trilogy. This tells us that the first three films, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home were just the beginning. Fans have been begging to see characters such as Black Cat, an MCU Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and more. Since No Way Home ended with everyone forgetting who Peter Parker is, there are limitless possibilities of what Marvel has in store, leaving much excitement and mystery for the future of Holland’s Spider-Man.
