SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME is better than it has any right to be (spoilers)

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, let's talk spoilers about Spider-Man.

Dec 20, 2021

This post has full spoilers about SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME.

Spider-Man: No Way Home should not work.

A behemoth that concludes this trilogy, furthers the MCU mythology and ties in characters from two unrelated franchises, it should be an unwieldy mess of fan service, nothing more than a chance for Disney to flex its corporate muscles to make a feature version of a popular meme. I’m a MCU fan and Spider-Man is my favorite superhero, and I even questioned whether this was necessary in a world where we’ve already been given a similar — and near-perfect — Spidey story.

And yet, Spider-Man: No Way Home is a blast, a brisk, funny and moving celebration of the character. Just when I was beginning to tire of Marvel’s big-screen adventures, along comes one of the best. And while I don’t think it’s going to win over anyone who’s already walked away from the MCU, the legion of fans who enjoy the work they’ve been pumping out since 2008 will love it. Seeing it with a sold-out crowd Friday night felt like being at a rock concert; there were no less than five places where the audience erupted into cheers, and you could even hear some scattered sniffling throughout.

By now, I’m assuming many of you were part of the crowds that helped this make more than $250 million domestically this weekend, so I feel safe swinging into spoilers to talk about why this isn’t just one of the best live-action takes on the character yet, it’s also one of the top three films to come from Marvel Studios.

Approaching Marvel overload

Like I said, I was hesitant when details began to leak about No Way Home. While I think Avengers: Endgame is a rousing culmination of 11 years of storytelling, it seemed to reach the limits of what they could, or should, do. I was impressed how Marvel delivered an entertaining movie without bogging the entire thing down, but I had no desire to see them go any bigger. There’s a great stable of characters they have to play with, and I hoped they’d give the team-ups a rest and just drill down a bit more into what made them all so special.

And for the most part, Phase 4 has done that. The Marvel TV shows have largely been successful at spending more time with individual characters and exploring some of the weirder corners of the world; if nothing else, they’ve made me fans of characters I previously was disinterested in, like Vision, Wanda Maximoff and Hawkeye. And Black Widow and Shang-Chi either told us more about heroes we were familiar with or introduced new ideas to the MCU. It was smaller, bigger and weirder (I have not seen Eternals, but I appreciate that it appears to be a new approach, even if it doesn’t work).

But then word started leaking about Jon Watts’ third Spider-Man movie. We first learned that Jamie Foxx would reappear, and it quickly was confirmed that he’d be playing Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. That was followed up with confirmation that Alred Molina, who we last saw in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, was also expected to return, accompanied by whispers that there was more to come, including the potential of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. Couple this with the return of J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson, who was reintroduced at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, and it seemed like this was shaping up to be Spidey’s greatest hits. And, oh yeah, we were told Doctor Strange would be around, too.

Which didn’t really excite me. While I don’t think Far From Home is as successful as Spider-Man: Homecoming, I appreciated that it seemed to set up a new challenge for Tom Holland’s version of the character. With Peter Parker unmasked and framed for Mysterio’s murder, it provided an opportunity for the character to navigate without the help of The Avengers after two films in which Iron Man and Nick Fury played crucial roles. It would give him hardship, a crucial part of the Spider-Man mythos that has been lacking in the MCU’s take. And I worried that the humor that made Watts’ films so refreshing would take a back seat to the epicness of combining three franchises and bringing the multiverse to the MCU. Plus, Into the Spider-verse had already played with this idea, seemingly making this redundant.

And for the first 20 minutes or so, No Way Home seemed to confirm my fears. The movie undoes many of Peter Parker’s legal woes and even lets him return to school a celebrity. There’s a cute but inessential cameo from Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil from the Netflix TV show a few years back. And the film seems in a rush to get to its inciting problem: that Peter, seeing how much trouble his newly revealed identity is causing for his friends and family, goes to Doctor Strange to have him cast a spell that will make the world forget he’s Spider-Man. I was readying for us to move past this being about Peter Parker’s troubles just to jump into multiverse shenanigans.

And the film does that…but even as the universe expands, it keeps Peter Parker in focus.

Going big to go deeper

The reason Watts’ Spider-Man films have worked so well is because, at their core, they keep one central piece of the Peter Parker story in focus: he’s just a kid whose teenage life keeps being complicated by his double identity. The Holland movies work best when they filter the MCU through John Hughes, mixing high school crushes and homework with the obligations of a superhero adventure.

So it’s fitting that all of the trouble with the multiverse stems from Peter Parker being an impatient kid who wants to take the easy way out. His family is being harassed and his friends don’t get into MIT because of him. If I was a teen experiencing this problem and I knew a wizard, I guess my first step might be to ask him to solve everything (Doctor Strange even chides Peter when he finds out he didn’t plead his case with MIT admissions first). And Peter’s second-guessing — he doesn’t want MJ, Ned or Aunt May to forget about his dual identity — causes the spell to go bonkers, pulling in characters from throughout the multiverse who knew that Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Which means Doc Ock, the Green Goblin, the Lizard, Sandman and Electro.

It’s fun to see these characters again. Molina’s Doc Ock is easily one of the best cinematic comic book villains, and Willem Dafoe absolutely brings it as Norman Osborne. Even villains from more derided films, such as Rhys Ifans’ Lizard, Foxx’s Electro or Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) are presented with more humor and charm, and given more chances to engage in large-scale, fun action sequences. Watts doesn’t lose sight of the franchise’s signature humor, and much of the fun comes with watching Peter and his pals interact with these villains, who are baffled about a new universe where Peter’s a teenager and magic exists.

But more importantly, bringing these villains in allows the movie to examine a core characteristic of Peter Parker that the earlier franchises neglected: Peter’s innate integrity. He wants to do the right thing and help. When he learns all of these villains die fighting Spider-Man in their respective universes, he wants to right that wrong and give them another chance. Many of these villains started as good men who went bad either from misguided ambition or accidents that were out of their hands (there are some good jokes about bad guys’ habits of falling into dangerous vats), and Peter would rather cure them than send them back to die. Doctor Strange disagrees, and one of the film’s strengths is the way it dispatches him for most of the movie so it can focus on Peter, Ned and MJ being the ones to set things right (although Cumberbatch is a lot of fun when he’s around as a cranky Doctor Strange).

I’ve always had an issue with how many superhero movies feel that it’s necessary to conclude with the death of the villain, and Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man, in particular, lands a bit wrong when Peter’s fight with Norman Osborn results in the villain’s death. Doc Ock’s death is more sacrificial, but it still feels tragic, especially as Otto regains his moral clarity in the film’s final moments. This allows those films to provide closure and happier endings for these characters — as well as more chances for Dafoe to snarl and vamp as a fantastic Green Goblin — and shows what’s different about Peter: he’s not okay with the death of villains. He went out of his way not to kill The Vulture in Homecoming and the death of Mysterio in No Way Home has caused nothing but complications. Peter’s a smart kid and sees an opportunity to work with two smart men (I love Dafoe’s delivery of “I’m something of a scientist myself”) and set them on a better path. It’s touching and sweet, and I’m all for a two-hour movie about loving your enemies.

Peter can’t do it alone, and this film leans hard on the camaraderie between him and his friends. MJ isn’t just a love interest; she’s Peter’s best friend and just as crucial to helping him save the day. Ned continues to be the “guy in the chair” for Peter, and even gets to be a superhero himself when he learns he can wield Doctor Strange’s magic; I hope we get to see a bit more of him in future Marvel entries.

But there comes a point (we’ll talk about it later) when Ned and MJ can’t understand what Peter’s going through. And that’s where the film’s biggest bit of fan service turns into something more.

Bringing back Maguire and Garfield is a lot of fun. It’s good to see both actors again, and I’m legitimately surprised how much they’re in the movie. I assumed they’d have glorified cameos, but once they appear about halfway through, they’re a major part of the story. And they’re a lot of fun; it’s great to have Maguire’s earnest, dorky Peter back, and Garfield walks away with some of the film’s biggest laughs as the slightly more emotional, cocky version of the character. I love that Maguire’s Peter gets a friendlier ending with Otto Octavius, and there were giant cheers when Garfield’s Peter saved MJ and redeemed himself for being unable to save Gwen Stacy. Plus, the moment where all three Petes talk about their respective adventures, discuss their weirdest villains and compare the differences between their web shooters is just great nerd fun. While I’m sure Maguire’s complaints about his back are a dig at his attempts to negotiate more pay for Spider-Man 3, it’s also just fun to see him and Garfield play around in that moment. Yes, it’s fan service. But it’s also in line with the comics’ tradition of bringing in the same characters from different universes, and it’s always fun.

But more important is the way Maguire and Garfield’s characters help Holland’s find his way in a dark moment. The moment where they talk about their respective losses and inability to save their loved ones may have been done better in Into the Spiderverse, but that doesn’t make it ineffective here, and it’s an important step for Holland’s Peter. Throughout the MCU Spider-Man movies, his character has always been bailed out by Iron Man, Nick Fury or Doctor Strange. Here, he’s brought to a place to consider who Peter Parker is and what sets him apart, and it reinforces the long-held mantra that with great power comes great responsibility.

When the three Spideys mourn the people they’ve lost and then set out to heal their enemies because, as Maguire says, “that’s what we do,” it’s a crystallization of why this character is so beloved. Yes, it’s some sort of act of corporate magic that we have three actors from 20 years’ worth of franchises on the big screen together, but it’s just good storytelling that makes the scene work as an emotional moment, not just a triumph of IP negotiation.

With great power…

There are two great truths about Spider-Man that make him an indelible, endurable character: He does the right thing and he suffers for it.

That’s it. With those two ingredients, anyone can be Spider-Man, which is the theme of Into the Spider-verse. Peter Parker (or Spider-gwen or Peter Porker) sets out to do the right thing, even at great cost to himself.

The Tom Holland Spider-Man movies have done a great job showing that Pete’s a good kid who wants to do the right thing, and I’ve already discussed how that integrity is celebrated in this entry. But throughout the trilogy, it’s felt like something’s been lacking. With his origins out of the way before his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War, we seemed to have missed the most important ingredients of a Spider-Man story: Uncle Ben’s death and the admonishment that “with great power comes great responsibility.”

But it turns out, we didn’t miss it; Watts has been waiting to give us that moment and, when he does, it hurts.

Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May has been a great take on the character. It’s different than the old lady May we have traditionally seen, and she’s been a great foil for both Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau. She’s also been the quiet moral compass for Peter in these films, serving as a selfless, loving role model engaged in helping the less fortunate. It often seemed like thankless work — Tomei’s a great actress and Aunt May isn’t given a ton to do in these — but the payoff here shows how cannily Tomei and Watts were playing the long game.

When the Green Goblin injured May, I wondered if the film was setting up this trilogy’s Uncle Ben moment, and when she uttered the “great responsibility” line, I knew exactly what would happen next. But it doesn’t make it less effective, particularly because Tomei and Holland sell the moment and its aftermath. The MCU has a reputation for pulling punches and withholding consequences. That’s a deserved criticism, but it means that when they do land a punch, it is unexpected and hits hard. Aunt May’s death might be the most powerful in the MCU, even more than Tony Stark’s or Natasha Romanoff’s. Because it’s preceded by the “great power” line, we recognize it as a hinge moment in Peter Parker’s story; it’s the essential, final ingredient that makes Tom Holland officially Spider-Man. I’m all for avoiding origin stories when possible — Lord knows I never need to see Batman’s parents murdered again — but some moments are essential. Peter Parker being told “with great power comes great responsibility” and then being unable to save someone he loves is just as important as the destruction of Krypton or Steve Rogers receiving the Super Soldier serum. It’s the essence of who he is, and from that moment on, Holland feels officially worthy of the mantle.

In its way, I think bringing back Molina, Foxx and Dafoe helps land this moment, and not just because Dafoe is so wonderfully sinister here (seriously, I know we were all looking forward to Molina’s return, but Dafoe is this film’s MVP). With all of our eyes on the big surprises, it left us unprepared for the biggest and most impactful one of all.

And then Watts does it again.

When the dust clears after the battle at the Statue of Liberty, and all the extraneous Spideys and villains have returned to their appropriate dimensions, it feels like the movie is building to a heartwarming conclusion. But then Peter makes a sacrifice that hurts almost as much as Aunt May’s death when he agrees to erase all memory of him from the entire world.

Watts’ trilogy has wisely leveraged the chemistry and camaraderie between Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon. MJ and Ned provide the grounding that allows Peter Parker to remain grounded. They’re his friends and support group. And with May gone, they’re the ones who he’s going to need as he tries to move on. And then, to save the world, Peter has to separate himself from their minds. He’s no longer a member of the Avengers; Happy and Doctor Strange don’t recognize him. I was worried the film was going to pull its punches when Peter went to the diner to reintroduce himself to MJ, but then the film just delivers another punch when he decides, for their safety and happiness, to remain a stranger. The last views we get of Peter Parker are of him renting a solitary New York apartment before venturing out into the city as Spider-Man to do his thing. It’s lonely, it’s melancholy, and it’s beautiful.

It’s Spider-Man.

Sacrifice, struggle and loneliness are just as essential to Peter Parker as his intelligence, wit and decency. By the time the film ends, we’ve gotten a proper, three-film origin story, and Holland is set up to be the street-level hero we know and love. He no longer has a sleek suit provided by Tony Stark, nor does he have a college degree, job or friends. It’s going to be a struggle. And that’s what this character is all about.

Spider-Man: No Way Home might be a lot of movie, but it’s a Spider-Man movie through and through, and one of the very best at that.

Some more stray thoughts:

I’m not going to go through and point out all the Easter eggs in this, or we’d be here all day. But I love that, unlike Ghostbusters: Afterlife, they seemed inessential to the story and more like grace notes. My personal favorite is probably either the film poking fun at Maguire’s angsty trilogy (“I had a best friend…he died in my arms after trying to kill me” is someone a humorous line here) or the film’s inevitable but still very funny use of the pointing Spider-men meme.
I can’t stress enough how much fun Andrew Garfield is in this, to the point where I may have to go back and watch his two entries. I love his nervous energy, but Garfield also sells the emotional moments.
I’m so thankful there’s not a moment where all the Spider-men try to fight each other or determine who the “real” Spider-Man is (the closest we get is bickering about who’s “Spider-Man 1”). Instead, both “old” Peter Parkers show up eager to help the MCU Peter, and it’s kind of beautiful.
I could have used more Martin Starr, JB Smoove and Hannibal Burress, although the one scene we get of them (including a hilariously angry Burress) is pretty great.
Tony Revolori is so much fun as Flash Thompson. So good.
Few things will ever top the joy of hearing JK Simmons say “I want incriminating videos of Spider-Man.” When Holland inevitably comes back, I hope they stick with Spidey lore by making him Jameson’s videographer.
I guess between this movie and last week’s Hawkeye I should probably go back and watch Netflix’s Daredevil.
If I had one quibble it might be that I don’t know we get great action scene here; Watts sticks to dark, murky scenes throughout. And other than the movie’s final moment, I don’t think we got a beautiful Spidey swinging shot, and Maguire’s presence just reminds you of how well Raimi did that.
If I had to rank the Spider-Man films, keeping in mind I haven’t seen the Garfield entries, I’d go: Into the Spider-verse >>>>>> Spider-Man 2 > No Way Home > Homecoming > Spider-Man > Far from Home > Spider-Man 3.
Regarding the mid-credit scene: I haven’t seen either Venom movie, but is that really the way Venom and Eddie communicate? That’s the Venom voice? Maybe I do need to see them, because that is…man, that’s a choice.

Regarding the post-credits scene: Yeah, bring on Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. I’m all in. And I love that in this movie that brings in Raimi’s version of Spider-Man, we get a trailer for Raimi’s return to comic book movies.