by Vishnu Potharaju (’24) | February 14, 2022
Since their release in 1962, the stories of Peter Parker and his vigilante activities as Spider-Man have become a cultural phenomenon around the world. Inspiring dozens of comic runs and even three separate film versions, Spider-Man is now one of the most renowned superheroes in the world. All of this builds up to Marvel Studio’s most ambitious project yet: Spider-Man: No Way Home. One of the first movies in Marvel’s Phase 4, No Way Home provides shocking twists, heartbreaking turns, and some of the best cinematic moments in recent years.
Throughout the last few decades, there have been three separate Spider-Man versions, with vastly different interpretations of Peter Parker. However, what makes No Way Home so ambitious is its attempt to connect different experiences of Peter Parker into one film. No Way Home includes several A-list actors who have previously played Spider-Man villains. Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, and Rhys Ifans’s Lizard. The last installment to the trilogy continues to center around Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Holland has garnered fame and success after his performances in previous Spider-Man and Avengers movies. With all these elements revealed, including fun lines from fan-favorite sorcerer, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the movie was a recipe for success.
What makes this movie even more exciting is the potential it holds for Marvel Studios future projects. In the movie, Peter Parker visits Doctor Strange to ask him to make everyone forget he is Spider-Man after his identity was revealed at the end of the previous movie. When the sorcerer tries to cast a spell, it goes awry and opens rifts in the multiverse, allowing villains from other universes to sneak into this reality.
After a decade spent on what is known as the Infinity Saga, Marvel’s main storyline was terminated with its success of Avengers: Endgame. The new movies and TV shows, like Eternals and Wandavision, represent the new narrative that Marvel plans on revising over the next few years. A lot of these projects are connected by the multiverse, Marvel’s vastly different realms of existence. No Way Home effortlessly handled the introduction of the Multiverse in a way that furthered the characters’ stories, while also setting up major plotlines for future productions. This movie is only part of the beginning of a long set of movies to come, but the potential it has delivered to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is beyond imaginable.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is a unique film in regards to its storyline and exceptional character development. Although Tom Holland’s trilogy has received criticism for its interpretation of Peter Parker, this movie takes the time to show how he becomes more independent and learns to face the consequences of his actions. In short, this movie teaches Peter Parker what it means to be a real hero, especially that it’s not exactly a walk in the park. The movie also takes time to flesh out characters such as Ned Leeds, Parker’s best friend, and MJ, his girlfriend, giving them the potential for major roles in future projects.
With various twists and fight scenes, No Way Home is unique among other Marvel movies. Rather than using a cookie-cutter plot with predictable jokes and a predictable climax, the plot centers around its characters, with each fight scene methodically thought out and integral to the development of the story. All in all, Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the best movies of 2021, with a new, refreshing style that will keep you on your toes until the very end. If you haven’t watched Spider-Man: No Way Home yet, I would recommend seeing this epic cumulation of twenty years of Spider-Man on the big screenwoven into one masterpiece.