Opinions

Three Is the Magic Number: Spider-Man No Way Home Swings into Success

14 February 202226 February 2022By
Three Is the Magic Number: Spider-Man No Way Home Swings into Success

The highly anticipated, analysed and long awaited third movie of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films was finally released in December. It’s been two months – we can talk about it now, right? Opinions editor, Inayah Shah shares her spidey thoughts.

*Major Spidey Spoilers Ahead!*

We saw the teaser trailers — we saw the official trailer — we took screenshots and analysed — we made predictions — we watched the actors deny it. We took all of the necessary precautions to prepare us for what could be coming in the next instalment of Spider-man. Despite all this — we were still left laughing, crying and gasping in disbelief throughout the two hour film…and we loved every minute.

Expectations for Marvel are always high. They are even higher when the premise of your next film is built around the idea of old and new coming together. Modern day, and nostalgia blending to become one. But it’s a task Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal were willing to commit to — and they did so wonderfully. 

A Fan Favourite 

It can be a daunting task trying to balance the big characters of past Spiderman films, with the new characters the Marvel Cinematic Universe have introduced, but somehow Spider-Man: No Way Home, balances it all confidently. In the trailers, we saw the return of every single villain from previous Spider-Man films, dating back to Willem Defoe as The Green Goblin, to Jamie Foxx as Electro. 

The past villains have been unleashed consequently as our always clumsy, constantly confused and forever chaotic Tom Holland’s Peter Parker accidentally opens the multiverse (as he’s trying to get him and his friends into college.) The storyline may sound simplistic, but there are so many ways the narrative  had the potential to  propel out of control, but at no point are you left wishing for an iconic line or memorable fight scene. 

It is satisfying to have a film that directly plays into what the audience both want, predict and expect. It has happened before with Avengers: Endgame, where the superheroes who disappeared in Thanos’ snap reappear, for a seismic and action packed fight scene. It happens again in this new Spider-Man outing. The movie is packed to the brim, with fan pleasing moments. 

Three is the magic number

After months of speculation, constantly harassing actors in interviews and press junkets of denial and lies — the world finally saw the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. 

The age old question and debate of, “who is the best Spider-Man?” would continue to rage on, whether or not the three united on screen and now with the multiverse officially open for business – there could be more Spider-Men due to enter the chat. 

However, when we first see ‘Peter 3’ (Andrew Garfield) summoned through a portal by MJ and Ned, all the debate falls away and instead the audience are swept away into feeling all the emotions — shock, excitement and…”is this really happening?” The reintroduction of both Garfield and Maguire has been a concept discussed by both fans and journalists alike, but it felt like a concept too far-fetched to genuinely happen. 

But after the trailer for the film came out and the ‘Sinister Six’ appeared, it felt slightly inevitable that the other two Spider-Men would come back. How can you bring back their villains but not bring back the main two heroes themselves?

Closure for every Spider 

There was a slight fear that upon the return of the former Spider-Men, their cameos would be brief and they would feature in the film for maybe ten to fifteen minutes. However, they both had substantial roles — both in pushing along the narrative and both characters and the audiences getting the closure they’ve been longingly waiting for.

We see old friends and foes react, with the best interaction arguably being between Dr Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Toby Maguire’s Peter Parker (aka Peter Two) — a real treat for younger and older fans alike, whose love for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is rooted in the original Spiderman films. 

The most poignant closure (and the most needed) came from Andrew Garfield — the focus of the majority of speculation on his character who divided fans with his two films, The Amazing Spiderman 1 and 2. 

Appreciation and love for his films have come years after their release where people have only recently started to truly recognise the unique selling point of his portrayal of Peter Parker. Not only were Andrew’s lines infused with the humour and kindness we saw in his films, but the vulnerability of losing his Uncle Ben and “his MJ ”. Gwen Stacy is apparent and gives the several Peter/Gwen fans the closure they have wanted since the last film. One of the most breathtaking and cinematic scenes came from Andrew’s Spider-Man saving MJ (played by Zendaya) as Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is swept away by Green Goblin while trying to catch her. The scene is a parallel to Gwen Stacey’s death in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which still makes most of us cry even after all these years. 

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man seems to be finally at peace with his role as an older hero, who is also the only Peter variant that can shoot webs from their body and does not have to create physical web shooters. Maguire’s return felt like the revistiation of simpler times for Marvel fans who may prefer the earlier years of the MCU which didn’t involve the intricate and extensive storylines we have seen in later phases of the timeline. 

The film felt like a fusion of all three eras of Spider-Man and bought together the best of what each hero has to offer. There is an appreciation for each Spider-Man, their different character arcs and how the dynamic works between the three of them. It felt like an honour being able to watch the three of them interact after years of being invested in each of their films and characters. For Maguire in particular, it was revisiting simpler times for MCU fans and after years of pining after his MJ, he finally seems to be at peace, both as an older superhero and most importantly, as Peter Parker. 

The three Spider-Men come together in the latter half of the film to defeat the ‘Sinister Six’ and it is the epic fight battle which really competes for your attention and appreciation as Spider-Man, the character, as one of the best superheroes around. It is a nod to the lifelong adoration people have had for Spider-Man since the original comics, that the character has been reinterpreted so many times, and continues to attract audiences despite the pandemic. 

 

There was something promising and heartening walking into a packed out cinema screen on opening night and seeing every single seat filled with people, desperate to catch a first glimpse at this long overdue and highly anticipated film. 

Holland’s Last Swing?

With every Marvel film, there are rumours and demands to know of what is coming next. Tom Holland has now appeared as Spider-Man in over five Marvel films, more than his predecessors. It would be a shame to see Holland to hang up the suit after years of playing this iconic character, but No Way Home has provided Holland’s Peter Parker the perfect opportunity to either start a new venture or pass down the suit to a new actor. 

One of the biggest criticisms I have had for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is that he’s not lost anything in the films to give him a slight dark edge, something the previous Spider-Man’s have had. Maguire’s Peter Parker, lost Uncle Ben very early on in the first film and Garfield’s Spider-Man was constantly battling with the loss of his parents, Uncle Ben and then eventually Gwen Stacey. There is such an innocence to Holland’s Peter Parker which didn’t allow his character to have the depth and grit a hero truly needs.

However, after a gruelling battle between Green Goblin (Willem Defoe) and Peter Parker, Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) sadly passes away and the audience witness some of the best acting Holland has done as Spider-Man since he first wore the suit. In the final battle, we see the anguish and pain that Peter is experiencing and the morally ambiguous mindset the death of his Aunt has left him in. The intensity of not only Holland’s acting but the excellently choreographed fight scenes finally show the acting potential Holland has and shows superheroes are so much more than just a fight scene or CGI, and instead thoroughly created and well executed narratives.

If this is the final outing for Holland, then what a wonderful way to swing off our screens and hand the suit over to a new actor (but it would be nice to see him return as the iconic hero.)

Final Thoughts

The scenes shared between the three Spider-Men felt like the celebration of not just one, but three superheroes, all played by three actors who have a genuine love, appreciation and care for the character.

The film treats a character delicately who is widely loved by audiences and gives fans the closure for several storylines that they wanted. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is left being stripped back to his roots after Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is forced to cast a spell to make everyone forget who Peter Parker is, as several more villains try to infiltrate Earth. The spell is the opportunity for Holland’s Spider-Man to recreate a similar character arc that we have seen in previous Spider-Man films of being a young, individual Peter, who has lost many loved ones and is not aided by Stark Industries or the Avengers.

Equally, the door has opened for a revisitation back to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man story, the only one of the three actors who did not have the opportunity to complete a trilogy of films. Knowing that the multiverse exists and bringing back old actors and characters is possible, it opens up the door for Marvel to be more daring and exploratory in their upcoming projects. 

It shows there are no limits for how ambitious Marvel wants to be and proves that three, is the magic number. 

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