The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as a part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production Course
by Kate Hedrick
Opinion Editor
WARNING: This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk.
Picking up where Spider-Man: Far From Home left off, Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man is revealed and he finds his life turned upside down. He goes to Doctor Strange and asks him to perform a spell that would make everyone forget that he is Spider-Man. The spell becomes unstable, causing a number of villains to suddenly appear in the current universe including Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, and other recognizable foes from previous Spider-Man stories.
It is soon revealed that these villains are from alternate universes with different Peter Parkers. Peter attempts to ‘cure’ them, which entails stripping them of their powers and their ability to do evil. This plan initially goes well, but falls apart completely after a catastrophic battle with the Green Goblin. The cures are completely reversed, and Peter’s aunt May is killed in the crossfire. Peter’s friend Ned Leeds opens up a portal to find him after the battle. He instead finds the incarnation of Spider-Man played by Andrew Garfield. Still searching for the original Peter, Ned opens another portal. He finds another Spider-Man, played by Tobey Maguire.
All three incarnations of Spider-Man team up to cure the villains, offering Tom Holland’s Peter Parker valuable advice about being Spider-Man along the way. Ms. Dyer enjoyed the interactions between the three Peter Parkers, saying “They just did a good job creating the connection between all the storylines, helping you understand how they all fit together and how the identities of all the other Spider-Mans influence the identity of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.” The villains are cured and the cracks in the multiverse are sealed. The unstable spell is fixed, but only after Peter Parker allows everyone in the world to forget who he is. The movie ends with Peter suiting up as Spider-Man, swinging through the streets of New York triumphantly.
One major appeal of the movie among Marvel fans is the inclusion of previous incarnations of Spider-Man, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. This is true for Ms. Dyer, as she says “it was the greatest movie I’ve seen in a long time, because they tie in the old Spider-Mans so well.” Others also spoke highly of the film. Al Hessler (11) said “I think it was the best Tom Holland Spider-Man movie yet and it set up many possibilities for Spider-Man in and out of the MCU.” The movie leaves Peter Parker with a blank slate, providing room for future character development as he re-establishes relationships with those who have forgotten him.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is widely beloved by Marvel fans, who eagerly await the release of a sequel. If you are at all invested in Spider-Man or the Marvel cinematic universe, it is a worthwhile watch.