Awesome / Spider-Man: No Way Home

Eight films. Three continuities. Twenty years.
It has all led to this moment.

As the biggest Spider-Man movie yet filmed — an Avengers-level crossover never seen before in a Spider-Man film, all to celebrate nearly TWENTY YEARS of cinematic adventures starring your friendly neighborhood wall-crawler — Spider-Man: No Way Home is no doubt a must-see at the level of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and soon to be remembered for decades to come.

All spoilers are unmarked on moment pages.

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Trailers

• The teaser showcases a new take on the train fight by having Doctor Strange put Spider-Man in the Mirror Dimension, which causes the train to duplicate into multiple copies and fly right off the track.
• Adding to that, think back to Doctor Strange (2016), where he could only run for his life in the Mirror Dimension and was getting his ass handed to him by Kaecilius for most of it. Here, he's basically shaping it to his very whim on a level rivalling the Ancient One. Clearly the good Doctor has been keeping up with his studies.
• The teaser offers a series of quick hints at the Rogues Gallery at the very end, one after the other, culminating in The Reveal of Alfred Molina returning as Doctor Octopus for the first time since 2004.
  Dr. Octopus: Hello, Peter...
  • Peter's reaction to this new foe? He immediately suits up as the Iron Spider and assumes a combat stance.
  • Just before that, a familiar cackle sounds as a pumpkin bomb blows up a bridge. As was promised almost twenty years ago: "WE'LL MEET AGAIN, SPIDER-MAN!"
• The second trailer reveals an all-out assault on Spider-Man at the Statue of Liberty, which also serves as confirmation of the return of Electro, Sandman, and The Lizard. Props goes to Electro's new re-design, with the lightning even manifesting to his iconic star-shaped mask!
• If the second trailer's action sequences are anything to go by, the Sinister Six (or rather, the Sinister Syndicate) have indeed finally assembled and regardless of whether Spidey will be getting outside help, this is something never before seen in a live-action Spider-Man film and will definitely be one for the record books!

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Film

• When the feds bring her in for questioning, MJ stands her ground by refusing to answer any questions without a lawyer and calls out the lead interrogator for trying to manipulate her by invoking Only Bad Guys Call Their Lawyers.
• MCU Peter turns to none other than Matt Murdock to help with the charges being brought against him for "killing" Mysterio. During their meeting, a Mysterio supporter throws a brick through the apartment window. Peter goes to catch it, only for Matt to grab it first.
  Peter: How did you just do that?
  Matt: I'm a really good lawyer.
• When Flash — who had been trying to ride off of Peter's fame by claiming that they were best friends — expresses shock that Peter, MJ, and Ned didn't get into MIT with him, Ned shuts him down quick, saying that this is what happens to people who actually are friends with Spider-Man.
• The battle on the bridge between MCU Spider-Man and the newly arrived Doctor Octopus is an incredible way to not only reintroduce one of the most popular comic book movie antagonists of all time but to show that even with Stark's fancy tech that his Peter certainly didn't have, Doc Ock is still an even match for him.
• And speaking of that tech, Peter pops out the Iron-Spider arms when Otto threatens his "little girlfriend", and Otto, in the most casual way possible, simply responds, "Looks like we got competition" before the two clash in one of the most impressive fights MCU Spider-Man has gone through so far, with each of their extra arms countering the other's as Otto shows he hasn't lost a step since we last saw him.
  Doc Ock: I should've killed your little girlfriend when I had the chance.
  Spider-Man: (activates his suit's Spider Limbs) What'd you just say?
• When MCU Peter is facing Electro, he receives some unexpected assistance from Flint Marko a.k.a. Sandman. The duo easily merge their skillsets to contain Electro using a set of nearby powerlines.
• Spider-Man vs. Doctor Strange:
  • Strange manages to separate Peter's astral form from his body. Normally, this means Strange getting the cube back from him should be easy. But he wasn't prepared for the Peter Tingle. Even though Peter's soul has basically been excised from his body, it begins moving automatically in response to Strange's attempts to take the box from him, and with Peter physically being just plain quicker, the sincerely bewildered Stephen can't take it no matter how hard he tries. Mind you that Spidey is slowed down, Strange is at normal speed, and Peter is still too fast to let him have the cube.
    Strange: (Feverishly attempting to grab for the box) How are—you—doing this?
    Peter: I have no idea.
    Strange: (Now snatching frantically) You shouldn't—be able—to do that!
  • Strange pulls Peter into the Mirror Dimension. Except it's even more confusing, because he blends New York (which both he and Peter are familiar with) with the Grand Canyon. It's arguably more impressive than the Mirror Dimension fights in Strange's own movie. Doctor Strange is now the master of the Mirror Dimension and he puts it to stunning effect, from making the buildings move and bend to his will to reshaping the very land into a trippy blend of NYC and the Grand Canyon. He's definitely showing off where his studies have taken him in the time since Doctor Strange.
    Peter: What is this place?!
    Strange: The Mirror Dimension. Where I'm in control!
  • Despite Strange's well-deserved Badass Boast, he seems to have finally come across the one opponent his seemingly unbeatable options can't bring down in Spider-Man. It has been often touted that bringing an opponent into the Mirror Dimension is an instant win condition for Strange, and not an unfounded one; he possesses a godlike control over it in its entirety, and demonstrates the greatest control he's ever had here, folding and warping New York City to his will, endlessly replicating and fanning buildings, streets, escalators, walls, everything and anything to trap Peter in an infinite prison of impossible geometry, but he just can't catch him. With Peter's mastery over his Spider-Sense since Far From Home, all he needs to do is let it guide him, and his incredible speed and agility take care of the rest, letting him outmaneuver and deftly escape seemingly anything Strange can possibly throw at him — and with subduing implements being the bulk of Strange's repertoire^note Even the few directly offensive measures he's demonstrated would be unwise, given Peter's already demonstrated to be swifter than he can prepare for and absolutely not someone he'd want to trade punches with, plus the fact that he really doesn't want to genuinely harm Peter, he's left with virtually no win condition. His only recourse by the fight's end is to just get the box from Peter and leave immediately because nothing else is working.
  • Which makes it even more impressive when Peter needs only a moment to catch his breath to have a "Eureka!" Moment about the Mirror Dimension's geometry, and without hesitation, starts implementing that realization into a plan to defeat Strange which he executes to perfection. He almost makes it look easy. The MCU Spidey really leans into comic book Peter's status as a Science Hero, and this is one of his finest moments of it, and all on the fly.
    Spider-Man: Hey, Strange, you know what's cooler than magic? Math.
  • The fact that Peter is able to notice and deduce the nature of the Mirror Dimension and how to use it against his opponent whilst in the middle of a fight is no small thing. That alone shows how much he's grown.
• Peter demonstrates he's made significant progress mastering his Spidey-sense, filtering through the sensory overload in Happy's apartment room to nail that the Goblin had reemerged. And this is while he's surrounded by three uncured villains, with another one inside May's F.E.A.S.T. truck.
• When the Goblin possesses Norman, May immediately knows to pack up the devices they're using to cure the villains and wait for her nephew's cue to run. That they're so in-sync shows how much of a team they've become in the years since May found out about Peter's secret identity.
• Green Goblin manages to turn Electro from neutral back to supervillain with the exact same Breaking Speech he's giving to Peter at the same time. In fact, he gets a whole lot of good lines, just about every time he opens his mouth. In fact, according to Tom Holland, Willem Dafoe did about 30 different takes of said Breaking Speech towards Peter that were all distinct from one another. A shame we likely won't get to see them, but it goes to show how devoted Dafoe is to the character.
• The fight between Peter and the newly-emerged Goblin is probably the most brutal fight Peter's ever been in. Even without his glider and bombs, the Goblin still has Peter on the ropes with his sheer physical strength alone. Their brawl sees them hurling each other against walls and over balconies, completely trashing the halls of the condo building. At one point, Peter has Goblin pinned against the wall and is laying into him, but Goblin just smiles and laughs in response before powerbombing Peter straight through the floor. The climax comes when Lizard tosses Peter back into Goblin's grasp, who piledrives him through multiple floors straight down to the lobby.
  Green Goblin: Strong enough to have it all... Too weak to take it!
  • It's important to remember: this is the same Spider-Man who effortlessly dead-halted a coup de grace hammer swing from Cull Obsidian when the Black Order made landfall in New York. The same Spider-Man who was able to nonchalantly catch a punch from Bucky's metal arm with one hand and stalemate the MCU's massively Adaptational Badass in terms of strength Captain America, all in one day. That is the MCU's Spider-Man. The Green Goblin is manhandling him like nobody's business and laughing his ass off all the while.
• Aunt May putting herself between Peter and the Goblin, and facing off with him while wielding a broken piece of rebar! Unfortunately, Norman gains the upper hand shortly after, but it's still one of the most badass scenes we've seen not only her, but basically any movie incarnation of Aunt May in.
• Despite having no magical training, Ned stumbles into making the Sling Ring work by accidentally making the gesture while wondering where Peter is. After a few false starts, he gets a portal to open into a dark alleyway, and he and MJ see what appears to be Spider-Man in the distance. Thinking it's the Peter they know, they call out to him, and when he jumps through the portal, he looks noticeably taller and his suit looks completely different. A short while later, he pulls off his mask to reveal himself as none other than Andrew Garfield, the Webb-verse Peter Parker. After the three have a brief exchange, Ned tries summoning a portal again, and one opens behind him... and who should step through but Tobey Maguire, the Raimi-verse Peter Parker. In one scene, months of speculation as well as the dreams of millions have finally come true.
  • If you saw this scene in theaters (or at least heard an audience recording on YouTube), you know that, in a film packed to the gills with cheer-worthy moments, these reveals made audiences go nothing short of nuclear. Tom Holland promised us "get-off-your-feet, stamp-your-feet moments", and he. Wasn't. Kidding.
  • Marvel managing to keep the appearances of Maguire and Garfield a secret, to the point that even with leaked pictures and video surfacing, many fans still had doubts if it was true that they'd both appear. Keep in mind, this is also a movie starring Tom Holland, who is infamous for spoiling details. And most of the credit for the subterfuge goes to Garfield, who kept a steady poker face on his involvement whenever asked in interviews leading up to the film, even in the wake of one of his scenes being leaked.
  • The entrance of the two alternate Spideys is a brilliant nod to the strong points both actors have. Webb-verse Peter (Andrew), lauded for having the best performance as Spider-Man, has been suited and masked up since his arrival, gathering information in the shadows. Raimi-verse Peter (Tobey), meanwhile, said to have sold the best Peter Parker, has been wandering New York incognito as Peter Parker while he tries to make sense of what's going on.
  • Both Spider-Men also quickly grasp the multiverse before it's even explained to them, in a way that fits their characters: Webb-verse Peter starts rambling about string theory, showing off the quirky scientific insight that he was known for. Raimi-verse Peter, meanwhile, put it together in a more mundane way; he saw all of the headlines saying "Peter Parker is Spider-Man" and realized the kid in the pictures very much wasn't him, so this must be an alternate reality. In fact, when he first meets the other Peter, he's confused because this Spider-Man doesn't look like the Spider-Man of this universe, either.
    Peter-2: (sees Peter-3, confused) Wait...he's not your friend...?
    (THWIP!)
  • Both alternate universe Peters' first instincts on seeing each other is to fire webs at each other while doing a flip to dodge the other's strike, proving they're evenly matched at first. Upon landing, Raimi-verse Peter has the faster draw with his second web shot from his left hand striking Webb-verse Peter's web shooter, temporarily disabling it. It's a subtle example that illustrates the difference in combat experience between the two Spider-Men (notably apparent when Raimi-verse Peter kicked off of the ceiling so he'd reach the ground faster than his opponent) and even Webb-verse Peter was clearly impressed by his counterpart's abilities.
  • On the subject of Ned learning to use a sling ring, he previously mentions to Strange that his family claims to have magic and Strange dismisses him. When Strange meets him at the Statue of Liberty, he reacts in surprise that Ned managed to open portals so easily and gives a little nod. Ned might have a future as a wizard...
• Once the three Spideys are on the same page about curing the villains, you get several moments that highlight how intelligent they all are — and keep in mind, they only have the materials available in a high-school science lab to work with.
  • Webb-verse Peter immediately states that he'd already cured Dr. Connors in the past, and recreates the formula from memory.
  • Raimi-verse Peter confesses that he's long thought about creating a cure for the Goblin serum — something the Stark Industries fabrication machine failed to accomplish.
  • This leaves MCU Peter, the youngest of the three, to fix the devices to cure Electro and Sandman.
• As the final battle begins, what is the first thing the Webb-verse Spider-Man does? Take a big leap off the Statue of Liberty's scaffolding towards Electro, casually say hello to him and then immediately dodge a lightning blast by casually shooting a web behind him to swing away.
  Webb-verse Spider-Man: Hey, Max! I missed you, man!
• Raimi-verse Spider-Man FINALLY facing off against The Lizard, as Sam Raimi always wanted.
• The shot of all three Spider-Men landing on top of the Statue of Liberty, after finally agreeing to a plan of attack against Electro, Sandman, and the Lizard. It's not quite an Ass-Kicking Pose, but it says a lot that in many an uploaded theatre audience reaction video it's this scene where the crowd goes wild. Watch closely and you'll notice that they land in a particular order: Raimi-verse Spider-Man first, Webb-verse Spider-Man second and MCU Spider-Man last — the same order as their cinematic appearances.
• For Sam Raimi fans, Danny Elfman's classic theme returns to punctuate the more emotional moments of the return of Raimi-verse Peter, particularly his entrance through the portal, him curing Sandman, and his reunion with Doc Ock.
• During the Statue of Liberty fight, Doc Ock shows up to grab Raimi-verse and Webb-verse Spider-Man while they're being attacked by Electro. He has them by the neck, making it look like he's going to try and kill them, only to turn around and use his tentacles to snatch the Arc Reactor away from Electro. He then administers the stabilising unit that finally depowers Electro for good.
  Doc Ock: There you go.
  • Speaking of Electro, Electro’s role in this battle was also awesome too. Thanks to the Arc Reactor charging him up, he is not only able to teleport away from the attacking Spider-Men, but also uses the Reactor as a chest blaster against MCU Peter when the other Peters have both his arms restrained. While not as intelligent as the Green Goblin or as big as Sandman, he is technically a deadly combatant against the web-slinging trio. While the other villains get kicked around and have debris falling on them, Electro survives the entire battle with barely a scratch. In other words, he beat three Spider-Men!
• When the Goblin arrives at the Statue Of Liberty, Otto's tentacles catch several pumpkin bombs to protect the others from the explosions. As the Goblin tries to fly away, Otto grabs his glider and holds him back long enough for Strange to get the MacGuffin, and the Goblin has to sever the tentacle just to free himself. Otto and Strange working together is awesome in itself, seeing technology from Otto’s universe and magic from Strange’s universe united for a common goal.
• Goblin's strategies rely on manipulating other people into position, then smashing their plans to his own benefit. He manages to wait until the other villains wear the good guys — including two extra Spider-Men — out, swoops in to grab the MacGuffin, is barely stopped by Doc Ock and Strange... and it turns out he planned for that too.
• Webb-verse Peter redeeming himself for Gwen Stacy's death by saving MJ is equally awesome and sad, especially with the theory many fans have subscribed to that the specific manner in which he saved her — launching himself downward to catch her with his arms first before slinging a web up so they can both fall safely — was something he had planned for a long time, as he had replayed Gwen's death in his head countless times.
• In an easy-to-miss moment, as the shield falls off the statue, Peter 2 saves Dr. Connors with a well-timed web shot and Doc Ock grabs Dillon, preventing the two recently-cured villains from falling.
• In the climactic battle of the final film of his trilogy, the MCU Peter finally earns his stripes among history's Spider-Men by having the rite of passage showdown that every one before him has gone through: facing down the Green Goblin, one on one. And it's a fight every bit as brutal and no-holds barred as was in the original film, all those years before.
  • Before the confrontation even began, the Green Goblin had driven Peter away from a falling MJ with his own glider. So how does Peter level the playing field? Repeatedly punch into a section of the glider that contains a pumpkin bomb, grab the bomb, activate it and slam it into the glider while staring down the Green Goblin. Cue the glider blowing up and crashing into debris, leading into the rematch between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin.
  • The Goblin attempts to stab Peter with a Blade Below the Shoulder. Peter deflects each attack, eventually breaks the blade (not by snapping it, by punching it), and proceeds to give the Goblin a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown in revenge for May's death. Is it brutal? Yes. Is it Peter teetering on the edge of a line he shouldn't cross? Very much so. Did the Goblin have it coming after all he's done to this Peter alone? Absolutely.
  • This exchange. Both actors embody their characters perfectly, even if Peter is close to losing himself.
    Goblin: Poor Peter! Too weak to send me home to die.
    Spider-Man: No, I just wanna kill you myself.
    Goblin: (grins) Atta boy!
  • In particular the tone of the rematch is set early on by just how loudly a missed punch from MCU Peter rings out from the metal they are standing on. Goblin can't help but pause, in his sadistic way impressed at how Peter is now hitting with all his strength.
  • Even more impressive is that he left a huge dent in the shield after the punch!
    • While it is impressive, it also underscores how Peter is losing it, having given in to rage and grief. Examining it in slow-motion shows that Peter's fist lands where the Goblin's head was a moment before. Imagine what would've happened to his head had he missed the dodge. Even before Peter picks up the glider, that was already a killshot.
  • What makes this more awesome is that MCU Peter makes this fight a repeat of Thanos' fight with the Hulk. Especially with MCU Peter hitting Goblin's back and lifting him to the ground.
    • MCU Peter kicking the utter crap out of the Goblin also underscores, in retrospect, just how lucky Steve Rogers and company got during the Airport Battle in Captain America: Civil War. If it had been this Peter — one who's given in to his ferocity and is ready and willing to kill — on Tony's team rather than the young, excited newbie, Cap and the renegade Avengers would've been screwed.
  • After all that, MCU Peter grabs the discarded Glider and is about to use it to stab Goblin when Raimi-verse Peter stands between them. He grabs the other side of the Glider with a stern, but pleading look in his face to stop MCU Peter from violating Thou Shalt Not Kill. Props to Tobey Maguire for showcasing his ability to express emotions non-verbally, through his eyes alone.
  • Never one to be outdone, Raimi-verse Peter finds himself repaid his efforts by a sudden knife in the side, courtesy of the Goblin. Haggardly rising to his feet, despite knowing that MCU Peter is teetering on the brink of murdering him outright and in no condition to defend himself, the Goblin just goads and mocks him, berating him his failure to save Aunt May as though daring him to finish the job. Even though the Goblin persona is finally killed moments later by the cure, in his own way he got the only victory he really wanted.
    Green Goblin: She was there... because of you. I may have struck the blow, but you... You are the one that killed her. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--!
  • Ultimately, MCU Peter, thanks to a well timed throw by Webb-verse Peter, decides instead to Take a Third Option, and stabs the Goblin with his cure and ends his threat once and for all. The face Goblin makes really sells it.
    Webb-verse Peter: Nice catch.
    MCU Peter: Nice throw.
• While the three Spideys work in perfect harmony to bring down the trio of villains, Doctor Strange, though he eventually loses control and can't stop them any longer, is able to cast a spell that holds back the tears in the fabric of space-time, preventing all manner of alternate reality beings out for Spider-Man's blood from entering their universe. He's able to hold on for an impressive amount of time, too; just long enough for the Spideys to win the day!
• Venom's Stinger, while short, brings some awesome implications for the MCU's future. Shortly after Eddie and Venom get booted back into the SSU, a small spawn of the symbiote remains on the table, beginning to move... setting in stone the very first steps of a symbiote-centric story arc.
• At the end of the film Peter gets back-to-basics by making a new suit — and it's the classic comics costume with the more vibrant colors, faithfully recreated for film in the style that a financially-strapped Peter could actually make. No raised, silver webbing, no gimmicks, just a kid with a sewing machine and a responsibility.
• Despite knowing and experiencing the consequences of being a superhero, Peter doesn't opt to live out a quiet life now that he's a blank slate, not even for a second... because he knows the world still needs Spider-Man.

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