It felt like something that would never happen. But finally, after plenty of patience and a leak on social media, fans got the long awaited first teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Understandably, it then took the record for most viewed trailer of all time within the first 24 hours of its release, a record previously held by Avengers: Endgame. And it certainly continues to deserve every view it gets.
Now that the dust has settled in terms of sheer excitement and the spectacle of fan theories, it feels like a good time to break down the trailer and everything known or vaguely known about the next adventure for our beloved wall crawler.
While there’s plenty to theorize about, there are some things that the trailer confirmed upfront. We now know for sure that the film will pick up right at the end of Far From Home, showcasing the aftermath of Mysterio revealing Spider-Man’s identity to the world. There’s also confirmation that Peter Parker does in fact go to Doctor Strange for help in fixing his identity crisis, which then results in the opening of the MCU’s multiverse.
Of course, the biggest reveal from the trailer is the first official look at the return of Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. While this glimpse definitively silences any multiverse deniers, it also gives way and some early proof now to a whole host of different theories.
For starters, in addition to Molina’s reprisal, some characteristic lightning provides confirmation on Jamie Foxx’s supposed return as Electro as well as an iconic pumpkin bomb paired with a sinister laugh ramping up the return of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin - though, maybe they’ll throw a curveball at fans and bring back James Franco as Hobgoblin.
The trailer also adds plenty of fuel to the rumor mill fire that fans will finally be getting a live-action, multiversal rendition of the Sinister Six, with glimpses of Sandman and Lizard making their way into the teaser. The film could very reasonably then throw in the likes of anyone from Vulture or Scorpion to Rhino or perhaps even a return of Mysterio to round out the villainous group.
In addition to plenty of villain appearances it’s also not outside the realm of possibility that there will be more heroes jumping into the fun other than Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and a brief moment with Wong. For instance, some eagle eyed viewers have sparked an obsession with one particular scene that seems to resemble Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock. Though he’s since denied his involvement in the movie, it does still offer some hope for the return of the beloved Netflix Marvel heroes like Daredevil.
Not to mention, with the multiverse now confirmed, there’s much more reason to believe that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be suiting up once again for a team-up of Spider Men. These rumors have only gained more steam with the recent copyright strikes given out by Sony on supposedly leaked images of Maguire and Garfield both in their respective Spider-Man suits on set. The best guess to roll with for them right now would be a brief cameo or appearance at the end for a final fight, so that the film still remains Tom Holland’s show.
All of that said, a main takeaway that flies under the radar is simply that this film may take the route of Avengers: Infinity War or Empire Strikes Back, in that there won’t be a happy ending. While Peter might get some resolution, this film certainly looks to connect with the likes of Loki that came before it and the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which would entail a less than complete conclusion.
This isn’t a bad thing at all, though. Spider-Man: No Way Home was hyped up and is now shaping up to be the next big event for the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. While the Disney+ shows have been stellar and the movies that are slated before this next Spider-Man flick look amazing, this really feels like something that Marvel fans have been waiting for, especially when considering the callbacks to the previous iterations of the friendly neighborhood hero.
This film could potentially set the stage for not only the next couple of movies, but the next couple of MCU phases. Only time will tell, however, so it might be worth rewatching the trailer a few dozen more times. Who knows, these might be the only precious frames we get before gleefully swinging to the theaters on December 17.
Jackson Horvat is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Jackson by tweeting him at @horvatjackson.
