It's been over a year since any Marvel Cinematic Universe hero has appeared on the big screen, with the last being Spider-Man in 2019's Far From Home. However, with the world beginning to return to normal and theaters across the country beginning to re-open, 2021 will see moviegoers once again getting a healthy scheduled dose of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So far, Marvel Studios has scheduled four films for release in 2021, beginning in July with Black Widow, and following up with Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in September, The Eternals in November, and Spider-Man: No Way Home in December. Continuing the hype, Marvel Studios also recently released new footage for The Eternals and official titles for the long-awaited sequel to Black Panther, which will be titled Wakanda Forever, and Captain Marvel, which will be titled The Marvels.
Noticeably absent from any recent press continues to be the highly anticipated third film in the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy, which began in 2016 with Spider-Man: Homecoming and continued in 2019 with Spider-Man: Far From Home. There is much not yet known about Spidey's next adventure, but here's what we've got so far...
Where is Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Spider-Man: Far From Home concluded with possibly one of the biggest twists in the history of the MCU, with Jake Gyllenhaal's villainous Mysterio framing Spider-Man for his apparent murder, before revealing to the world that Spider-Man was none other than high-schooler Peter Parker. This was the last time we spotted Peter however, and it's currently unknown what his status is within the MCU. It's a safe bet that Peter Parker may just be the most wanted man on the planet, with Mysterio having convinced the world that he was in fact a hero himself. If one thing is for certain though, it's that Peter will likely end up on the run, with no hope of seeing his home or friends any time soon.
What is Doctor Strange's involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
There has been no shortage of rumors circulating as to which heroes will be making appearances in No Way Home, however, Marvel has so far only confirmed the return of one Avenger, which will be Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. The extent of Strange's role in the film is still unknown at this point, but fans have speculated since the confirmation that Strange will recruit Spider-Man to assist in a mission having to do with the multiverse. At this time the theory has yet to be confirmed, but it stands that fans have nailed this one, as it has also been confirmed that villains from other spider-verses will be appearing in No Way Home, along with the fact that the sequels to both Doctor Strange and Ant-Man will focus heavily on the multiverse.
What is the multiverse and what does it mean to Spider-Man: No Way Home?
The Multiverse is set to play a major role in No Way Home, and will also be a major factor throughout Phase Four, which has prompted many fans to dive into Marvel lore to discover just what exactly the multiverse is. The quest for this answer has since led many fans down a cosmic rabbit hole in hopes of learning more about the mysterious multiverse, and while the most avid Marvel fan could probably write a book on the multiverse, the concept is actually pretty simple. In layman's terms, the multiverse is just an infinite number of parallel universes that exist, with some being almost exactly similar, while others are completely different. By the looks of it, Peter will end up exploring similar universes in which Spider-Men exist in No Way Home, while Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch will explore some of the darker corners of the multiverse.
Will Daredevil make an appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Effective February 2021, Marvel has regained the rights to any and all characters that previously appeared in the various Netflix spin-offs, including Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Punisher, Luke Cage, and Daredevil. Many fans are holding out hope that Marvel will continue their stories in some capacity, be it on the silver or the small screen. Last month, fans of the Defenders got some much-needed answers too, when Marvel boss Kevin Feige announced his plans to introduce Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and the Punisher back into the MCU with their original actors returning, along with Vincent D'Onofrio, who will be returning as Wilson Fisk A.K.A The Kingpin.
Since the announcement however, Marvel has been silent in regard to what the futures will hold for some of these characters. It has already been confirmed that Kristen Ritter's super-powered private-eye, Jessica Jones, will make an appearance in the Disney+ She-Hulk series, and fans have speculated that No Way Home will be Matt Murdock's reintroduction, in the form of Peter Parker's lawyer. We know Peter is about to need an expert attorney, and who better than someone familiar with both the law, and the world of being a costumed vigilante. Recently, Comicbook.com published an article stating that Charlie Cox was not only spotted on the set of No Way Home, but has also wrapped filming. Currently, it is expected that Cox will make an appearance as Matt Murdock, and not Daredevil, and be used in a sub-plot that will focus on proving Peter's innocence.
Who are the villains in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Like most superhero films, the heart of speculation has been based around which villains will be featured, and No Way Home is no exception. The MCU Spider-Man films have been seemingly building up towards a clash with the infamous Sinister Six, a feat that's never been accomplished by any previous series, and No Way Home is set to include at least two more long time members of the team. The catch however, is that these villains won't hail from the same universe in which Tom Holland's Spider-Man and the rest of the MCU exists. Even though the two main villains, which have been confirmed to be Doctor Octopus and Electro, are coming from different universes, long-time fans of the genre will still be familiar with these charters, as they will be played by Alfred Molina, who previously appeared in 2004's Spider-Man 2 and Jamie Foxx from 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
It's no surprise to fans that Molina was the first choice for the MCU's Doc Ock, however, fans were surprised to learn that Molina wouldn't be playing a new version Doctor Octopus, but instead reprising his original role from the 2004 film. Aside from the fact that it's been nearly two decades since Molina took on the wall-crawler, Doctor Octopus was believed long dead after sacrificing himself to destroy his very unstable fusion reactor in the climax of Spider-Man 2. This goes double for Foxx's Electro character, who was overloaded and seemingly destroyed by Gwen Stacey and Andrew Garfield's Spider Man. How either of these villains managed to survive certain death is still a mystery, and details have been sparse on their motivations, with Marvel Studios only saying that they will use de-aging technology on Molina, while Foxx's Electro character will no longer appear as blue living electricity.
Will Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Possibly the worst kept secret surrounding the film is whether or not we will see the return of Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who have both played versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in past franchises. Earlier this year current Spider-Man actor, Tom Holland, took the wind out of fans' sails when he told Esquire that the previous Spider-Man actors would not be making any appearances in the new film. Fans however were quick to point out that Holland is universally known as one of the worst secret keepers on the Disney/Marvel payroll, and that it would definitely be in his best interest to lie about such a major plot point. Maguire and Garfield have also been silent in regards to their appearance, with Garfield even going as far to say that he hasn't received any calls about suiting up as Spider-Man, and that he wishes that he could tell everyone to chill. These denials are still being taken with a grain of salt though, with fans looking to several now deleted Instagram posts for confirmation.
One of the since deleted posts came from actor Jamie Foxx, and depicted three Spider-Men standing together, while another photo posted by Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man stunt double, William Spencer, allegedly showed the stuntman on the set of No Way Home. This photo has also since been deleted, and has left fans wondering why they would need to be so hastily removed if in fact there was no merit to them. Since the emergence and disappearance of these posts, fans have kept an almost eagle-eyed watch over Garfield and Maguire, which has led to the discovery that Garfield was in Atlanta while No Way Home was being filmed, and that Sony has been in contact with Spanish dub actor Roger Pera, who lip dubbed Toby Maguire's Spider-Man. Given all the facts, along with Marvel's penchant for secrecy and deflection, it seems like a safe bet that we will see at least three Spider-Men in No Way Home.
Will we see Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
The rumors that Maguire and Garfield, will be returning, along with the confirmed casting of Molina and Foxx has also led fans to ask what other characters will turn up in No Way Home. More specifically fans have wondered if we will also see the return of Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson, who played the famed Spider-Man love interest in the original trilogy, and Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, who was a standout in the Amazing films. While both actresses have been silent in regards to any roles they may have involving Spider-Man, a virtually unknown Twitter account may have confirmed Dunst's return just days ago.
The account, which is called "Toby Maguire & Kirsten Dunst News" recently posted a photo of the IMDB cast and crew list for No Way Home, which credits Askia Won-Ling Jacob as "Kirsten Dunst's personal costumer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Like most nods to returning characters, the credit has since been taken down, more or less confirming Dunst's return. Those who favored Stone's take on Stacy however may be disappointed to learn that there have been no nods to Gwen's return, with many fans theorizing that her death in the finale of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will remain a permanent fixture of the Amazing universe.
Tobey Maguire & Kirsten Dunst News on Twitter: "???? @IMDb lists Askia Won-Ling Jacob as Kirsten Dunst's personal costumer for 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'. Link: https://t.co/M2bz8zdyBm https://t.co/bVtX0jiJxK" / Twitter
Who else will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
As to be expected, No Way Home will also see Peter's inner-circle of friends and family return for the sequel. Marisa Tomei will once again star as Aunt May, while Zendaya will reprise her role as Peter's love interest MJ. Also returning is Angourie Rice as Betty Brant, John Favreau as Happy Hogan, Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, and Jacob Batalon as Peter's best friend, Ned Leeds. Batalon recently lost 102 pounds for the sequel, and fans have begun speculating what this will mean for his character. For his first two appearance, Ned was a dorky yet endearing character, but die-hard comic fans also know that Ned Leeds may also one day take on the mantle of Hobgoblin. It's been well-documented that Marvel likes to play their cards close to their chest, and it's likely that we won't see a full cast list until the first trailer is released.
What comes after Spider-Man: No Way Home?
At the beginning of 2021, fans of Holland's Spider-Man were very afraid that No Way Home could be the last they see of their beloved wall-crawler, with Disney and Sony unable to reach a deal in regards to the Spider-Man property. Initially, Marvel/Disney wanted to keep Holland on board for as long as possible and continue to develop his character within the MCU, while Sony began to see how empty their Spider-villains universe might be without an actual Spider-Man, following the success of 2018's Venom. As of February 2021 however, it seems that Disney and Sony were able to reach a new deal that will see both studios sharing custody of the Spider-Man, and possibly a few other characters. Fans were quick to notice the presence of Michael Keaton's Vulture character back when the first trailer for Sony's Morbius was released, and there has been no shortage of subtle Avengers nods in the recently released Venom: Let There be Carnage trailer. So far, there has been no word on whether Venom or Morbius will cross over with Holland's Spider-Man, but it also doesn't take a genius to see how profitable a Venom cross-over could be, with fans clambering for a true Venom Spider-Man showdown since the let down that was 2007's Spider-Man 3. It should also be taken into account that Marvel also plans on introducing vampires into the universe via Blade, yet another way Marvel and Sony could bridge their characters.
Spider-Man 4 and the Sinister Six
We briefly mentioned above that six members of the infamous Marvel team, The Sinister Six, will have now been featured within Marvel's Home trilogy, and that no franchise has so far been able to bring such a collective of villains together without a film feeling overstuffed. We know that both the Shocker and the Vulture are in prison, along with Mac Gargan, who will inevitably become the Scorpion, while Doctor Octopus and Electro will also arrive in the MCU. Meanwhile, fans believe that Mysterio is in fact still alive, and that he will be the one to bring the collective together in a possible fourth installment. If the Sinister Six were to come to fruition, it could possibly be one of the biggest events in the MCU history, rivaling that of Civil War and Endgame.
What else does Marvel have in the works?
Several of Marvel's upcoming films are set to explore the multiverse, including No Way Home, and fans have wondered if that means we will see even more iterations of Spider-Man. Sony's Oscar winning animated film, Into the Spiderverse was a major success both critically and financially, and introduced mainstream fans to several new incarnations of the character that have had a major following within the comics for years now. Miles Morales has been one of Marvel's most celebrated creations on the 21st century, and his presence was even hinted at back in 2017's Homecoming, when Spider-Man stops a car thief played by Donald Glover who seems to be a relative of Miles Morales. Miles's popularity has only grown in recent years too, with his character being featured prominently in the Marvel Comic's Universe, and even his own video game. Another character that fans have been itching to see is Spider-Gwen, who fans hoped would be played by Emma Stone, who helmed the role of Gwen Stacy in the Amazing series. Miles and Gwen are so far hopeful theories, but Marvel seems to be going all in on the multi-verse for now, and it would seem strange if they did not at least give nods to these popular characters.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to premiere December 17th of 2021, and continue Marvel's Phase Four. What are your predictions for No Way Home, let us know in the comments below.