WithSpider-Man: No Way Homegetting closer and closer to theaters every day, excitement among Spider-Man fans is at an all-time high. And as if one Spidey film wasn’t enough, the first trailer forSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)was recently released, giving web-heads even more to look forward to.
But with the originalSpider-Verseanimated film receiving such overwhelming acclaim from fans and critics alike,No Way Homehas a lot to live up to if it’s going to have a claim to being the best Spider-Man movie yet. In fact, there’s a lot thatNo Way Homehas hopefully learned from its animated predecessor — not just asa multiverse-spanning Spider-Man story,but as a Spider-Man story in general.
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Amazing Action
One of the many criticisms that have been lobbed at the Tom HollandSpider-Manfilms is that their action sequences have been lacking compared to other iterations. And indeed, it’s not hard to see the argument here. NeitherHomecomingnorFar From Homehave had any fights that match the intense spectacle of, say, the train fight with Doctor Octopus inSpider-Man 2. Part of this is arguably due to the choice in villains —neither Vulture nor Mysterioare formidable close-range fighters. But even so, movies likeCaptain America: The Winter SoldierandShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringshave proved that the MCU’s action has the potential to be utterly outstanding.
As such, it would benefitNo Way Hometo take a page fromSpider-Verse’s action scenes. Not only are the fights fast-paced and exciting thanks to the film’s distinct animation style, they also do an excellent job balancing large casts. Look at scenes like the forest fight against Doc Ock, or the battle at Aunt May’s house, or the final showdown at Kingpin’s particle accelerator.
Even while managing large numbers of heroes and villains, the action sequences manage to be memorable thanks to the energetic fight choreography and dynamic setpieces. And while not much action hasbeen shown in theNo Way Hometrailers,the brief glimpses of the bridge fight with Doc Ock, the mirror dimension train battle against Doctor Strange, and the grand finale at the Statue of Liberty all look very promising.
Spectacular Supporting Players
One thing that bothInto the Spider-VerseandNo Way Homehave in common is their extensive supporting casts.Spider-Versehas all the multiversal Spideys and Miles’ family, plus Aunt May and Mary Jane in smaller roles. Meanwhile,No Way Homehas MJ, Ned, Doctor Strange, Aunt May, Flash, Betty, Happy Hogan, and J. Jonah Jameson — plus a few other heroic guest stars, if persistent rumors and leaks are to be believed. Many fans have expressed fear that with so many villains and supporting characters to juggle,No Way Homewill end up as a jumbled, overcrowded messjust likeSpider-Man 3andAmazing Spider-Man 2, even with its nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime.
However,Spider-Verseis proof that even a movie with a massive cast can still feel laser-focused if the script is tight enough. Many of its characters — Aunt May, Peni Parker, Spider-Ham, and Doc Ock, for instance — all have very little screen time compared to more prominent characters, but they nevertheless serve a purpose in the story, and are still memorable as a result. Meanwhile, the major players like Peter B. Parker, Gwen, Kingpin, Prowler, and Miles’ dad Jefferson are all given the focus they deserve.
Hopefully, the same will be true ofNo Way Home. Despite all the hype aroundreturning villains like Electro,Lizard, and Sandman, it would be best for the story to relegate them to minor roles like Kingpin’s henchmen inSpider-Verse. As such, Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin would be allowed more prominence in the plot, like Kingpin and Prowler. Similarly, it’s likely that Jameson, Happy, and Peter’s classmates will have a much smaller presence in the film, letting MJ, Ned, Aunt May, and Doctor Strange have the significance they need in the central cast. At least, that’s what would make for the most coherent narrative.
A Spidey-Centric Story
But of course, the most important part of any story is the protagonist. Underneath all the multiversal mayhem,No Way Homecannot succeed as a Spider-Man story unless it is first and foremosta film about Peter Parkerand his personal conflict. This is of course something thatSpider-Versepulled off magnificently — the dazzling animation and fun side characters may be a big draw, but the beating heart of the movie is Miles Morales himself. The real focus of the story isn’t the battle against Kingpin, but Miles’ struggle to find his own identity and meet the expectations forced onto him by others.
So far, both of MCU Spidey’s solo films have been driven by Peter’s internal struggles. InHomecoming, the main conflict is caused by Peter’s impulsive desperation to prove himself, whileFar From Homesees him fall victim to Mysterio’s manipulations thanks to his own fear of responsibility. Each film has alsoadvanced Peter’s ongoing character arc— first he learns humility and chooses to help those in need over chasing glory, then he overcomes his doubt and embraces his destiny not as the next Iron Man, but as the first Spider-Man.
However, Peter still has yet to figure out what “being Spider-Man” truly means, and the trailers forNo Way Homehint at how the new film will address that. Once Peter learns from Strange that the multiversal villains are all doomed to die fighting their worlds’ Spider-Men, the two heroes promptly come to blows. Presumably, Peter intends to save his enemies from their fate out of guilt — something that will no doubt have disastrous consequences. But even so, this paints the image of a Peter Parker who is forced to carve out his own identity as a hero while he grapples withthe legacy of other Spider-Men.In other words, the MCU’s Peter is in a very similar situation to Miles inSpider-Verse.
Into the Spider-Versedoesn’t just use the multiverse as a plot device or as a way to introduce fan-favorite characters: it has a thematic purpose as well. A crucial part of Miles' character development is comparing himself to his fellow Spideys, then forging his own identity to prove himself as their equal. In many ways, Tom Holland’s Peter has also been struggling under the weight of its predecessors, being constantly judged against the standards of past films. If the rumors are true, this could very well reflect the nature of Peter’s arc inNo Way Home— Tom Holland’s Peter rising to the occasionalongside Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’sSpider-Men, and learning from them what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
This is all just speculation, of course. Even after the trailers, much ofNo Way Home’s story is still a mystery. But if it has any hope of becoming a contender for the best Spider-Man movie ever, then it’ll definitely need to follow the example ofInto the Spider-Verse.
