The highly anticipated Marvel movie, Spider-Man No Way Home, and ninth movie released in Marvel’s phase 4, came out on Thursday, December 16th, 2021. I have had tickets for Spider-Man No Way Home since early December, a plan I’d had since the movie was announced on Disney Investor Day on July 9, 2021. 

After being left with a cliffhanger at the end of Spider-Man Far From Home, in 2019, fans have been impatiently waiting for No Way Home to release. 

At the end of Spider- Man Far From Home we learned that Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Mysterio, exposes Spider-Man’s secret identity as Peter Parker. And if that was not enough, he then goes on to make Peter Parker look like a villain by blaming him for his death and the destruction done in London. 

Spider-Man No Way Home was directed by John Watts, who is also know for directing Spider-Man Homecoming and Spider-Man Far From Home. It stars Tom Holland, also known for his roles in The Impossible and Chaos Walking, as the third installment of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Playing Peter’s girlfriend is MJ, played by Zendaya, who is well known for her long run on Disney Channel and The Greatest Showman. Peter Parker’s best friend, Ned Leeds, is played by Jacob Batalon and Doctor Strange is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. 

Marvel movies are all puzzle pieces used to create the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the MCU. Missing one movie can result in not understanding a funny reference or even an entire plot point. So it is important to Marvel fans that they are up to date on the latest released Marvel movies and TV shows. 

Spoilers are a significant part of Marvel fan culture with the main goal being to avoid them. But be warned — I can not resist a few.  While I won’t give away the ending, you may want to stop reading from this point if your goal is to see the movie without any pre-conceptions.

Marvel’s Spider-Man No Way Home is full of Easter eggs and call-backs to past Spider-Man movies, the most obvious being the iconic villains.  Jamie Foxx reprises his role at Electro, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn or Green Goblin, and Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius, or Doctor Octopus.

Seeing these actors on screen as the iconic Spider-Man villains brings elements of nostalgia to the film, but that is not the only reason for their presence. 

After being exposed as Spider-Man, Peter Parker goes to fellow Avenger Dr. Strange in an attempt to undo what Mysterio has done. But when a spell by Dr. Strange goes wrong, it brings in those from other universes who know Spider-Man’s secret identity. This is where the villains come in. 

But he does not do this alone. Assisted by the Spider-Men of the past, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as Peter Parker’s Spider-Man one more time. 

The movie give Spider-Man fans everything they want and more. Spider-Man No Way Home scored a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 99%. There is nostalgia, heartbreak, and most importantly a new path ahead for more Marvel movies.