‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Dips Its Toes in the Multiverse

Upon settling down into the theater seats, I was immediately hit by the frantic voices of familiar characters among infamous New York City street sounds, all of which appeared just as the Marvel title page zoomed past in flickers of red and black. Bam! The sound of crunching popcorn by nearby viewers was drowned out by the IMAX audio quality that immersed me into the M.C.U. We all laughed, cried, and gripped the edges of our seats together on this rollercoaster of a movie.

And yet here it is, the long-awaited continuation of the wall-slamming cliffhanger that Spider-Man: Far from Home left for viewers everywhere. Peter Parker’s identity is revealed. Hell breaks loose, and the teenager we’ve all grown to love is left utterly helpless. 

Spider-Man is back and better than ever. The last time our friendly neighborhood superhero appeared on the big screen was in 2019 before the whole COVID-19 fiasco shut every source of entertainment down. Nevertheless, the film has hit box offices across the multiverse, with record highs of around $260 million for its opening weekend. It currently has grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, establishing its rank as the 8th highest-grossing film of all time, beneath Avatar and Avengers: End Game. For now, it is safe to say that even a global crisis is not strong enough to completely halt the monster that is Marvel Studios in their tracks. 

Spider-Man’s character, despite being commonly associated with Marvel, has always been under Sony Entertainment in terms of its release and distribution. This film itself was co-produced by Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures, and Pascal Pictures, the company owned by producer Amy Pascal. She worked alongside producer Kevin Feige, the current President of Marvel Studios who has been the main contributor to the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

After a discussion I had with a fellow connoisseur the other day about Disney’s downfalls in creating such large-scale, money-oriented movies, I realized that No Way Home avoided the almost painful moments of comedic relief in grief-stricken times. Instead of filling the empty space with awkwardly placed jokes as if to remind the audience that the whole piece is merely fictional, the creators decided to let the meaningful scenes sink in to have a longer-lasting impact on the viewers. Furthermore, the unexpected introduction of Spider-Man’s villains from eras-past leave audiences with flashes of nostalgia throughout the film.

A storytelling technique that director Jon Watts decided to settle on was flow, which was driven mainly by the piece’s excellent cinematography. Though Marvel’s “shtick” seems to be a combination of jumbled sequences, everything in this latest motion picture fit together like magnetic puzzle pieces, itching to find their way home (contradictory to the movie’s title).

When the characters encountered hardship and loss, the cinematic elements fell in line from darkened lighting to muted colors, bringing these “high” and “mighty” beings back down to earth. They became ordinary people with flaws and imperfections who cannot always express their emotions, tend to act irrationally, or often isolate themselves from the rest of the world. 

After screening every single Spider-Man movie, I felt a special connection to this one. Tom Holland performs the role of Spider-Man with such precision and just the right amount of child-like charm. Disney’s perfection of this specific franchise has created a stand-alone trilogy that will survive the test of time and set a precedent for all future Spider-Man flicks. Most importantly, it satisfied film critics everywhere with the use of innovative visual techniques, such as the split-phone look, that made the two and a half hours worthwhile.

The conflicts in this particular storyline are much more complex and blur the lines between who is typically perceived as a hero or a villain. The action is not only centered on the battles with Spidey’s enemies but also with himself. He displays an unbelievable amount of growth and is forced to make a decision that can change the course of the universe forever. In fact, his development has been evident throughout the trilogy, which was planned with careful attention by Pascal, Feige, and Watts. Remnants of their vision have appeared through Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, both of which Watts was in charge of. Ultimately, I applaud the selfless nature and mature attitude that Spider-Man has developed after realizing that “with great power comes great responsibility.” The meaning of Peter Parker’s maturation would have never existed without the help of the film’s producers and directors who have done nothing but put great care into its creation.

Once the lights turned back on and the credits began to play, I felt the room tense up instantaneously. Everyone disappeared into their own thoughts and theories about the ending of the film, which I admit was very up to interpretation. This movie was the ending chapter that concluded Spider-Man’s brief time in the spotlight, and now Marvel can choose to take the M.C.U. in any direction it pleases, one of which is with Doctor Strange. This spring will introduce the next of Marvel’s cinematic additions with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which deals with exploring the depths of the multiverse along with Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Sorcerer Supreme Wong, played by Benedict Wong.

Many amazing actors, such as Marissa Tomei as Aunt May and Jon Favreau as Happy, shined in this film and were able to reflect the contrasting themes of tragedy and optimism, leading to the concept that death brings about light.

Although it can be quite hard for fans who have grown accustomed to the release of an Avengers movie every now and then, the studio has to make do with the cast members that are left after the emotional hurricane that was Avengers: Endgame. All that we can look forward to, are the side stories of the remaining characters or for the reboot of the series—which could take years since so many are hesitant to accept new actors and actresses filling the roles of their beloved superheroes. 

It is too early to start thinking about what the future holds, especially when discussions of this cinematic masterpiece have just begun floating about. For now, we must all dwell in the beauty that is Spider-Man: No Way Home and hope that future Marvel movies follow suit.