Marvel Studios | Sony Pictures
The next Spider-Man film is poised to be the most massive theatrical event since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Theaters had to shut their doors throughout 2020 due to local restrictions. Audiences have been slow to return throughout 2021. Modest successes like Marvel’s own Shang-Chi and Eternals have posted impressive numbers, but neither rivaled the absurd success of Endgame.
No Way Home swiftly overtook Shang-Chi, Black Widow, and Avengers: Endgame in day-one ticket presales. It even outstripped Star Wars films like The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Simply put, people are excited to see Peter Parker back on the big screen. But why is a franchise entry in the long-running Spider-Man series drumming up so much interest? Well, it’s the multiverse.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home promises to wrap a bow around 20 years of live-action Spider-Man movies, and anticipation is through the roof with fans anxious to see how Tom Holland’s Homecoming trilogy concludes,” says Fandango’s Managing Editor, Erik Davis. “The most anticipated film of the season promises to deliver surprises on every level and December 17 can’t come soon enough.”
Tom Holland’s turn as the Web-Head has been well-received by critics and fans alike. The youthful and exuberant Peter Parker has been a perfect fit for the slick and stylish presentation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, fans are turning up for the chance to see more than just the newest Spidey. Rumor has it that previous Parker actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will appear on the screen.
No Way Home will center on Doctor Strange and Spider-Man racing to clean up the aftereffects of a spell that goes awry. When Strange used magic to make the world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, something caused all of Peter’s antagonists from across the multiverse to appear in the MCU.
In plain terms, this means that classic Spider-Man actors are back to reprise their villainous roles. Alfred Molina returns as Doctor Octopus, Willem Defoe is back as Green Goblin, and Jaime Foxx reprises his role as Electro.
Fans expect No Way Home to serve as a love letter to twenty years of Spider-Man cinema. Moviegoers aren’t the only ones excited by the movie’s looming release date, either. Theater owners are ecstatic to see theater attendance returning to pre-2020 levels after nearly two years of lower turnout. No Way Home opens in theaters on December 17.
