Spider-Man: No Way Home is a matter of weeks away from hitting the big screen –and we can't wait. For starters, there's *that* new trailer, which we've got the lowdown on below, and UK audiences now get to see the movie two days earlier than originally planned. While there still hasn't been official confirmation of the return of Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield (and the latter is still vehemently denying all rumors…), there are plenty of theories out there – including that they've been edited out of the new trailer. But more on that later.
We've got all the official casting information, including which familiar villains are returning to the franchise, as well as some intriguing quotes about what to expect from the movie from leading man Tom Holland. And that's just the start of it – for all that and more, scroll on to find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: No Way Home.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home release date
Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the many movies disrupted by the pandemic, and its release has jumped around a fair bit. Originally scheduled for July 16, 2021, it was delayed to November 5, then December 17, 2021, where it currently sits. It was recently announced that the movie will be arriving in UK cinemas two days earlier, on December 15.
The good news is that – thanks to the ongoing vaccine rollout and filming having already wrapped (with a spoiler-free set-photo to celebrate) – that release date looks set to stay firmly in place. However, as with all these things, there could be hiccups along the way, so keep an eye on our movie release dates piece for any surprise changes.
Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer... and what happened with *that* leak
There's a new Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer on the block, and it's created as many questions as it's answered. It features a new suit, visitors "from every universe", a Captain America tribute – and a whole lot more. You can read our full trailer breakdown here.
Meanwhile, the movie's first (official) trailer is also a jaw-dropping affair, picking up in the aftermath of Spider-Man: Far From Home, with Peter Parker framed for Mysterio's murder and his identity as Spider-Man exposed.
We get a look at Alfred Molina's Doc Ock in mechanical arm-swinging action, as well as some magical shenanigans from Doctor Strange, who appears to accidentally blast the Spider-verse wide open while trying to erase Peter's secret identity from public knowledge.
There are also teases for Green Goblin, Sandman, and Lizard – which means we might be seeing the Sinister Six make their MCU debut – and though speculation was rife that Charlie Cox's Daredevil might be hidden in there, IMAX footage has officially debunked that theory. For a full rundown of everything you might have missed in the trailer, check out our Spider-Man 3 trailer breakdown.
Now, about that leak... A day before the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer was released, the new footage appeared online. The VFX was only partly complete, but you could clearly make out Doc Ock's return and Peter Parker talking with Doctor Strange. Sony and Marvel were both quick to take down any leaks that appeared on social media, but that couldn't stop ravenous fans seeking out illicit means of seeing the trailer. A few hours later at CinemaCon, where the trailer was expected to play – but only to those in the audience and not go online – Sony launched the teaser, and the leak was finally a distant memory.
Spider-Man: No Way Home cast
Tom Holland is back as Peter/Spidey – but he might not be the only web-slinger in Spider-Man 3. It has been reported that Andrew Garfield is back, reprising his role from The Amazing Spider-Man movies, while original on-screen Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, remains in talks to return.
However, despite these reports, Tom Holland has denied that Maguire and Garfield will return. "No, no, they will not be appearing in this film," he said. "Unless [Marvel] has hidden the most massive piece of information from me, which I think is too big of a secret for them to keep from me. But as of yet, no. It’ll be a continuation of the Spider-Man movies that we’ve been making."
Andrew Garfield has also denied he'll be back, reacting to a photo purportedly of him on-set, telling Jimmy Fallon: "I heard about it, and I did see it. And it's a photoshop." He also told Newsweek: "It's an exciting idea that people are kind of obsessing over and I would be too if I was, you know, just, out there not knowing what was going on. But I do know what's going on and I'm afraid it's going to be very disappointing for people."
Kirsten Dunst has confirmed that she won't return as Mary Jane (despite a since-deleted IMDb listing suggesting she'll appear), while Emma Stone has denied she'll be back as Gwen Stacy: "I have heard those rumors. I don't know if I'm supposed to say anything, but I'm not [involved]").
There does seem to be a multiverse in the works, though. Jamie Foxx has confirmed that he will portray Electro, returning as the character following The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The MCU version of the villain is expected to be a different incarnation of the character. Foxx announced the casting in a now-deleted Instagram post, captioned: "Tell Spidey let's run it back! Super excited to [be] part of the new marvel Spider-Man new installment… Can’t wait for y'all to check the new one. And I won't be blue in this one!! But a thousand percent badass!"
Alfred Molina is also reprising his role of Doctor Octopus – last seen in Spider-Man 2, when he went up against Maguire's version of the web-slinging hero. He's even confirmed his digitally de-aged return in a new interview. Willem Dafoe is also back as Green Goblin, from Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man movie. There's also speculation (thanks to the trailer) that Thomas Haden Church is back as Sandman from Spider-Man 3, and Rhys Ifans may return from The Amazing Spider-Man. These are, however, unconfirmed (for the moment).
Then there's J.K. Simmons returning as J. Jonah Jameson, having already played an alternate version of the character in Far From Home. "Well yeah, [I'll be back as Jameson] that’s the short answer," the actor told The Jess Cagle Show. "There is a future for J. Jonah Jameson after a several-year hiatus. He showed up very briefly for those who were wise enough to stay through the credits of Far From Home … There is one more J.J.J. appearance in the can, and from what I'm hearing there's a plan for yet another. So hopefully J.J.J. will continue now and forever."
Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the Netflix series, has also reportedly been spotted on the set. Again, he has denied involvement in the film, telling Forbes of Daredevil's fate: "My answer is no comment. I don't know what's going to happen. I genuinely don't know."
How will this all be tied together? Benedict Cumberbatch will appear as Doctor Strange, replacing Iron Man as Peter's mentor (Benedict Wong will also be back as Wong). We also know that Spider-Man 3 will link to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, as confirmed by Kevin Feige. That Doctor Strange sequel will release in March 2022, after Spider-Man 3. Expect, then, Spider-Man's multiverse shenanigans to impact the wider MCU, and perhaps explain how Michael Keaton's Vulture will appear in the non-MCU movie, Morbius.
We can also expect some familiar faces from Homecoming and Far From Home in the Spider-Man 3 cast. Zendaya returns as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Peter's bestie Ned, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, and Tony Revolori is expected to appear as Flash Thompson. J.B. Smoove has also confirmed that he'll be back for the threequel – the actor plays Mr. Dell, one of Peter's teachers. Phew. That's one big cast.
Spider-Man: No Way Home plot
Thanks to the trailer release, we're starting to get an idea of what might be next for Peter Parker.
In the aftermath of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter is suspected of Mysterio's murder, and the whole world knows he's secretly Spidey. He goes to Doctor Strange for help, but the spell goes wrong, which seems to open the door to the multiverse – and a whole host of supervillains.
The official plot synopsis reads: "For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man."
Plenty of other details on the movie have hit the internet, too, which help to fill out the picture even more. Tom Holland previously teased what's on the cards for Peter's love life: "As to the relationship between Peter and MJ, I’m not too sure what it will be." He also described the film as "absolutely insane," as well as "something very special" and "very different."
That's not all Holland has said of the film. He posted a picture to Instagram of him in full costume, captioned with: "Today was easily one of the highlights of my career. For those of you that were there, you know what I'm talking about and for those of you that weren't, you better buckle up!!!" He's also called the film "the most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made," adding: "You sit down and you read the script and you see what they're trying to do, and they are succeeding. It's really impressive. I've never seen a standalone superhero movie quite like it." His co-star Benedict Cumberbatch backed up the comments: "[No Way Home] has got great ambition. I haven't seen it, but by all accounts I think it's achieved it... I'm pretty certain it'll be a hit."
Holland also teased the tone of the movie – and it's not what you might expect from the Spider-verse. "What people will be really surprised about is that it’s not fun, this film," he told Total Film. "It’s dark and it’s sad, and it’s going to be really affecting. You’re going to see characters that you love go through things that you would never wish for them to go through. And I was just really excited to kind of lean into that side of Peter Parker.
"Peter Parker is always someone who’s looking up. He’s always really positive. He’s always like, 'I can fix this. I can do this.' Whereas in this film, he feels like he’s met his match. He’s like, 'I don’t know what to do.' That was an aspect of the character that I’d never seen before, and I was really, really excited to try to tackle.
"I haven’t seen the film yet but I’ve seen pieces of the film, and it’s the best work we’ve ever done. It’s the best Spider-Man film that we’ve ever made. I really don’t think fans are at all ready for what they’ve put together. I know that I’m not ready, and I know that it’s going to be brutal."
Spider-Man 3 will be filming in two locations previously used for high school scenes in the first two movies. This has already raised some questions, as Peter's identity was exposed at the end of Far From Home and, if that wasn't enough, he was framed for Mysterio's murder. With all that in mind, it's not clear how Spidey will be returning to school – though it's always possible that these scenes won't include Peter, or could happen after those issues are cleared up. The school was apparently – and intriguingly – described by Ian Easterbrook, location manager for the movie, as "vital to the success of this next film." What that could mean is anyone's guess. Jacob Batalon has also shared some photos, seemingly all from the set of Spider-Man 3, which suggest that Peter will be back at school – and then the trailer confirmed it, though we still don't know how that will work in the movie.
More set photos have revealed that the film will be set over the holiday period, and we also got a look at the potential fallout of Far From Home's post-credits scene, teasing an ongoing battle between Spidey and Mysterio in the court of public opinion. A possible Marvel's Spider-Man video game Easter egg has also been spotted, the appearance of F.E.A.S.T., which could link to Miles Morales or Mister Negative.
There's also plenty of speculation about the multiverse, and how that could factor into the threequel. Though Sony denied the rumors that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire would be back as their respective versions of Spidey, casting Jamie Foxx as Electro, Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, and including Doctor Strange ahead of his own sequel – titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – does suggest multiple universes will be coming into play. As does Molina telling Variety that his character appears just after his assumed 'demise' in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2... and then Strange straight up mentions the multiverse in the trailer, so there's that.
Adding more fuel to the fire, Sony Pictures Motion Group president Sanford Panitch has also suggested the direction of Sony's super-verse would be clearer post-No Way Home. "There actually is a plan," he said. "I think now maybe it's getting a little more clear for people where we're headed and I think when No Way Home comes out, even more will be revealed." He added of the partnership with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Marvel: "We have a great relationship. There's lots of opportunities, I think, that are going to happen."
Evidence for the multiverse continues to stack up with merchandise teasing "potentially multiversal consequences" – and also potentially teasing the Sinister Six. That supervillain team has featured Mysterio, Electro, and Doctor Octopus, among others. Interestingly, Mysterio is part of the merchandise, despite his death in Far From Home.
In fact, it looks like Jake Gyllenhaal's character could be a key player in the threequel, from beyond the grave or not. Promotional art for the movie features the slogan "we believe Mysterio," referring to the villain framing Spidey for murder. More artwork also seems to confirm Peter will be using web-shooters enhanced with Doctor Strange's magic powers.
Speaking of the Sorcerer Supreme, set photos that appear to show Spidey and Strange together, with Peter waving at the other hero. We know the two will be working together thanks to the trailer, but where this scene takes place in the movie is practically impossible to guess. There's also another F.E.A.S.T truck in the background.
As for J. Jonah Jameson returning, another multiverse-related caveat is that Feige told Screen Rant: "It was one of the early ideas when we started working with Amy and Sony on the Spider-Man franchise and the kind of things we wanted to do. A younger high school-based Peter, taking him to places he hasn't been before, interacting with the other MCU characters. J. Jonah Jameson was one of them. He wasn't in either of the two Amazing [Spider-Man films], so we felt like we had to do that at some point."
He added: "It can be the same actor with that somewhat similar voice inflection, but with a totally different persona. That had never been done before. We really liked the idea that it's a new Jameson, he's not from another dimension or multiverse or something like that. It's a new Jameson in this world played by the same actor." Still, it's certainly an interesting link.
JK Simmons has also suggested this is an alternate version of Jameson, telling Den of Geek: "To have the opportunity to kind of do a reboot of the character, I was eager to hang on to the things I really loved about it and totally open to letting go of some of that, and realizing we are in a more updated version of that universe." He added: "Hopefully, we found the sweet spot there." As for the differences between the two Jamesons, Simmons commented, "Mostly just the hair, or the lack thereof."
There's another potential crossover on the horizon, too: one with Sony's Venom. Feige previously said: "[Spider-Man] also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold." Interestingly, the first trailer for Venom 2 featured a link to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, and a UK cinema chain has included JK Simmons in the cast list for the movie.
Then there's Sony's upcoming Morbius movie apparently linking to the MCU, too, with star Jared Leto also commenting on the film being part of an "expanding universe" – so a crossover doesn't seem that far outside the realms of possibility. Tyrese Gibson, who will appear in the upcoming Sony movie Morbius, commented that the movie was in the MCU, specifically the same world as the Avengers – but Sony swiftly denied this was the case.
Along with all this, we've also gotten a look at some stunt work performed for the movie. Footage appeared to show Zendaya and Tom Holland – or their stunt doubles – swinging from a platform of some kind, with MJ apparently in the same outfit as she wore at the end of Far From Home. It's difficult to know for sure considering the distance, however. We've also got a glimpse at another web-slinging stunt, though this one gives away even less about the movie. Plus, Holland released a picture of him in costume on set, double-masked up.
Holland also shared in a video on his Instagram that he'd received the Spider-Man 3 script on an iPad – and pretty hilariously seemed to break the device while filming.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the end of a trilogy
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Holland calls Spider-Man: No Way Home a "conclusion" to the story that started with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. And though the upcoming film marks the end of Holland's Spidey contract, the actor isn't closing any doors completely, or at the very least isn't locking them.
"We were all treating [No Way Home] as the end of a franchise, let's say," he said. "I think if we were lucky enough to dive into these characters again, you'd be seeing a very different version. It would no longer be the Homecoming trilogy. We would give it some time and try to build something different and tonally change the films. Whether that happens or not, I don't know. But we were definitely treating [No Way Home] like it was coming to an end, and it felt like it."
And that's just about everything to know about Spider-Man: No Way Home! For more on Marvel's upcoming projects, check out our guide to Thor: Love and Thunder.
