Spider-Man: No Way It’s Not Going to Win an Oscar

Spider-Man: No Way Home should be considered the best Marvel movie of all time, because of how it fixes the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man. Its cinematography was excellent and every actor involved brought their best. Tom Holland started his Spider-Man run in Captain America: Civil War back in 2016. Since then, many fans have disliked his Spider-Man because they feel he was just Iron Man’s sidekick. He did not have any of the defining Spider-man traits. 

In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland’s Spider-Man finally feels like Spider-Man. He’s on his own, he’s alone, and he has to figure out how to do the right thing after facing hardships. Spoilers ahead! If you do not want to be spoiled, click off the article and run to your nearest AMC.

Within the film, Holland’s Spider-Man faces his greatest challenge yet: the world knowing he’s Spider-Man. The stress that it causes forces Peter Parker (Tom Holland) to talk to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) who can hopefully make the world forget that he’s Spider-Man. Doctor Strange goes through with the dangerous spell to make everyone forget, but the spell malfunctions, so people from other universes who know Peter Parker is Spider-Man come to their universe. Unfortunately for Peter Parker, this means Spider-Man’s villains from other universes come to him.

Peter Parker tries to fight the other Spider-Man villains, but not very successfully. They team up on him and try to take over his universe. Green Goblin (Willem DaFoe) kills Holland’s Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). MJ Watson (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) accidentally summon Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man to their universe. From there, some friends from other universes help Spider-Man get through his pain and save the multiverse.

In the end, Garfield, Maguire, and all of their villains go back to their respective universes, and Strange is able to finish the spell, meaning everybody forgets Peter Parker altogether, including his girlfriend, MJ, and his best friend, Ned. But with everyone forgetting Peter Parker, this allows for the best part of the movie to happen. As someone who has read Spider-Man comics religiously, I have never understood why the Marvel Cinematic Universe portrayed Holland’s Spider-Man like Iron Man’s sidekick. But after everybody forgets Peter, he is finally able to embrace who Peter Parker and Spider-Man really are: a broke, sad, college student who has to deal with being Spider-Man, being lower class, and fighting for what’s right (and not because some rich guy told him to).

In the last 15 minutes of the film, Holland’s Peter walks into a run-down New York City apartment holding a box of his belongings. A voice off-screen tells him the rent is due next week. Holland walks into the apartment, sets the box down, and the camera cuts to a sewing machine with red and blue fabric next to it, as well as a LEGO Emperor Palpatine from Spider-Man: Homecoming and a coffee cup from the diner MJ works at. The camera then cuts to Spider-Man, in a comic accurate suit, swinging through NYC. 

This scene is so important for Spider-Man’s future within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It means that Peter Parker will not be reliant on everyone else fighting his battles (like he has in previous films) but will FINALLY become the Spider-Man comic fans know and love. 

Since Holland’s introduction, his Spider-Man has been sporting the newest Stark Industries technology, and he’s become Tony Stark’s sidekick. In the comics, Spider-Man hates Tony Stark, because Stark is a rich and entitled billionaire and is the opposite of everything Peter stands for. Seeing the Marvel Cinematic Universe Tony Stark and Peter Parker getting along was agonizing for anyone who has read a single Spider-Man comic. Myself included! But because of May’s death (a parallel to Uncle Ben’s death), Holland’s Spider-Man finally understands who he has to be: someone who looks out for the little guys. A friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man, if you will.

Fans have also shared their love for this movie, with one Letterboxd reviewer saying “Spider-Man No Way Home is a phenomenal movie, great performances from all the members of the cast. The way the were able to finally make Peter “Spider-Man” and not “ironboy jr” was long overdue but done in a fantastic way.” 

Holland’s reaction to May’s death was stellar, and he really brought out his best for this film. His performance is nothing but Oscar worthy. He can finally shine within the spotlight as the new face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he rightfully deserves to be.