Spider-Man: No Way Home opened up a multiverse of villains with its second trailer, which was unveiled during a live event in Sherman Oaks, Calif. on Tuesday and featured a surprise Q&A with star Tom Holland. The trailer showed off villains such as Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, the Green Goblin and the Lizard — bringing together more antagonists than any Spider-Man film before.
Spidey senses were tingling at the trailer launch event at the Regal Sherman Oaks, with fans singing “Sunflower,” the hit song from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and others doing the infamous dance performed by Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 3 that has become one of the more meme-able moments from his Spidey trilogy.
No Way Home stars Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. It picks up after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), which ended with the world learning Spider-Man’s secret identity and with the villain Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) framing him for murder. No Way Home sees Peter Parker ask Doctor Strange to cast a spell to make the world forget his secret identity, only to see things go awry and open a door to the multiverse. That paves the way for appearances from villains from previous Spider-Man films, including Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and The Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), thus tying together the installments that starred Toby Maguire (2002-07) and Andrew Garfield (2012-14).
Holland recalled meeting Dafoe, who reprises his role from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002). To preserve secrecy, the villain actors would walk around set with cloaks covering their costumes.
“These guys are very excited to be coming back and bringing these roles back to life. They came to set a week before they started shooting to see what it was like,” said Holland, adding of meeting Dafoe,”I just bumped into this guy in a cloak. I was like, ‘Watch out mate.’ He took his hood off and I almost got really scared. ‘Oh shit, the Goblin is here.’ But he was lovely. He was really wonderful and a real joy to work with.”
Though Holland follows in the footsteps of Maguire and Garfield, he chose to hone in on one element in particular to make Spider-Man his own: Peter Parker’s youthfulness.
Said Holland: “I really wanted to lean into the idea that this is a 15-year-old superhero.”
Jon Watts, who helmed the previous two Spider-Man films, is in the director’s chair once again, with Far From Home writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers behind the script.
No Way Home is among the most anticipated films of the year and has been subject to rampant speculation about who is in the cast, as well as leaks. The first trailer leaked online in August a day before its official debut, while a series of photographs spoiling several apparent cast members made their way online last week.
The project, from Sony and Marvel Studios, may also tie into Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The post-credit scene from that film showed Tom Hardy’s Venom making his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, something that required coordination from both the Venom team and the No Way Home team.
No Way Home caps Marvel Studios’ biggest year ever, one that saw it release four films (including Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals) and a number of Disney+ shows, including WandaVision, Falcon & the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…? and Hawkeye.
During the event, Holland at times grew emotional addressing fans. He recalled being cast at 18 years old in Captain America: Civil War (2016).
“I remember I was in my garden, and I got a call from Kevin Feige, and it changed my life forever,” said Holland. “This movie exceeds expectations in every way movie. This is the most cinematic … superhero movie that has ever been made. I’m proud to say Sony and Marvel have pulled off the impossible.”
Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on Dec. 17.
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