While we’re not 100% sure who we’re guaranteed to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, but if we take the various rumors, hints and teases at face value, it’s shaping up to be one of the most stacked ensembles in the franchise’s long and illustrious history.
So far only Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx and Willem Dafoe have been confirmed as multiversal returnees, but the presence of Sandman and Lizard in the second trailer would indicate that Thomas Haden Church and Rhys Ifans will be dropping by. That’s without even mentioning Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield or Charlie Cox, never mind any unexpected surprises Kevin Feige may be hiding up his sleeve.
In an interview with Collider, the architect of the MCU explained how roping together so many big names for Captain America: Civil War and wrangling their jam-packed schedules went on to inspire his approach to future projects including the Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame double header, as well as No Way Home.
“But I think going back to Civil War, and sort of having an idea for a movie that is based entirely on what actors and what characters we can get to work together and shoot on a single day. When that worked, it gave us the ambition for movies like Infinity War, Endgame, and I would include No Way Home into that level of ambition for sure.”
Based on the trailers and TV spots, the climactic third act battle of Spider-Man: No Way Home between Spidey, Doctor Strange and five villains from two different realities is shaping up to make the famed airport battle from Civil War look like a minor skirmish by comparison.