Spider-Man: No Way Home is looking more and more likely to be the live-action counterpart to the amazing Into the Spider-Verse. Alfred Molina is back as Doctor Octopus, joining Jamie Foxx’s Electro, and beyond that, there are rumors that Marvel Studios has convinced both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to slide back into a Spidey suit, bringing the three live-action web-slingers together for the first time.
Now, we’re hearing from our sources – the same ones who told us Rachel McAdams was returning for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – that no previous Spider-Man movie is being left out and that we’ll see nods to every single one of them. So far, we have confirmed appearances from the villains of Spider-Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but what else could be coming our way in December?
Well, we’ve heard that the return of Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin from Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man may be on the cards, but that still leaves the unloved Spider-Man 3 and the so-so The Amazing Spider-Man to drop a reference to. I’d love to see Thomas Haden Church make a brief cameo as Sandman, especially as the too-busy Spider-Man 3 never gave his take on the classic villain enough time. And as for The Amazing Spider-Man? Well, Rhys Ifans was somewhat wasted as the Lizard, so if they wanted to toss him in there, why not?
But considering that we’re getting “nods,” it’s possible that these might be blink-and-you’ll-miss-them references, perhaps even recycling old footage. After all, on top of the old villains, Doctor Strange will be a new mentor figure and Wanda Maximoff may even turn up and be a quasi-antagonist as she uses her powers to mess with the fabric of the multiverse. All that in addition to the residual drama from Far From Home means there’s going to be a lot happening. In any case, let’s hope for a trailer and a couple of firm announcements soon so we can clear up this speculation.
Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17th, 2021.