If you thought the age of going to the movie theater was over, Marvel Studios has proved you wrong with “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

The completing film in Tom Holland’s trilogy was released Friday, Dec. 17, although screenings began as early as the Monday of that week. The movie earned $253 million during its opening weekend, the third highest in domestic box-office history.

It has continued to profit over $1 billion worldwide in the weeks following its release.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” wonderfully delivered more content pertaining to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s multiverse in theatrical form in the times following shows such as “Loki” and “WandaVision,” which made nods to the MCU throughout their episodes.

When Dr. Strange’s spell went south, visitors from across the multiverse entered the MCU’s timeline. Actors such as Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina from Tobey Maguire’s franchise as well as Jamie Foxx from Andrew Garfield’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” brought back the same heat their villains originally used on Spider-Man — and intensified it.

It was great to hear callbacks from actors like Dafoe, restating his famous quote: “I’m something of a scientist myself.” Despite being in his mid-60s, Dafoe only agreed to join “Spider-Man: No Way Home” if he could perform all of his own stunts.

Dafoe, as well as the others portraying iconic Spider-Man villains, delivered performances that amplified their long-existent cinematic characters, and it was interesting to watch their dynamics unfold in interaction with Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” shows the MCU’s Spider-Man becoming truly comfortable in his superhero status, despite his current situation of pure chaos in the movie. The film itself symbolized that this trilogy was really only Holland’s character’s origin story, and he is left to start with a clean slate to live his life as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man.

This also leaves Marvel and Sony the option to make more movies. Many fans believe that Holland’s character will have a college-age trilogy in the coming years.
The film evoked all possible emotions in a viewer: happiness, relief, humor, grief, anticipation, excitement. The 2½-hour movie was a rollercoaster of events, leaving you crying one second then cheering on the Spider-Men the next.

Yes, Spider-Men.

The hype surrounding the return of Garfield and Maguire’s versions of the hero was fulfilled, all due to MCU Peter Parker’s best friend Ned Leed, as he stole Dr. Strange’s sling ring that allowed him to open portals, in which Ned used to hopefully “find Peter Parker.”

The chemistry between Holland, Garfield and Maguire is almost indescribable — after all, they have all played the same character at one point in their acting careers. Yet, they are all unique in their own ways that make each franchise, and their performances in “No Way Home,” special.

“I always wanted brothers,” Garfield’s Peter Parker said to his two fellow Spider-Men in the movie. The beginning of the final fight sequence of the film showing the three heroes swinging from each other’s webs then falling into classic Spider-Man poses made me, and likely members of audiences everywhere, feel a sense of excitement similar to Captain America lifting Thor’s hammer in “Avengers: Endgame.”

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” superbly sets up Marvel’s next big release, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” another major film full of challenges and mysteries for Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in the MCU.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has explained that “WandaVision,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Multiverse of Madness” act as a trilogy, and after their latest release, it is clear that three is the studio’s magic number for success.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” allowed Marvel Studios’ 2021 releases to go out with a bang, being one of largest, if not the largest, film debuts of the whole year, and its fame continues into 2022.

LIA EBERLEIN

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