This Review Contains SPOILERS
Spider-Man and Doctor Strange inadvertently open up the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The world of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) turns upside down after J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) publicly reveals a video, where Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) reveals Peter's secret identity as Spider-Man and frames him for Mysterio's own death. This turns the world upside down for Peter, his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). In an extreme effort to fix the problem, Peter approaches Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who agrees to conduct a spell causing everyone to forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. However, Peter's meddling in the spell's conditions results in it being changed to pull in everyone who ever knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man in from the multiverse. While Doctor Strange is able to contain the spell, it is not before the arrival of the multiversal villains of Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Electro (Jamie Foxx), The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Sandman (Thomas Haden Church).
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third in the trilogy of MCU Spider-Man films directed by Jon Watts. Continuing a theme that seems to be developing throughout Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this film is all about the opening of the multiverse, as a result of a botched spell by Doctor Strange to help everyone forget Peter Parker's secret identity as Spider-Man. Spider-Man and his friends MJ and Ned are assigned by Doctor Strange to round up the villains that spilled out of the multiverse. However, Peter Parker is reluctant to allow Doctor Strange to allow these villains to return to their own dimensions and ultimate demise. However, Peter soon learns that his actions can have major consequences.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is a film that almost didn't happen, due to the very tenuous agreement between longtime Spider-Man rights holder Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, with both attempting to create their own universes with the Spider-Man property. In some ways, the fact that Spider-Man: No Way Home uses a multiverse angle seems to be a way to have both cinematic universes co-exist, while also being relatively independent of one another.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is very much a film that is meant to be the conclusion to a trilogy. Without revealing too much about what happens throughout the film, the film does leave off in such a way that it would be possible for this iteration of Spider-Man to leave the MCU without affecting what's happening in the future. However, reports are stating that Sony and Marvel Studios intend to continue on with their co-production deal.
Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home ends up being a satisfying and emotional conclusion to this trilogy and I look forward to what's to come.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing
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Trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home
