Spider-Man: No Way Home is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated Marvel flicks of 2021, mainly because of the Multiverse-related rumors that have hounded the film in the past months.
Directed by Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts, the MCU threequel is set to showcase the return of Tom Holland's famous web-slinger alongside franchise mainstays Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, and Marisa Tomei. Aside from the original cast, No Way Home is heavily expected to be jam-packed with surprises, as evidenced by past reports and rumors.
Benedict Cumberbatch will return in the film to reprise his role as Doctor Strange, and his inclusion strongly points to a major multiversal shift in the film's narrative. The first trailer confirmed that the Multiverse will play a vital part in the film's storyline, and this was further amplified by the presence of Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus from Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy.
Previous reports also claimed that Molina would not be the only past Spider-Man villain to make their presence felt in No Way Home as Jamie Foxx's Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn from 2002's Spider-Man were also rumored to make appearances.
Now, as the film's release date inches closer, a new batch of stills has been unveiled to further boost the hype for No Way Home.
Spider-Man: No Way Home's Marketing Ramps Up
Entertainment Weekly officially unveiled two new stills from Spider-Man: No Way Home, showcasing fresh looks at Tom Holland's Marvel hero, Zendaya's MJ, and Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange.
The first image shows Peter Parker and MJ swinging in New York City, and this could be set after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home:
The second image shows Peter Parker in front of (presumably) the Sanctum Sanctorum, with Doctor Strange observing the young hero:
Peter Parker Is in Trouble in New Images
As December inches closer, it seems that Spider-Man: No Way Home's marketing is poised to ramp up even further, and the latest reveal of these two new stills is clearly an impressive start.
It's reasonable to assume that the first image is set after Far From Home since Zendaya's MJ is still wearing the same set of clothes from the Marvel sequel.
Based on the shot, it looks like the pair are on the run from the authorities since the world has been informed of Spider-Man's secret identity. Tom Holland's Peter Parker could still be in a state of shock after the Daily Bugle fiasco, and it appears that he is trying his best to get MJ to safety.
Meanwhile, the second image appears to show a not-so-amused Doctor Strange looking at Spider-Man. It is unknown why Strange would be upset seeing Peter, but a scene from the first trailer could provide an explanation.
During the trailer, one of the scenes showcased Doctor Strange pushing Peter's astral form out of his body while trying to reach a mystical box. Some suggest that this box is a multiversal prison that houses previous Spider-Man villains like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus.
It's possible that the two heroes settled to an agreement after fighting one another, thus leading to the official still. On the flip side, there's also a chance that the villains escaped, thus forcing Peter to look in the opposite direction while Strange tries to prove a point by letting him sort it out by himself.
These two images will likely provide more questions than answers while still boosting fan anticipation for No Way Home's imminent December release.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to premiere in theaters on December 17, 2021.
