Who built Stonehenge? What goes on in the Bermuda Triangle? Where is the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer?
Some of life's greatest mysteries remain unsolved, but Marvel fans are holding out hope that that last question gets answered sooner rather than later.
For over a year, Marvel Studios' Spidey threequel has been the most-discussed project on the Phase 4 slate. Between rumors of Jamie Foxx returning as The Amazing Spider-Man 2's Electro, to confirmation that Alfred Molina would be reprising his role as Doc Ock from Spider-Man 2, speculation has run wild about Tom Holland's latest adventure.
Even with less than five months to go, Sony Pictures has yet to kick off its marketing campaign for the highly-anticipated December release. This hasn't prevented new information from surfacing; however, as leaked toy images have showcased new Spidey suits and have teased familiar locations for battle.
Regardless of the leaks, official merchandise has already made its homecoming to local Walmarts.
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME TOYS STOCK SHELVES
Spider-Man: No Way Home has made its first marketing splash.
Twitter user @hunter44956178 shared a video showcasing an official piece of No Way Home merchandise stocked in a local Walmart.
The toy in question, a traditional Spider-Man mask, is packaged in a box that displays promotional art for one of Peter Parker's new suits, as well as the official Spider-Man: No Way Home logo from Marvel Studios.
The logo is missing the No Way Home subtitle but retains the blue font that the threequel has used in previous advertising.
It is not uncommon for merchandise to omit a film's subtitle, especially with Marvel movies. Twitter user @bradgame64 points out early Avengers: Endgame toys were encased in boxes simply labeled Avengers in the logo's signature purple coloring.
TOYS NOW, TRAILER SOON?
While predicting the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer is a dangerous game, it's fair to assume the first glimpse of footage is imminent.
The first official batch of Avengers: Endgame toys stocked shelves on March 31, 2019, a mere month before the culmination of the Infinity Saga hit theaters. By then, Endgame already had a pair of trailers and an abundance of TV spots. On the contrary, No Way Home has only had a title reveal video and a couple of official still images surface ahead of this first merchandise landing in stores.
At the same time, pushing new Spidey merch out ahead of a trailer is not that surprising for the web-slinger. Unlike Shang-Chi or the Eternals, Spider-Man toys are sold seven days a week, 365 days a year. Peter Parker has lived rent-free on shelves for the entire 21st century, regardless of whether a new movie is coming out or not. Considering this specific toy is a red-and-black Spidey mask, not unlike any of the thousands produced before it, it could simply be an instance of restocking stores with a common item that just so happens to come from No Way Home.
After all, omitting the No Way Home subtitle from the packaging means this has been boxed and ready to go for months, likely far before Tom Holland and company revealed the full title.
Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17, 2021.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
