After months of waiting from Spider-Man fans, Sony and Marvel's marketing campaign for Spider-Man: No Way Home starring Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch is finally in full swing.
In recent weeks, both Spidey studios have released multiple posters, two trailers, and various TV spots teasing elements of the film and revealing more of the threequel's Multiversal villains, including Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx's Electro.
While fans will be able to purchase tickets for the film on Monday (aka "Spider Monday"), November 29, 2021; apparently, another event related to the web-slinger has been added to the calendar.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Sets Critics Screening Date
From the account promoting his official Spider-Man book, titled With Great Power, CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell tweeted that press screenings for Spider-Man: No Way Home will begin next week, saying,
"OK, Spider-Man friends. It's time. Spider-Man: No Way Home officially starts screening one week from today. Start muting those keywords. Or get off Twitter altogether. You have been warned!"
Since O'Connell's tweet was posted on November 26, 2021, critics will begin screening the film as early as Friday, December 3.
This December 3rd date for critic screenings is earlier than some fans had anticipated. No Way Home's Los Angeles premiere was recently announced to be held on Monday, December 13 (the same week as the threequel's debut to the public) which led some to believe that Sony would hold critic screenings to prevent the spread of spoilers.
Recent spoiler-heavy Marvel Studios event films like Avengers: Infinity Way and Avengers: Endgame had waited until the week of their respective worldwide releases to hold screenings for critics.
Amidst all of the No Way Home rumors and speculation, O'Connell has proven to be a legitimate source of news concerning the marketing for Spider-Man: No Way Home, as his updates and timelines for trailer and poster releases have consistently been accurate.
Will Spider-Man 3 Critic's Screening Lead to Spoilers?
Due to the rabid curiosity and anticipation surrounding No Way Home, the gap in time between when critics see the film and its public release is somewhat surprising as it could lead to even further leaks and spoilers.
There's even more cause for concern considering details of Marvel's Eternals post-credits screen were spoiled online before that film's wide release.
When it comes to marketing No Way Home, it's important to remember that a Spider-Man film is different than other Marvel films since the character is shared between both Marvel and Sony. Therefore, the decision to screen the film in advance may not have been Marvel's decision at all.
Still, in 2021, Marvel did decide to release Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for a special IMAX screening ahead of its release date despite the risk of spoilers, so it's possible that both studios were united in screening the film early for critics.
Regardless, for Spidey fans looking to experience Spider-Man: No Home spoiler-free come December 17, it would be best to heed O'Connell's advice and mute any keywords related to the web-slinger or avoid social media altogether.
Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives in theaters on December 17, 2021.
