Aside from being one of the most ambitious films ever made, Spider-Man: No Way Home continued a Disney+ trend sure to reoccur from now until the last days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like Black Widow, Spider-Man: No Way Home saw its theatrical debut sandwiched between a Marvel Studios streaming show. Unlike Natasha Romanoff's release overlap with Loki, however, No Way Home's events wrap up at the same time Hawkeye is taking place.
WARNING: The rest of this article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Most of Tom Holland's threequel spans the late summer and early fall, but the film's final shots showcase Spidey web-slinging around New York City during a prominent snowfall. The adolescent Avenger even finds himself skidding across snow-ridden rooftops, something new to this Peter Parker.
That said, the precipitation isn't the only thing No Way Home's ending and Hawkeye's finale have in common.
Spider-Man's Ending Leads Into Hawkeye Finale
Kate Bishop might be about to meet the MCU's resident young hero.
Spider-Man: No Way Home's final moments saw Tom Holland's Peter Parker swinging around a white New York City, the first time a live-action Spider-Man has had to deal with an American northeast winter.
While not much promotional footage of the film's ending scene exists at this point, Spidey does swing past Rockefeller Center's ice rink and iconic Christmas tree. Those two landmarks are not visible in No Way Home's current marketing campaign, but they are showcased in another Marvel project's final TV spots.
Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop and Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton are locked and loaded to their adversaries on the same rink in Hawkeye's season finale.
The massive Christmas tree makes an appearance in a wider shot, further emphasizing that the show's final battle takes place at the same location as No Way Home's last moments.
Every Hawkeye shot from Rockefeller Center comes at night, but there's reason to believe multiple scenes will take place at this location.
Here, Barton can be seen in formal attire, indicating he will suit up in his new purple-and-black threads from previous images.
Beyond Clint, Kate, and the Tracksuit Mafia, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova will also make her presence felt in this Christmas clash.
Another shot of Belova shows her belaying down a building opposite the rink, which emphasizes this battle will take fans on a full 360° journey around NYC's Christmas capital.
While none of the Hawkeye shots include precipitation, there's reason to believe it has been omitted deliberately.
Hawkeye Continues Marvel Trailer Trickey?
This would not be the first time Marvel Studios has led its fans astray with its promotional material.
Just recently, Wong's "don't cast that spell" was changed to "leave me out of it" before Doctor Strange turned Peter Parker's world upside down with his worldwide mind manipulation. Leaving snow out of Hawkeye's marketing material is a very small change that wouldn't throw most fans of the potential crossover's scent, but it does represent a way to shut down this theory.
Aside from the snow, everything lines up for the two events to take place at least the exact same moments. Considering No Way Home picks up immediately following Spider-Man: Far From Home, which takes place in Summer 2024, it's only fair to assume the threequel's final moments retain the same year. This would place it in Christmas 2024, the exact timeframe that Hawkeye has already been confirmed for.
Will Spidey Show Up in Hawkeye's Finale?
As unlikely as it seems, there's reason to believe the web-slinger's presence will at least be hinted at in Clint and Kate's culminating episode.
Tom Holland himself showing face is highly improbable, but a quick swing-by that catches Hawkeye's heroes by surprise could realistically happen. This would have to come before the Tracksuit Mafia showdown begins, as Spidey wouldn't simply swing by a criminal confrontation without getting involved. Based on Barton's two different attires on this ice rink, there's room for Peter Parker to make a blurry overhead cameo before chaos ensues.
Beyond that, some stray webs in and around Rockefeller Center would provide eagle-eyed viewers with a noteworthy Easter egg. Similar to how Episode 5 made reference to the "new and improved" Statue of Liberty, which was showcased in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a prominent nod to Spidey's NYC existence would further establish his presence in the MCU's unwritten capital city.
Hawkeye's season finale airs this Wednesday, December 22, exclusively on Disney+. Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently in theaters.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
