After enduring a release cycle filled with rumors, leaks, and unmatched excitement, the wait for Spider-Man: No Way Home is finally over. Tom Holland’s third solo Marvel Studios film is now out in the open, allowing fans to sink their teeth into all its gutwrenching narrative that is filled to the brim with Multiversal madness.
Reviews so far have been largely positive across the board, with some critics even lauding it as the best Spider-Man flick yet. Fans have been equally as enthusiastic by the threequel, enthralled by the film in spite of all of that information that managed to sneak out beforehand.
No Way Home has been touted as matching Avengers: Endgame’s size and scale countless times, and its gargantuan cast is just one of the contributing factors.
With so many characters to keep track of in its weaving narrative, here’s everyone that shows up in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Every Character in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Warning - This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland)
The MCU’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is put to the ultimate test in No Way Home, confronted with the dilemma of having to sacrifice everything that he loves just to save the day in true web-slinging fashion.
Despite the multitude of villains and threat of Multiversal calamity, this may be Peter Parker’s most personal MCU solo outing yet. Spidey is forced to put everything on the line, and is ultimately set back to square one by the film’s end; a cruddy apartment, a homemade suit, and only a couple bucks to his name. But hey, nothing could be more Spider-Man than that.
MJ
Zendaya returns as MJ, who is flung into Peter’s mess right as the movie opens. A New York Post article reveals MJ’s full name, Michelle Jones-Watson, though Zendaya’s character isn’t fond of the latter portion for whatever reason.
No Way Home is incredibly turbulent for MJ and her relationship with Peter, ultimately leading to the web-slinger sacrificing their bond for the greater good. Will Peter and MJ reunite someday? Parker wasn’t quite ready to interrupt MJ’s newfound life just yet, but hopefully, the two will be able to find each other again.
Ned Leeds
Peter’s best bud through it all, Jacob Batalon returns as Ned Leeds to help his friend with his Multiversal mishaps. He also manages to get a handle on Doctor Strange’s sling ring, opening up portals like a professional sorcerer.
After being spooked by a tragic tale of betrayal, Ned promised that he would never turn on Peter, but could his memory loss change things? Batalon’s character is now off to MIT, which could open up plenty of opportunities for him to turn into his comic counterpart, Hobgoblin.
Doctor Strange
The Master of the Mystic Arts is one of a few heroes to lend Peter a helping hand over the course of No Way Home, albeit more reluctantly as the film goes on. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange shows up where he needs to, casting a few spells and casting mirror dimensions for some quick thrills and jawdropping setpieces.
Wong
Stephen Strange’s right hand man Wong briefly shows up in the snow-covered Sanctum Sanctorum, clearly a bit fed up with the Doctor’s forgetfulness. Fans do get to find out that Benedict Wong’s character is now the official Sorcerer Supreme, a title he inherited after Strange turned to dust for five years.
Mysterio
While Spider-Man: Far From Home’s main antagonist is left out of the proceedings this time, but Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio does make a brief appearance in the film’s opening through archival footage and audio. Is Quentin Beck really dead? Only time will tell.
DDOC
The Department of Damage Control make a return after first appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming, issuing a search warrant on Peter and May’s apartments and apprehending all of Spidey’s associates. The organization don't stick around for too long, but are clearly working to keep heroes and vigilantes in check.
Julius Dell
When Peter returns to school after his identity reveal, three Midtown High teachers are there to greet him. One of them is Julius Dell, who was first seen accompanying Parker and his classmates to Europe in Spider-Man: Far From Home and later starred in an Audi commercial alongside the web-slinger. The teacher tried to offer some words of encouragement while keeping Coach Wilson’s emotive remarks under control.
Roger Harrington
Martin Starr’s Mr. Harrington is also in attendance to see Peter, proudly showing off his Spider-Shrine that he attempts to pass off as being made by students. Clearly Harrington is a Spider-Man stan, so to find out one of his star pupils is the wall-crawler himself must be a delight.
Coach Wilson
Rounding out the trio of teachers is Hannibal Buress’ Coach Wilson, who has fully embraced the whispers of the web. Now a full-on conspiracy theorist, Wilson sides with Mysterio and is distrustful of Peter returning. After acknowledging Captain America becoming a wanted fugitive and potential war criminal in Homecoming and witnessing all of the events that have occurred since, perhaps Wilson’s faith in this Earth’s heroes has been somewhat shaken which has led him down this conspiratorial path.
Liz Allan
While Peter’s former classmate doesn’t appear in person, Laura Harrier’s Liz makes a brief cameo appearance on the front of People magazine. Perhaps now that she’s forgotten all about Peter Parker and the heartbreak he induced on her, the two can make a go of it again.
Flash Thompson
After tormenting Peter in the previous two films, Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson tries to become buddy-buddy with Spidey after discovering his identity, all with a brand new look. While his attempts to connect Peter and co. are shut down, Flash still promotes his recent literary achievement “Flashpoint,” an effort to profit off of a manufactured and falsified relationship to Spidey
Betty Brant
Receiving an upgrade from her school’s newsroom, Betty Brant has now been hired as an intern for The Daily Bugle. Angourie Rice’s character is briefly seen reporting on Peter Parker’s return to Midtown High, before uttering a phrase that harkens back to Mary Jane Watson’s classic line from the Raimi trilogy: “Go get ‘em, tigers!”
Daredevil
After years of demand for Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock to make the leap to the MCU proper, No Way Home granted many fans’ wishes by bringing Daredevil into the universe. The superhero lawyer swoops in to lift the charges levied at Peter, but can't help Happy in quite the same way. Fans get a brief glimpse at Matt’s powers in play when he catches an incoming brick, hinting at what the lawyer is truly capable of.
Happy Hogan
After being a part of the franchise since the original Iron Man, Happy Hogan is still kicking around in the MCU. From breakups to pure heartbreak, Happy’s emotional ride throughout No Way Home was quite the opposite from his namesake. Hopefully, Jon Favreau’s character can put on some Downtown Abbey to ease his sorrows.
DUM-E
Another MCU veteran returns for No Way Home, coming in the form of one of Tony Stark’s creations: DUM-E. The one-armed robot resided in Happy’s apartment, before the place was blown to smithereens. Hopefully DUM-E will be found in the wreckage to extinguish a fire another day.
Aunt May
Marisa Tomei’s version of Aunt May played an integral role in Peter’s personal journey through No Way Home, teaching him the importance of responsibility much like past Spider-Man mentors. Loss is unfortunately as intrinsic to Spider-Man’s character as responsibility, ultimately leading to Aunt May being killed by the Green Goblin. Aunt May proved to be the emotional core of No Way Home, making her last moments with Peter all the more heartbreaking.
Doc-Ock
The first Multiversal villain to hop over to the MCU is Alfred Molina’s Doc-Ock, who also happens to be the first of the foes to reform. After being hostile towards Peter for a decent chunk of the film, Spidey manages to manufacture a new inhibitor chip for Octavius to turn him back to the side of good. This comes in handy, as Otto manages to pull a fakeout to help the Spideys in the final battle.
Green Goblin
Norman Osborn also manages to make his way over to the universe, with Willem Dafoe revelling in his return with every crazed look and cackle. It’s personal for the Green Goblin this time, shown by just how intent he is to brutally ruin Peter Parker’s life. On the flip side, it was just as refreshing to see Norman back to his old self and working with Peter, at least for a time.
Electro
Although he initially comes back with that recognizable blue hue, this Electro’s got an all new look and a refined outlook. Jamie Foxx returns as Max Dillon, building off of his character’s dejected outlook from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, without contradicting anything that has come before. Luckily by the film’s end, it truly seems that Dillon has learned to get past his self-consciousness.
Lizard
Rhys Ifans’ Curt Connors makes a reappearance, still as scaly and reptilian as ever. The Lizard’s motivations are perhaps the simplest of the bunch, still wanting to turn everyone into…lizards. At least he’s consistent.
Sandman
Thomas Haden Church’s Flint Marko is the only member of the Multiversal miscreants to start off as an ally, only being turned after realizing that Peter is not his Spider-Man. This version of Marko seems to be permanently stuck in his sand form, so it must be a relief to rid of his grainy form and be able to live a normal life with his daughter.
J. Jonah Jameson
TheDailyBugle.net has gotten an upgrade since J. Jonah Jameson revealed Spider-Man’s identity. going from a green-screen in a dingy apartment to a full-blown newsroom. J.K. Simmons’ iconic character is back in full force, going out of his way to do anything to besmirch Peter Parker’s name. Hopefully the barking reporter will be back to berate Spider-Man even more in a future adventure.
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield)
The first alternate Spider-Man to enter the MCU is none other than Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker, summoned by Ned’s sling ring. Garfield’s excitement to be back in the role is palpable, with the actor clearly loving every second of wearing the suit once again. This Peter’s reconnection with Electro demonstrates just why Garfield is the Amazing Spider-Man, his unwavering optimism and need to help others shining through.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire)
The sling ring manages to discover another Peter Parker roaming New York City, finding the Spider-Man that started it all: Tobey Maguire. Although he just looks like a regular bloke at first, Maguire’s Spidey proves his mental and physical chops when he helps Peter with the villainous cures and suits up in the iconic webbed costume again. Sure, he gets stabbed at the end of the movie, but enduring hardship is just what Spider-Man is all about, right?
Kraven and Rhino (Almost)
As Doctor Strange struggles to keep more Multiversal invaders from flooding in, various figures can be seen in the purplish skies above. One figure wields a staff and a big puffy coat, likely being Kraven the Hunter. Another villain has a large muscular build with a singular horn on their head, undoubtedly being a comic book-accurate rendition of Rhino. These villains, and many others, don’t quite make it into the MCU, but perhaps they could do down the line.
Venom (Tom Hardy)
Finally, Tom Hardy’s Venom rounds out the film, appearing briefly in the post-credits after being transported to the MCU in Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s stinger. Unfortunately for Venom, he’s whisked away once again, meaning a faceoff against Spider-Man is still a ways off yet. That is, unless the little bit of symbiote left behind has anything to say about it.
Honorable Mentions
While not showing up in the flesh, a couple of Marvel characters do get some notable mentions throughout No Way Home.
Maguire’s Spider-Man talks a bit about how his life has progressed from where the Raimi trilogy left off, saying that he and Mary Jane Watson are still together after a rocky road. His Peter also recounts the night that Uncle Ben was shot, in an attempt to relate to the MCU’s Spidey. Garfield’s Spider-Man brings up Gwen Stacy for the same reason, who is clearly still reeling from her death.
Mysterio mentions Tony Stark in his archival audio, saying that Peter Parker wanted to be the next Iron Man.
Harry Osborn is alluded to by Maguire’s Peter, telling Ned about a friend that betrayed him and then died in his arms. Other villains are also brought up by the Peter Parkers, including Paul Giamatti’s Rhino and Topher Grace’s version of Venom.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the ultimate celebration of the web-slinger’s tenure on the big screen, bringing together so many past characters and managing to refer back to the ones it couldn’t bring back in the flesh.
Fans can see every character in Spider-Man: No Way Home for themselves in theaters now.