While Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio didn't play a role on camera in Spider-Man: No Way Home after the opening scene, his impact was felt throughout the plot. After all, his actions at the end of Far From Home led to Peter's entire dilemma becoming a reality in the threequel, sending his life into a frenzy and changing the way he operated as a hero.
Mysterio was utilized in some of the promotional material for No Way Home before its debut, showing up on merchandise and even playing a role in some of the commercials used to celebrate the movie's debut in December 2021.
There were even plans to use the villain in the film itself, as a couple of deleted scenes and pieces of concept art teased what he would've done in a potential return to the MCU in Phase 4. And now, thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home - The More Fun Stuff Version hitting theaters, fans are getting new insight into other Mysterio-centric moments that were cut from the movie.
No Way Home Extended Cut Uses Mysterio Story
As part of the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home - The More Fun Stuff Version, new scenes featured nods to Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio from Spider-Man: Far From Home. This came as part of 11 minutes of new footage that was cut from the movie's original theatrical cut.
One scene features Angourie Rice's Betty Brandt interviewing some of Midtown High School's teachers for her report on Spider-Man, including Hannibal Burress' Coach Wilson. In her interview, she asks Wilson about Mysterio conspiracy theories that are spreading online, leading him to divert to another conspiracy theory about pop star Justin Timberlake having been in the '90s boy band N'SYNC:
Betty Brandt: "So, what do you think about these crazy Mysterio conspiracy theories that are spreading online?"
Coach Wilson:"There’s a conspiracy theory that Justin Timberlake was in N’SYNC at one time, and then you look it up and, oh, he was in N’SYNC."
A later shot shows a competition at Midtown High School where the students offer their own ideas for how to redo the Statue of Liberty, which wound up with Captain America's shield on Lady Liberty's arm.
One of the entries actually substituted out the original Statue completely for a model of Mysterio. This includes the villain's classic fishbowl helmet, while the figure holds his arm up the same way the Statue of Liberty does.
Will Mysterio Ever Come Back in the MCU?
Even though Mysterio certainly had a presence in No Way Home, there were plans in place for him to make more of an impact throughout the plot. It's unclear how set in stone his actual presence was in the film in terms of appearing on screen, but with scenes like this, Marvel and Sony made sure that fans knew how influential the villain was in this threequel's plot.
These deleted scenes also further tease that Mysterio's time in the MCU may not be over, with the MCU's general public still torn on which side of the battle he fell on in terms of him against Spider-Man. And with Peter Parker set to move forward in the MCU in another trilogy, it wouldn't be shocking to see the fishbowl-wearing antagonist pop back up for Round 2 against the web-slinger.
Spider-Man: No Way Home - The More Fun Stuff Version is now playing in theaters. The extended cut will continue to release across the world in the coming weeks.
