Zendaya Wanted Different Ending to Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home has descended upon the world as amyriad secrets hidden within come with its debut. Since the film's record-breaking opening weekend, fans have had a chance to think about every detail of the Spidey threequel; Tom Holland, Zendaya and their co-stars have also gotten the chance to reflect on how this Marvel epic came to be. 

No Way Home not only had the tall task of wrapping up the first MCU Spider-Man trilogy but also honoring the hero's nearly 20 years on the big screen. Villians from past Spidey flicks made an appearance as well the two actors who formerly brought the character to life in Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. 

While the movie is an emotional one, it is the ending that has been the subject of many conversations, as Peter Parker chooses to have the entire world forget who he is in order for life to go back to normal.

This leaves Pete in the spot where most Spider-Man stories begin - in a down-trodden apartment, sporting a red-blue suit, with everyone he has ever loved gone. It is not the most hopeful note to leave No Way Home's hero on, and if one of the movies stars had their way, things would have gone very differently for Peter and company. 

Release The Zendaya Cut

In an interview with Marvel, Spider-Man: No Way Home star Zendaya revealed that had things gone her way, the ending of the film would have looked much different. 

The young actor noted that she had hoped Peter and MJ would "go to college [together]” instead of the "awfully sad" ending moments seen in the final cut of the movie. 

She apologized for the less-than-happy ending to No Way Home, saying “I’m sorry” and that:

"There's going to be a lot of really upset little kids that are going to be like, [mimics wailing].” 

And it turns out that the audience isn't the only people that are going to be or have been wailing from their seats, MJ herself admitted that " “[she] cried throughout the whole movie:"

 “I cried throughout the whole movie. And the first thing I said when we finished was, ‘This is awfully sad.’"

However, in typical Peter Parker fashion Zendaya's co-star Tom Holland piped in to say the ending that made it "may be teaching young kids a lesson" and "[at least the movie’s] entertaining:"

“We may be teaching young kids a lesson they might not be ready for. But, [at least the movie’s] entertaining.”

No Happy Ending for No Way Home

Amongst fans, the tone of No Way Home's ending has been the topic of much debate over the past few weeks or so, and it seems that this was also was the case amongst the movie's cast and crew. 

While yes, on one hand, Peter Parker leaving behind everybody he loves is deeply sad, it is also so inherently Spider-Man. 

Spidey is a hero that everyone can see themselves in. A nobody, who because of a certain set of values (the whole "great power" thing) has to stand up to be better and take down the evil of the world. Thus far, MCU Peter Parker has had the aid of so many close companions.

Whether it was Iron Man picking him up to join the fun in Captain America: Civil War or Doctor Strange in this very film helping the young hero with his very public identity crisis, this Peter had plenty of people to turn to when things got hairy. 

However, despite how Zendaya and Holland may feel about it, this ending almost serves as a jumping-off point. It does away with any of those crutches that have been holding this Peter up, and his first love and best friend are collateral damage in that process. 

At the end of No Way Home, audiences were introduced to the next era of this Spider-Man. He is alone and he has no one but himself and some shiny blue spandex. 

It may not be the happiest of endings, but it was the best for this character in this particular moment. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home is playing in theaters worldwide now.