Spider Man: No Way Home is "The Magic Number"

Marvel’s latest installment for the beloved web-slinger is precisely what everyone needed after a second year of the pandemic that no one asked for

By Morgan Shelley

It is the summer of 2008.

In suburbia, the sun is melting the freshly laid asphalt three floors down, and every window is open to provide fleeting relief from the heat to three small children huddled together in front of a black box. As they argue about who gets to sit in the middle to get the best view, a flash of red and blue on the screen captures their attention. It is not a Power Ranger or Superman— it is New York’s neighborhood-friendly Spider-Man, swinging between buildings and rescuing civilians from doom.

Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

From one generation to another

If you grew up without Spider-Man, I sincerely apologize on behalf of the universe. From humble comic book beginnings in Marvel’s “Amazing Fantasy” series in 1962 to their first film appearance in Marvel’s 2002 “Spider-Man,” the superhero has touched everyone from late Baby Boomers (1955-1964) to Generation Z (1997-2012). Spider-Man is an everyday teenager living in New York with their family in most storylines. They get bitten by a spider, experience the trauma of death, and take on the responsibility of protecting others with their new abilities. They also battle superhuman villains and capitalism while wrestling with grief and personal conflicts. The identity of the masked hero—or vigilante, if you prefer—has changed over time. There’s Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Gwen Stacey, and more.

I was still a kid when I met Toby Maguire and fell in love with Kirsten Dunst. By the time Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone had both stolen my heart, I was a teenager in high school. At eighteen, I met the lovely—and animated—Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld and had my trust in the franchise restored after “The Amazing Spider-Man 3” did not happen. As someone who grew up with these movies and had a different connection to each version of Spidey and their partner, I was skeptical of the last installment of the film franchise. I had never witnessed a version of Spider-Man’s story where their identity was known on such a massive scale. My faith in Marvel was, once again, on thin ice.

After an unnecessarily long year, I craved time to rest and recover like the rest of the world. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” found itself onto my radar as rumors of old faces resurfacing exploded on social media, and a few friends told me it was “one of the best Marvel movies in the history of forever.”

So I took the bait. Spoiler alert: it was worth it.

Zendaya and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

“With great power, there must also come great responsibility”

“No Way Home” brings back everything we love about Spider-Man and exposes the hero to some harsh realities. Peter begins his journey with the people he cares about, and he ends it alone. Picking up where “Far From Home” left off, Peter (Tom Holland) and MJ (Zendaya) face the immediate aftermath of his leaked identity. New York is in a frenzy over Mysterio’s death and Peter’s supposed involvement. His address is leaked, school is a nightmare, and Peter and his friends may never get into college because of the controversy.

Then it gets strange.

Doctor Strange helps the young hero change his fate, and the lines of reality get messy when Peter decides he wants specific people to remember his identity as Spider-Man. Antagonists from different Spider-Man storylines start popping up all over— Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, and more. Peter learns that the spell was drawing everyone that knew the hero into his world from other worlds. So Doctor Strange comes up with a quick fix: capture everyone who doesn’t belong and send them back! But not everyone wants to return to their worlds. As Aunt May, MJ, and Ned get closer to the situation, Peter struggles with the responsibility of his power in a way he never has before.

Everything up to this point can be interpreted from the teaser trailer released last August. Now, this is a (mostly) spoiler-free zone, but no review of this film is complete without acknowledging Maguire and Garfield’s resurgence into the MCU and the fact that Holland’s version of Peter Parker is unlike any other.

The timelessness of Spider-Man

Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

“No Way Home” is a treat for fans of previous versions of Spider-Man and the nefarious villains that pushed Peter Parker beyond his limits. The hero's burden in each storyline is never the same, and that is what keeps things interesting. Miles Morales was the first Spider-Man to face the multiverse on the big screen, and now, Peter Parker has had his own experience with one of Marvel’s broadest concepts. The potential for future installments is endless.

Increasing diversity has helped Spidey remain relevant to Generation Z. Zendaya is the first black woman to be cast as MJ, and honestly, good for us. I was unaware there was a storyline where one of my favorite heroes looked like me until “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” was released. Now, I am eagerly anticipating the second installment of the series. Throwing Peter 1 (Maguire) and Peter 2 (Garfield, my favorite) into “No Way Home” to assist Peter 3 (Holland) with ghosts while he struggled with his morality drove the point home that Peter 3 is unique. Peter 3 has been supported for most of his super-life, but Peter 1 and 2 struggled on their own from the beginning.

By the film's conclusion, Peter 3 has learned a few lessons about responsibility like many of the heroes that came before him. His privilege is gone, and there are no more safety nets to catch him when he falls. He has no choice but to move forward with his life. It is up to him to redefine the meaning of home and what it means to be Spider-Man.

This is why “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is, like De La Soul, “the magic number.”