Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third highest-grossing film of all time. It not only broke box office records and became the most wildly successful and popular Marvel Studios movies. The film also completely broke fans’ hearts with its brutal ending and had some of the wildest audience reactions of any movie. Spider-Man: No Way Home not only expanded Marvel’s stakes but perfected the character of Peter Parker without losing sight of his (spidey) sense of humor, heart, and the struggle of trying to live two separate lives. Since it has been a year since the initial release, let’s rewind back to December of 2021 and reminisce of the greatest scenes to come out of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The AMAZING star-studded cast full of three different Spider-Man trilogy actors includes Tom Holland (Peter Parker 1/Spider-Man), Zendaya (Michelle Jones “MJ” Watson), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Stephen Strange), Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), Jon Favreau (“Happy” Hogan), Jamie Foxx (Electro), Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin), Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus “Doc Ock”), Thomas Haden Church (Sandman), Rhys Ifans (Lizard), Benedict Wong (Wong), Tony Revolori (“Flash” Thompson), Marisa Tomei (Aunt May Parker), and JK Simmons (J.Jonah Jameson). With surprise cameos by Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock), Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock/Venom), Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker 3/Amazing Spider-Man), and Tobey Maguire out of retirement to reprise his role as the original Peter Parker 2/Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!!

Opening Sequence “DUDE!!”

At the beginning of the movie, seconds after Peter’s identity is revealed, Peter and MJ are forced to swing all over New York to get away from the touchy crowds and the authorities. Viewers can see that Peter and MJ are swinging through New York during the aftermath of the Far From Home credit scene. Once Peter and MJ land safely on top of a bridge, Peter picks up his phone since Ned is calling him as his identity was just revealed to the world. “Dude!” “Dude!” “Dude!” “Dude!” “Duddde!!” “Duuuuudddddddeeee!” “DUDE!”

Matt Murdock Is a “Really Good Lawyer”

As just one of the many unexpected cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Charlie Cox reprised his role as Matt Murdock, one of New York’s best attorneys (from Netflix’s DareDevil series). Hired by May, Happy, and Peter, he explains to them that no legal charges will be held against Peter for the Mysterio controversy. However, Happy might be held accountable for keeping Tony’s missing Stark technology since his death. Happy makes a Goodfellas reference by butchering one of the quotes saying, “Under advisement of counsel, I refuse to answer the question respectfully because the answer may incriminate me…” While the four of them are sitting in May and Peter’s apartment, a brick shatters through the window, thrown from the street saying, “Mysterio Forever!!” Showing off his skills, Matt catches the brick in front of Peter’s face, Peter questions how he did that, replying by saying, “I’m a really good lawyer.” 

Funny enough in this scene, many fans pointed out that Jon Favreau was in the 2003 DareDevil movie alongside Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. Favreau played Murdock’s trusty law firm partner, Foggy Nelson. Many fans enjoyed seeing Matt and Foggy together again on the big screen. Long before Netflix’s DareDevil and even before the 2003 movie, DareDevil made his live action debut in the 1989 made for television movie, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. Rex Smith was the first live action portrayal of Matt Murdock. DareDevil even appears in his all black suit which is most notably seen in the first season of the Netflix series. “I kind of sense everything.” 

First Day of Senior Year Blues “Ever Since I Got Bit By That Spider…”

A story line taken directly from the comics is when Peter’s identity is revealed to the world. Spider-Man: No Way Home brought that to the big screen and went in depth of not only how Peter’s life is affected but everyone involved in it. This includes MJ. The night before their first day of their senior year, MJ asks Peter a “weird” question, “Does any part of you feel relieved about all of this?” Meaning if Mysterio revealing Peter’s identity has any positive aspects to it, the lying, trying to live two separate lives, protecting the ones closest to him? 

Peter says, “Ever since I got bit by that spider, I’ve only ever had one week where my life has felt normal, well kind of normal I guess, and that was when you found out.” He then goes on to explain that everyone in his life he wanted to know about his alter ego knew, and that was perfect. But as most superhero stories go, once the people in your life find out, the bigger the threat they become to those enemies. Peter even jokes that he is “the most famous person in the entire world and I’m still broke.” This just puts into perspective Peter Parker’s entire story, even though he has these powers and he’s worked closely with the World’s Mightiest Heroes, and saved the world fighting side by side with them… He’s still just a kid from Queens. This scene may be deemed as a slower one but it perfectly shows the character of Peter Parker without losing sight of his morals and attributes.

It’s Senior Year So Go Get Em’ Tiger

“Can We Just Stay Up Here All Day?? It is Just So Crazy Down There”

Once again this scene may be deemed as a slower one since it is not full of constant action but it helps develop Peter Parker’s character arc. When Peter is walking into the school for the first time since his identity reveal, it perfectly mirrors one of the first scenes from Spider-Man: Homecoming. When fans first saw Peter, he was this inexperienced Freshman who only had his powers for six months but knew he had a gift which allowed him to look out for the little people. The character of Peter Parker is always supposed to be this nerdy teenager who goes unseen by many. In Spider-Man: Homecoming when Peter is walking the halls of Mid-Town, all his peers push and shove their way in the crowded hallway and Peter has to dodge all these people. Where in No Way Home on his first day of school the hallway parts like the red sea and all his classmates have their phones out for Spider-Man. It shows the sudden shift in his life hence why he asks MJ, “Can we just stay up here all day?? It is just so crazy down there.” Peter needs to get away from the frenzy crowds and escapes with MJ and Ned to the rooftop of the school. Because his life all of a sudden just spiraled out of his control into total and utter chaos. 

Strange Magic “That Feels Weird But I’ll Allow It” 

Peter’s life as well as Ned and MJ’s have been flipped upside down since the reveal, not having any privacy at school and struggling to get accepted into colleges due to recent news surrounding them. After Peter, MJ, and Ned are all rejected from their dream school in Boston, MIT. “No sleep til’… BOSTON!!” Peter gets the idea to visit an old Avenger acquaintance to help fix his little debacle. At the Sanctum Sanctorum, Stephen tells Peter, “Please. We’ve saved half the universe together. I think we’re beyond you calling me ‘sir’.” “Okay. Stephen…” “That feels weird, but I’ll allow it.” Peter goes to Doctor Strange as a selfless act, “But this isn’t about me, this is hurting a lot of people…” So Peter asks Doctor Strange, well Stephen, to cast a spell to make the world forget that Peter Parker was ever Spider-Man. This, of course, backfires as Peter keeps changing the spell, which causes more harm than Peter originally anticipated. After botching the spell, this initially tampers with the stability of time and space. Strange can barely control the spell which brings everyone from every universe who knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man to one place. 

Bridge Fight (Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock) “Hello, Peter” 

This is the first fight scene of the movie and it brings back one of the most popular original Spider-Man villains, Doc Ock. Alfred Molina played Doctor Otto Octavius all the way back in 2004 in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. Him returning as the eight limbed mad scientists almost a decade later was a huge step for Marvel Studios. What fans absolutely loved was his first words in the film and the MCU is, “Hello, Peter.” As he says this Danny Elfman’s original theme from Spider-Man 2 plays in the background. Something Marvel does throughout the film is pay homage to the Spider-Man movies that came before the MCU’s which include Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s two Amazing Spider-Man films. Fans hyped this scene up and the line, “Hello, Peter”, as it was one of the few scenes shown in the trailers as Marvel Studios kept most of the movie a secret until the initial release. 

Sanctum Sanctorum

“Please Scooby Doo This…” 

After Peter botched Strange’s spell, he learned that it tampered with the stability of time and space and brought everyone from every universe who knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man to one place. Even though Peter knows this is his mess and his fault, he needs help to try and find all the mysterious villains in order to send them home. That’s when he brings Ned and MJ to the Sanctum Sanctorum. Ned says, “I can’t believe I’m in the Sanctum Sanctorum.” Doctor Strange being the arrogant hero he is, replies, “Neither can I.” As serious of a character Strange is and how somewhat dark No Way Home is, Marvel gave the character a bit of a comedic break. He has one of the best one liners in the film when he tells the three kids to “Please Scooby Doo this …” 

Spider-Man vs Electro and the Sandman “You’re Flying Out Into the Darkness… To Fight Ghosts”

This scene mainly just keeps bringing all of Sony’s past Spider-Man villains to help set up the storyline. Here Peter meets Jamie Foxx’s Electro who went from his all blue Amazing Spider-Man 2 design to a more comic accurate yellow electric powers. Spider-Man 3’s Thomas Haden Church returned as the Sandman but only for the voiceover where all the body captured motion was performed by someone else. Spider-Man in action is suited up in his all new black and gold costume to capture the two villains. Even though this is a new look to fans, the black and gold suit is just his red and black suit inside out. Before Peter goes to fight Electro and Sandman, Otto tells Peter that  “You’re flying out into the darkness… to fight ghosts” while talking about the jolly green elf he saw while on the bride, referring to Norman Osborn’s better half, Green Goblin. 

Norman Visits May “This Is What We Do, We Help People” “This Is What’s Best” 

May calls Peter to tell him one of the villains he’s looking for showed up at his work. Frantically trying to get there, Peter runs through the charity place, FEAST (Aunt May’s work) suited up as Spider-Man in the black and gold suit but unmasked. Peter’s expecting this jolly green elf to be just as bad as the other villains he’s encountered. It isn’t until he gets to May does he see it’s just this disheveled guy that’s lost. Little does Peter know that he’s the worst of the bunch. Norman wandered in saying he had nowhere else to go, “Someone’s living in my house. OSCORP doesn’t exist. My son.” He goes on to say, “Sometimes I’m not myself. I’m someone else and every time he’s in control, I can’t remember.” He’s referring to his other half, Green Goblin who takes over him. Aunt May sees how distraught and lost Norman is, she can’t imagine how the others are. She thinks they all need help. Peter just says, “This isn’t my problem.” “Peter, not your problem?? Hm.” May puts Peter in his place explaining that, “this is what we do, we help people.” But Peter is having none of it, “This is what’s best, for them.” Eventually, Peter comes to his senses and decides to give them all a second chance but highly regrets that after they all double cross and attack him as Happy’s condo which leads to May’s death. 

Look out for “Spider-Man: No Way Home Reflection (Pt. 2)” Coming Soon!!