SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - 8 Ways The Otherwise Amazing Movie Actually Disappointed Fans

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - 8 Ways The Otherwise Amazing Movie Actually Disappointed Fans

Spider-Man: No Way Home was a masterpiece, but there were parts of the movie we couldn't help but be disappointed by. Before you lose your cool with us, though, you guys might want to check these out...

Feature Opinion
By JoshWilding - Mar 25, 2022 12:03 PM EST
Filed Under: No Way Home

Before you get too angry at the title of this feature, we're in full agreement that Spider-Man: No Way Home is a great movie. In fact, it's up there as one of the best Marvel Comics adaptations to ever grace the big scree -  but that doesn't mean we wouldn't make a handful of minor improvements. 

With a movie like this one, it's always going to be impossible to make everyone happy, and we get that. However, the threequel did make some creative decisions that ultimately disappointed fans, and it's those we'll be taking a closer look at today. 

By no means are we tearing into Spider-Man: No Way Home (it's bad enough it was snubbed at the Oscars this weekend), and once we explain why it was a mistake to destroy the Green Goblin's mask and not make a bigger deal out of the arrival of a couple of certain Spider-Men, we think you'll agree that even Marvel Studios made some minor blunders in the blockbuster adventure.

To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!
 

8. Where's The Green Goblin's Mask?

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A recent VFX reel revealed that it was originally Spider-Man who destroyed the Green Goblin's mask during a battle on that bridge. As a result, we can't help but think including the fight scene could go some way towards better explaining the Goblin's intense hatred for the MCU's Peter Parker.

Still, the scene we got wasn't too bad, and it provided an explanation for the Goblin's missing mask (who knows, perhaps someone else will stumble across its shattered remains?). Even taking that into account, it was a real disappointment not to see Norman Osborn head into the final battle with a mask; a pair of goggles didn't have the same impact and, honestly, looked a little lame.

Getting to see more of Willem Dafoe's superb performance was welcomed, but concept art showing the Goblin with a repaired mask proves we missed out on something really special here. It's a minor niggle, but would have really completed the villain's look.
 

7. Venom Gets Sidelined

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We're not going to say Venom: Let There Be Carnage's mid-credits scene was pointless, but...well, it kind of was, wasn't it? Eddie Brock being pulled into the MCU felt significant on a number of levels, and while we never expected him to have a major role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the anticipation was that he might stick around for more than just another post-credits stinger!

Unfortunately, Tom Hardy's Venom left the MCU as quickly as he arrived, and never once crossed paths with Tom Holland's wall-crawler. While part of his symbiote being left behind seems to be setting the stage for something down the line, we can't help but feel underwhelmed by all this. 

After all, would it really have been so hard to have Venom be among those captured by Doctor Strange in the Sanctum Sanctorum? The cure could have entailed Peter trying to make it so that the alien can operate independently of Eddie, and throwing him into the madness of that final battle had some real potential (and would likely have led to Venom finally getting his familiar chest logo).
 

6. Show, Don't Tell

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There was only ever going to be a certain amount of room for characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the fact that we didn't get to visit this Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man's world was still a real disappointment. Yes, he told the Amazing Spider-Man that he got a happy ending with his Mary Jane, but how much cooler would it have been to catch a quick glimpse of their family life?

Now, there's every possibility that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures didn't want to waste a cameo that can be better explored in the future. We can't say for sure, though, and devoting a post-credits scene to "Spider-Man 4" would have made fans a lot happier than a teaser trailer. 

It's worth pointing out tha the sneak peek in question was for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a movie we may get this scene in. If so, all is forgiven, but we're not banking on it. On the plus side, what became of the other Spider-Man was addressed in a more satisfying manner.
 

5. Sandman And The Lizard Underwhelm

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It feels like there's probably a fascinating story out there about how Spider-Man: No Way Home was made, but it's one we're unlikely to ever be privy to as fans. While Rhys Ifans and Thomas Haden Church reprised their respective roles as The Lizard and Sandman, neither actor was ever on set and footage from The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 3 was used for their "human" scenes.

COVID and scheduling issues can probably be blamed for that, but there's no denying that these two villains were a disappointment. We got more of the same from Sandman; can you believe they didn't give us some classic comic book imagery of him turning his fists into weapons? As for The Lizard, he reeled off some jokes, all while looking as lame as he did way back in 2012. 

These two were seemingly thrown into the threequel to make that final battle a little more exciting, but it surely wouldn't have been that hard to expand on their respective stories in a satisfying way.
 

4. No Sinister Six

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So, you've got a movie with three Spider-Men and a whole host of villains from across the Multiverse, and you don't assemble the Sinister Six? This is astonishing, and a massive missed opportunity. 

As fun as the Statue of Liberty battle may have been, it boiled down to the wall-crawlers fighting Electro, Sandman, and The Lizard (the threequel's muscle) before getting a helping hand from Doctor Octopus. The Green Goblin finally showed up, but there was never a moment when we had even a Sinister Five, never mind the Sinister Six. What the heck went wrong here? 

We'd put money on Sony Pictures having its own plans for this team, and those probably involve Venom, The Vulture, Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, Chameleon, and...someone! That's not the roster we'd choose or direction we'd take the Sinister Six in, but as fans often say, "Sony gonna Sony."
 

3. Enter The Spider-Verse

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Bringing the Spider-Man Variants into the MCU was always going to be a tough task, but in terms of how they should enter the fray, there had to be a better idea than this! Ned discovering he does have some magical abilities may have been a nice payoff to an earlier punchline, but him using Doctor Strange's sling ring to open those portals felt forced, unnatural, and a little goofy.

Picture this: instead of Ned welcoming the two Spider-Men into his grandmother's kitchen, Peter Parker could have been on the ropes against the Green Goblin, with the hope of victory fading. With that, his fellow web-slingers could have arrived to lend a helping hand, though tragically not before Aunt May was killed (leading to another moment of tremendous guilt for these webbed wonders).

Instead, what we got was funny - with moments that admittedly elicited cheers from moviegoers - but not quite as memorable as it otherwise might have been.
 

2. Uncle Ben Still Doesn't Matter

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It's perfectly understandable that Marvel Studios wanted to move away from the Uncle Ben origin story in the MCU, and we actually like how Aunt May has taken his place in some respects. However, it's been established that Ben did exist in this world and that his death somehow prompted Peter Parker to become Spider-Man; it's just unfortunate his name stills seems to be a dirty word.

While there are more references to Ben Parker in this movie than Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, he now feels like little more than a footnote in this Peter's history.

There's a reason sixty years after Spider-Man was created that Uncle Ben still inspires him, but we don't even get to see his grave when Peter goes to visit the place May was laid to rest! Did this Ben just vanish? Did he die of natural causes? Did he go out to buy milk but never came home? Your guess is as good as ours, and we wish this movie had taken the chance to do something with him.
 

1. Justice For Mysterio

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Based on what we saw in set photos, it looked like Mysterio might be a pitoval part of Spider-Man: No Way Home. While he was mentioned, the impact he'd had on Peter Parker's life was quickly forgotten, and the fact that Quentin Beck never returned is easily this movie's biggest blunder.

Concept art has revealed that Mysterio's return was considered, something that made perfect sense. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, he claimed to be from another Earth and taught Peter about the Multiverse. While he appeared to be a fraud, a simple retcon here could have revealed he was telling the truth and that it was all part of a larger plan to break (and control) reality.

We're willing to acknowledge that it would have made this a very different movie, but Mysterio being sidelined feels like a mistake that now can't be fixed. After all, even if he does come back, he won't remember who is beneath the mask, making a "resurrection" of any sort borderline pointless.
 

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Nerdman3000
Nerdman3000 - 3/25/2022, 12:07 PM


Seriously I get today is a slow news day and your desperate for clicks Josh, but come on! Your being worse than tabloid journalists here with this nonsense.
FoiledCranium
FoiledCranium - 3/25/2022, 12:18 PM
@Nerdman3000 - I don't doubt it's specifically for comment engagement. He knows putting up takes like that are gonna get people fuming.
Razorface1
Razorface1 - 3/25/2022, 12:46 PM
@Nerdman3000 - Honestly the movie wasn't that great and disappointed quite a bit.
Forthas
Forthas - 3/25/2022, 12:07 PM
SPOILER ALERT

I would have preferred they keep his spunky Aunt May and continued the tradition of having Uncle Ben be his guiding symbol of virtue. Sure they want to hammer home he is all alone but going forward having May would not have narratively made much difference.
Battabingg
Battabingg - 3/25/2022, 1:36 PM
@Forthas - Don't understand why Aunt May got fridged if they were just gonna One More Day the situation anyway.
Also, does Ned still remember he has magical abilities?
Forthas
Forthas - 3/25/2022, 2:39 PM
@Battabingg - Question about Ned is a great one! Given what happened after Stranges spell it did not seem as though the events of NWH ever even happened for them. That goes beyond what the spell did! Kind of a plot hole.
Fogs
Fogs - 3/25/2022, 3:21 PM
@Forthas - They just forgot Peter is Spidey. Probably only remember Spider-man and not Peter at all. Same thing for every hero who knew Peter.

The problem would be databases, news, etc. Everything got erased as well?
thelastson18
thelastson18 - 3/25/2022, 12:09 PM
There were moments in this movie that felt like a sitcom without a laugh track, long pauses to allow the audience to react or laugh. It’s super awkward when you rewatch it alone. Other than that, very fun movie.

Homecoming
No Way Home
Far From Home

Spider-Man 2 still is the GOAT
AC1
AC1 - 3/25/2022, 12:10 PM
Comic book movie fans: "We don't need to see Batman's parents die again"

Also comic book movie fans: "sHoW uNcLe bEn'S dEaTH aGaIn mCU sPiDeY sUX"
AC1
AC1 - 3/25/2022, 12:15 PM
@AC1 - Probably should've had May's grave next to Ben's at the end tbf but we don't even really know how her funeral was arranged seeing as Peter was wiped from everyone's memories a few hours after she died. In all likelihood Happy arranged it (which is another sad detail) and he might not have known where Ben was buried, or maybe there was no space near Ben's grave so she had to be buried elsewhere (unfortunately that happens sometimes and NYC has one of the highest populations on the planet so it would make sense)
dracula
dracula - 3/25/2022, 2:59 PM
@AC1 - dont think anyone wants to see it but they want an acknowledgement of him

We dont see the waynes get shot in the batman but the event is still acknowledged
Fogs
Fogs - 3/25/2022, 3:22 PM
@dracula - THIS.
AC1
AC1 - 3/26/2022, 4:33 AM
@dracula - yeah in fairness I kinda wish they'd acknowledge MCU Ben directly at least once (NWH had a perfect opportunity for that during the second "With great power" scene on the school roof) but I guess it might've distracted from what had just happened if Peter changed the subject from the loss he'd just endured moments before to one he experienced years ago.
WakandanQueen
WakandanQueen - 3/25/2022, 12:11 PM
7. Venom Gets Sidelined

This was actually one of the more satisfying elements of this film! When he was revealed to be a variant I was overwhelmed by joy.

Repeat viewings just solidify that this one was really [frick]ing great. Probably one of the sharpest scripts in the MCU. I'd also argue it had by far the least amount of exposition out of last year's MCU projects (or at the very least, the films).

Still amazed they were able to throw in all these characters and easter eggs and skilfully injecting them into the storytelling whilst making Peter's own arc even stronger. It's not peak of live action Spider-Man, but it's pretty darn close imo.



Gimme ten more of Holland's Spidey films.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 3/25/2022, 12:15 PM
8 ways to stir the pot.
Chappers
Chappers - 3/25/2022, 12:17 PM
Only one I agree with is #5, you're reaching with the rest
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/25/2022, 12:25 PM
JustAChillFan
JustAChillFan - 3/25/2022, 1:00 PM
@BlackBeltJones - LMAO I instantly thought of this when I saw this article.
DoubleD
DoubleD - 3/25/2022, 12:28 PM
Spider-Man: No Way Home. I was a little disappointed NO Mysterio.

Domestic = $798,332,430

INTERNATIONAL = $1,087,000,000

WORLDWID = $1,885,332,430

Spider-Man is projected this weekend to earn $2,300,000 will be at $800,800,000 million this weekend.


Fogs
Fogs - 3/25/2022, 3:24 PM
@DoubleD - Problem with Mysterio is we'd need all his team to have an impact on a fight. That is a flaw I see in this MCU version. He can't do much by himself.
Cap1
Cap1 - 3/25/2022, 12:30 PM
1 way the entirely inept ‘journalist’ that is Josh Wilding thinks he speaks for all fans with his inane opinions:
tylerzero
tylerzero - 3/25/2022, 12:31 PM
After reading this article, my opinion on No Way Home has now officially changed...

DaHyro
DaHyro - 3/25/2022, 12:33 PM
Man… i’m really starting to dislike fan discourse, especially with Marvel movies. Josh didn’t even say he dislikes the movie, he was just saying some disappointing things about it, and people are going crazy.

I love Marvel but fans will eat up anything with Feige’s name
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 3/25/2022, 1:21 PM
@DaHyro - I don't think them going crazy has anything to do with Marvel or Feige. 80% of Josh's articles have people going crazy nowadays
Battabingg
Battabingg - 3/25/2022, 1:38 PM
@DaHyro - All these problems with the movie, yet it's a "masterpiece".
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 3/25/2022, 12:38 PM
Great power comes great responsibility.

CLTMAN29
CLTMAN29 - 3/25/2022, 12:40 PM
Haven’t read the article- just came here to criticise Josh’s shit journalism again. That’s all.
URLMae
URLMae - 3/25/2022, 12:42 PM
I do like the spin they gave him to aunt may but she wasn’t big part of the second one so that lessened the impact of her dead in this one, Ned’s plot was the worst part of the movie and it ruins it a little for me but overall was a really enjoyable experience
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 3/25/2022, 12:42 PM
No sinister 6 is the one for me
Razorface1
Razorface1 - 3/25/2022, 12:47 PM
The fanboying in here is too much. You guys can like something without pretending it was perfect.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 3/25/2022, 12:47 PM
I mean If Electro can find a barbershop, I wish they'd bothered to redesign Lizard while they were at it.
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