SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Director Jon Watts Talks About Uniting Three Spider-Men On Screen For The First Time

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Director Jon Watts Talks About Uniting Three Spider-Men On Screen For The First Time

Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts has addressed his work on the record-breaking threequel, including what it was like to bring Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire together on screen.

By JoshWilding - Jan 28, 2022 09:01 AM EST
Filed Under: No Way Home
Source: Variety

Spider-Man: No Way Home wasn't finished until mere days before critics saw the movie for the first time, and that meant director Jon Watts was absent from the threequel's press tour. Now, though, he's finally opened up about working on the Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios movie - and its star-studded cast - in an interview with Variety.

The filmmaker revealed that prior to shooting the first scene with Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men, he got the actors together alongside Zendaya and Jacob Batalon for a very important meeting. 

"We sat on folding chairs in a circle and went through the script together. I had talked to everyone separately, but to have everyone together to talk about the story, how the pieces fit together and what Spider-Man meant to them - that was exciting for me," Watts recalls. "We had the only three actors to ever play Spider-Man in a film, and each had been through so much, on and off screen. It was like a Spider-Man therapy session."

"Because we had done that work ahead of time, when filming that first scene with everyone, it was great to take a step back and see the crew watching, like they were watching the movie. You’re capturing something more than a scene from a movie; you’re watching a once-in-a-lifetime event."

As for whether he ever had any nerves about taking charge of those iconic faces from the past, the director added: "The only thing I was nervous about is that I’d miss something great. As a director, you always keep your eyes and ears open...Peter Parker and Spider-Man mean so much to people and I felt that responsibility."

We'll no doubt hear a lot more from Watts over the coming months, especially with plans in place to give Spider-Man: No Way Home a serious push for "Best Picture" at the Academy Awards. The nominees for this year's PGA Awards were recently revealed, however, and there was no mention of the web-slinger. The PGAs are usually a good indication of what will be recognised at the Oscars, so whether the threequel can make the cut now remains to be seen! 

Keep checking back here for the latest on Spider-Man: No Way Home

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Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 1/28/2022, 10:00 AM
He delivered. Best Marvel film ever released.
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 1/28/2022, 10:03 AM
@Nightwing1015 - It was a fun ride, but I don't think it's even the best Spider-Man movie.
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 1/28/2022, 10:08 AM
@FinnishDude - Personally it’s my favorite live action one. Spiderverse is still my favorite but No Way Home is the pinnacle of the live action films for me bc it acknowledges and builds on all the others
IronSpider101
IronSpider101 - 1/28/2022, 3:24 PM
@FinnishDude - Agreed. It's a blast and it's a fun time. The last half alone is probably the best thing to ever come out of the MCU honestly because there's actual emotional weight to what's going on. But yeah, I still look to those first 2 Spider-Man movies as the peak of what's been done with the character so far. The first movie is a cinema classic and the second movie is still imo the best movie based on a comic book superhero that's ever been made.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 10:04 AM
Jon Watts did a pretty good job. Is No Way Home perfect? Not at all - Lizard and Sandman looked like utter shit and there are definitely some weak moments throughout the film.. but the scenes with all three Peters were pretty damn good.

I’ll never forget everyone clapping at the moment that all three jump off the scaffolding together. I literally said to myself “this is insane..” with a grin. That’s magic right there.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 10:05 AM
I still think Homecoming is the best Spider-Man film. Followed closely by Spider-Man 2. This is definitely the most emotional and exciting Spidey entry though!
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/28/2022, 10:24 AM
@TheLobster - you’re out of your mind
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 1/28/2022, 10:57 AM
@TheLobster - I think Homecoming is probably the least flawed Spider-Man movie. It doesn't really have a thing that drags it down, and hits every key box both as a blockbuster and as a Spider-Man film. I can definitely see how someone may prefer FFH, NWH, SM1/2 or ITSV being better, but when I break them down HC feels like the most "perfect" one of these has been
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 11:27 AM
@McMurdo - Lol not really
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 11:29 AM
@OmegaDaGrodd - bingo! It just feels the most “Spider-Man” to me. It nails all the aspects I love.

FFH was alright (the humor was awful and I wish they kept that sequence with Spidey taking down monsters at a restaurant) and NWH was fun - but I don’t need an earth shattering film. I like Homecoming the most because it’s the most grounded in terms of stakes that’s real for a high schooler to take on. Also, Vulture is still the best villain in Holland’s trilogy. Goblin was dope but his screen time is so short that he didn’t get to make the impact (aside from killing May) I hoped for.
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 1/29/2022, 12:30 AM
@OmegaDaGrodd - That's how I feel too. I still personally like Spider-Man 2 the best, because it's highs are just so high, but if I simply looked at them through "which one has the least amount of flaws", Homecoming is the best.
Whaley87
Whaley87 - 1/29/2022, 5:22 AM
@McMurdo - You're out there calling an unreleased Batman film "pure art", you don't have much of a leg when it comes to criticising other people's views on films.
KWilly
KWilly - 1/28/2022, 10:08 AM
Watts is the only MCU director to do an entire trilogy. Props to him, he's been killing it. And it's only gonna get better...

micvalpro
micvalpro - 1/28/2022, 10:11 AM
@KWilly - No he isn’t. Peyton Reed has directed the 3 Ant man movies.
KWilly
KWilly - 1/28/2022, 10:12 AM
@micvalpro - OH that's right. Well, he's the first then, in terms of the all 3 movies getting released
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 1/28/2022, 10:08 AM
Just hope people can now leave the guy in peace while he does F4. He did a great job with this trilogy. A lot of people's complaints on the first 2 movies are related to script and decisions that came from above.
micvalpro
micvalpro - 1/28/2022, 10:10 AM
The movie needed more money shots of the 3 of them. The end fight scene every shot of them moves so fast and it’s so dark it’s hard to really enjoy them together as Spider-Man.
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 11:32 AM
@micvalpro - yeah and is it just be or did they age Tobey more on screen? After watching the interview he just did - he looked younger? Maybe it was the scruff but I was like “dude..”
micvalpro
micvalpro - 1/28/2022, 4:38 PM
@TheLobster - Nah he looks like that now. It was the lighting too. Hes just aged. I think because he lost weight too when he came back, that can make you look a little older too.
Whaley87
Whaley87 - 1/29/2022, 5:23 AM
@TheLobster - No, he's just looking older. Can't really say he looks young on a blurry zoom call, lol.
TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 1/28/2022, 10:16 AM
Who could be a good direct for Spider-Man 4? I think they will get another up and comer.
TheRationalNerd
TheRationalNerd - 1/28/2022, 10:24 AM
@TheSuperMex - Drew Goddard
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 11:33 AM
@Waddles - would LOVE for Goddard to come on. Especially after how he got [frick]ed over by Sony on Sinister Six. He literally had to drop out of Daredevil after a few episodes for S6.
TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 1/28/2022, 12:16 PM
@TheRationalNerd - I haven’t seen his work but I heard they are good. He is has written a lot stuff that is big with nerds. I think he would be a good choice.
TheSuperMex
TheSuperMex - 1/28/2022, 12:16 PM
@Waddles - more movies to put on the list.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/28/2022, 10:24 AM
Before this guy got the job I was excited for MCU Fantastic Four. I’m not a fan of Watts films. His best film is cop car and even that one has issues. Shoulda gone to Peyton Reed. His talents are obvious after that s2 finale of Mando, and it now leads me to believe the problems with the Ant Man films are hardly his alone, If his at all.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 1/28/2022, 10:59 AM
@McMurdo - I kinda feel the same way about Watts. Sure there are quite a few things I don't like about either of their movies, but both nail those family-like dynamics between characters that I feel is definitely necessary for FF.
Pampero
Pampero - 1/28/2022, 10:31 AM
Eternals > No Way Home

Yeah, I know, unpopular opinion...
TheLobster
TheLobster - 1/28/2022, 11:34 AM
@Pampero - lol I hated Eternals on virtually every level. I can’t compute this but all good.
Whaley87
Whaley87 - 1/29/2022, 5:24 AM
@Pampero - Can't say I agree, but Eternals is a brilliant movie IMO.
Superspecialawesomeguy
Superspecialawesomeguy - 1/28/2022, 11:00 AM
He did a good job with NWH but I still don't think he's the right choice for F4 tbh, I feel lik the parts of the movie that worked where entirely dependant on nostalgia and fan-service; anything in the movie that was dealing with the actual world Watts had helped create I found super uninteresting imo.

(Also FFH is the worst Spidey movie so there's that as well).

For anyone that cares:

1. Spider-Man 2
2. Spider-Man
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
4. Spider-Man: No Way Home
5. Spider-Man 3
6. The Amazing Spider-Man
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming
8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
9. Spider-Man: Far From Home
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 1/28/2022, 11:11 AM
Jon Watts is living the damn dream

I was really impressed with how he kinda stepped up his style in NWH, especially the one take sequences and the increased use of practical fight choreography. Hopefully the next person who takes on these movies brings something completely different to the table
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 1/28/2022, 12:24 PM
Got me Hyped AF for Fantastic Four.
eGGtheGreat
eGGtheGreat - 1/28/2022, 6:51 PM
So sick of seeing face masks
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