Spider-Man: No Way Home is expected to take us into the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the Multiverse for the first time, with Tom Holland's Peter Parker meeting his fellow wall-crawlers and some familiar villains from the past. Doctor Strange will factor into the story in a big way, of course, and Benedict Cumberbatch has now promised that fans are in for something special.
Describing working on the movie as "a lot of fun," the actor added: "There will be a lot of debate about it, I'm sure, but it's a daring, brilliant concept." Debate? That's certainly an interesting word to use, though it does feel like that first trailer barely scratched the surface of what we can expect from Spider-Man: No Way Home.
When the interviewer put it to Cumberbatch that Holland had previously described the threequel as the most ambitious standalone story ever made, he responded, "Until Doctor Strange 2...[I'm] throwing it down, Tom! But yeah, for now, it will do!"
The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star may be a little more excited for his own solo outing, but he still had plenty of praise to heap on Spider-Man: No Way Home helmer, Jon Watts.
"It's gonna be a great film, I think. I think Jon Watts is a genius, all that team was on those three films are vastly brilliant," he said. "Jon [Watts] is great, he's got such a light touch, he's so assured though. He's great to hang out with on set. He's very witty, but incredibly generous and supportive. Everything you want in a director. He's young, he's energetic, he gets the kids - I call myself an 'older person' to the older people. It's an atmosphere on that set. It's a bonded group, they've done three [movies] now, beautiful work environment. I really really enjoyed being on that set, I really did."
It seems fair to say that we're in for quite a ride with this movie, and that second trailer needs to hurry up and get here already. Unfortunately, there's a good chance we'll be waiting until Eternals in November, though there's always a chance we get something with Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to be released on December 17, later this year!
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breakdown of Spider-Man: No Way Home's Sinister Six!
6. The Lizard
Sam Raimi had tentative plans for years to introduce The Lizard in one of his movies, and he would have been introduced in Spider-Man 4 (with Curt Connors as a supporting villain to John Malkovich's Vulture). That obviously didn't happen, but Sony Pictures did revisit the idea with 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man.
Like his comic book counterpart, this Lizard desperately wanted to regrow his missing arm and ultimately fell into madness when he tried to transform all of New York City's inhabitants. Defeated by Spider-Man and returned to his human form, we last saw Curt in a cell where he was approached by Gustav Fiers and asked whether he'd told Peter the truth about his parents.
That subplot ended up being abandoned, and we never saw The Lizard again. Fans are convinced they've seen him in the trailer for No Way Home, and it makes sense to use the villain here based on action scenes alone. We're hoping for a redesign, of course, and there have been rumblings that this version will be more in line with his comic book counterpart (including the lab coat).
5. Electro
Jamie Foxx was the first actor to be cast in this threequel, and we assumed at the time Kevin Feige just wanted to give the Oscar-winner a shot at playing a decent version of The Amazing Spider-Man 2's big bad. Of course, Foxx later dropped a bombshell by sharing fan-art of the villain squaring off with three versions of the web-slinger (while confirming he won't be blue).
With that, the Spider-Verse theories were born, and a leaked image has since shown us a vastly different Max Dillon. As a result, we can't say for sure if this is the same Electro as the one we met in 2014, but the trailer pointed to his electricity being yellow - as it should be - instead of blue in the MCU.
The Amazing franchise's Peter essentially killed Electro when he defeated him, and while Foxx said in the years that followed that electricity can't truly die, we're not surprised this baddie is looking for vengeance. What he'll bring to the table beyond that remains to be seen, but Max isn't the smartest guy in the world, so it could be that he's primarily the muscle.
4. Sandman
The technology used to bring Sandman to life in 2007's Spider-Man 3 was jaw-dropping. Unfortunately, Flint Marko wasn't the most effective of villains beyond those visuals and a big part of that can be blamed on the bizarre decision to reveal him as the true killer of Uncle Ben.
Peter Parker ultimately forgave the villain, and it looked like his evildoing ways were then behind him. Of course, Sandman is a character who frequently jumped between hero and villain status in the comic books, so it probably wouldn't take much for him to be manipulated into being part of this version of the Sinister Six...if he's actually in the movie, that is.
If all those recent No Way Home theories sprang from the leaked trailer, then it's safe to assume those "scoopers" have been basing their assumptions on the Sandman-like figure we see in that sneak peek. As a result, we're putting Sandman in the "rumoured" category, but it would definitely be fun to see what he could add to the mix here.
3. The Mystery Sixth Member
Rumour has it that Paul Giamatti's Rhino will be the sixth member of this team, but we're not buying that. The actor seemed utterly baffled when he was asked about a possible return recently, and we're not sure what the point of bringing this character back would actually be.
The actor delivered a cringe-worthy performance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and fans still can't believe the sequel ended by failing to show us his battle with the web-slinger. Given what a goofy "costume" he was wearing, we can live without a return, but that leaves us to wonder who the sixth member of this apparent team could be.
The Vulture may be off the table seeing as Adrian Toomes has a mystery role in Morbius, while transforming Mac Gargan into the Scorpion might be too much for an already busy movie. With that in mind, we're betting Mysterio makes his return as the one responsible for uniting these villains.
2. Doctor Octopus
The big reveal in the trailer we've talked so much about here is, of course, the return of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus. The lead villain in 2004's Spider-Man 2, he fell under the control of those four arms and the advanced A.I. chip embedded in his spine and brain. However, he managed to regain his free will during the final battle with the wall-crawler.
Saving New York City, and perhaps the world, Doc Ock sacrificed himself to bury his dangerous fusion power experiment in the water surrounding the Big Apple. As his lifeless body sank into the depths below, the power in his arms shut down, but the light in them was red instead of white (signalling that they were in control of Otto at the time of his death).
That could explain why the character has reverted to his villainous ways, and if this Ock blames Peter for his demise, then it's really no wonder he's back and looking to kill any and all versions of Spider-Man! However, we're not expecting him to be the man in charge in this MCU movie...
1. Green Goblin
Yes, Doctor Octopus has traditionally led the comic book's Sinister Six, but it's Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin we expect to see take centre stage in No Way Home as the true mastermind. His familiar laugh - and a Pumpkin Bomb - featured in the trailer, and rumour has it he manipulates the MCU's Peter into freeing him and his fellow villains before embarking on a mission to escape his fate.
While his death was self-inflicted, a lunatic like Norman Osborn almost certainly blames Peter for jumping out of the way and leaving him impaled on his Goblin Glider (he probably isn't best pleased about what happened to his son, Harry, in Spider-Man 3 either).
Of all these bad guys, it's the Green Goblin we most want to see stick around in the MCU. He is Spider-Man's greatest villain and a character with almost limitless potential, so why not spend the next few years having him torment the web-slinger? Either way, something tells us Gobby could steal the show, especially when he's reportedly getting a new, more comic accurate costume.