Spider-Man: No Way Home's most tragic moment comes when Peter Parker's Aunt May dies at the hands of the Green Goblin. Tom Holland delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as he says goodbye to the woman who raised him, while Marisa Tomei is similarly excellent as Peter's moral compass.
Talking to Marvel.com, Holland spoke about how integral May Parker has become to Spider-Man's story. "The relationship between Peter and May throughout these films has been really integral to the heart and soul of the story. This scene kind of seemingly comes out of the blue, like no one expects this to happen. It's going to be really, really hard hitting for people [seeing the] movie."
Zendaya adds, "[May’s] a great role model. She's raised a lovely young man, and she's done it on her own. She doesn't get the credit she deserves. It's important to acknowledge May in the respect that everybody is like, ‘Oh, he always has to have a mentor,’ All these father figures and all this stuff. But May has raised him. Shoutout to May!"
While Holland acknowledged how hard it was to shoot those tragic scenes with Peter, the actor stressed that he wouldn't want to change a thing about this journey.
"Honestly, being Spider-Man has changed my life. It's been incredible," he admitted. "The roller coaster from the moment I got on to the moment we've got off has just been absolutely amazing. This film really is a celebration of three generations of cinema. I was delighted to kind of be at the helm and be the captain of the ship, which was awesome. It's been incredible. It's honestly been the best thing that's ever happened to me."
This interview was obviously conducted prior to Spider-Man: No Way Home being released in theaters, so it will be interesting to hear from Holland as he looks back on shooting these scenes now fans have been able to watch the movie. Sony Pictures has already started a "For Your Consideration" awards campaign, and we'd bet on this moment, in particular, being used in future marketing.
Tomei has previously said there were once much different ideas for May in the trilogy, so hearing about those plans would be welcomed as well, especially if her death wasn't always on the cards.
Did you tear up watching Peter's emotional farewell to Aunt May?