SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Writer Reveals Why Mysterio Didn't Return Despite Jake Gyllenhaal Being Open To It

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Writer Reveals Why Mysterio Didn't Return Despite Jake Gyllenhaal Being Open To It

Concept art has shown us a planned battle between Mysterio and Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and one of the movie's writers has now confirmed that there were plans for Quentin Beck to return.

By JoshWilding - Feb 21, 2022 06:02 AM EST
Filed Under: No Way Home
Source: IGN

For whatever reason, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures decided to hold off on introducing the Sinister Six in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Peter Parker, and his Variants, were pitted against five formidable villains, the sixth - Tom Hardy's Venom - was in Mexico getting drunk in a bar. 

The most logical choice of bad guy to line up with the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, and The Lizard would have been Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio. He was responsible for outing Spider-Man's secret identity as Peter Parker to the world and even claimed to be from another universe (while that was a fake story, it could have been retconned as real in this threequel).

In an interview with IGN (via Screen Rant), Spider-Man: No Way Home writer Chris McKenna confirmed that Jake Gyllenhaal was among the actors they reached out to. However, the decision was ultimately made that not everyone could appear here, so Quentin Beck was dropped.

"When it actually started coalescing, when feelers were put out and actors were like 'Yeah, I'm game for that.' Then it became this overwhelming thing because you're like, 'Okay, this is the reality now,'" he explains. "You can't just be swimming in a million characters, you have to be choosing characters wisely and making sure that they don't overwhelm the story and Peter himself."

Looking at Spider-Man: No Way Home, it would have been tough to squeeze Mysterio in there without sacrificing vital screentime for other characters. Sandman and The Lizard were already afterthoughts, and it might be better for Beck to return in a future movie where he can take centre stage. After all, he ruined Peter's life, so we're sure that one final battle between them would be epic.

Heck, if Spider-Man 6 will be all about the Sinister Six, then we'd vote for Mysterio as team leader!

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TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 2/21/2022, 6:08 AM
I swear some answers just ring untrue.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 2/21/2022, 6:13 AM
Makes sense they didn't want to make it feel too crowded, especially if it didn't service Peter's arc.

Do hope we get to see him return for a Sinister Six, same with Vulture, Scorpion, Shocker, Ned as Hobgoblin, and a new Ock.
Drace24
Drace24 - 2/21/2022, 7:07 AM
Would have so loved to see that Mysterio vs Doctor Strange battle tho.
tripttwe
tripttwe - 2/21/2022, 7:36 AM
@Drace24 -

MYSTERIO ☝👇 DR. STRANGE


tripttwe
tripttwe - 2/21/2022, 7:38 AM
@tripttwe - @ lordSTALE in my opinion!!!
MikeyL
MikeyL - 2/21/2022, 7:20 AM
I think it was the right idea. Peter had JUST fought him and had too much of an emotional attachment to him in comparison to the other 5 villains in the film so he would’ve overshadowed them
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 2/21/2022, 8:16 AM
Loki will always be the master of illusions
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 2/21/2022, 8:43 AM
I’d say Mysterio is dead and to bring him back would only work if it were the dude William Ginter Riva making the illusion that Quinten Beck is still alive.
StSteven
StSteven - 2/21/2022, 1:18 PM
I agree with the above sentiments about it better to not bring Mysterio back for this just to add to the villain list. In addition to the emotional attachment to Peter and what he did to Peter's life (and ultimately being responsible for the main conflict in NWH), there's also the issue of what powers would Beck actually have? Considering that everything he did in FFH was illusions using drones/Stark Tech (which he no longer has), is he just going to be running around in that mobcap & fishbowl outfit hurling witticisms at Peter? I suppose he can be the evil mastermind "guy in the chair" type of villain, but that was kind of Norman's role as the evil leader. So I think it's best to leave him out at this point. Now, that's not to say that they can't bring him back later in another movie, and considering how he ruined Peter's life and was either directly or indirectly responsible for everything bad that's happened to Peter since FFH, Peter would naturally have a lot of anger toward him and if/when Beck resurfaces that could be the "dark side" anger that attracts the symbiote, if they decide to go down that route. Plus by then it would give Beck time to develop some weapons of his own to be an actual physical threat to Peter. Anyhow, just my thoughts.
Origame
Origame - 2/21/2022, 4:17 PM
Right call. Mysterio had his presence felt. That's all we needed
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