Spider-Man Day came and went without the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer we’ve all been waiting for. It’s the fourth MCU movie set to be released this year. With just over four months left to go until December 17th, the film is the only 2021 MCU movie with no trailers or teasers whatsoever. After Loki, we understood why Marvel could not release a No Way Home trailer. The TV show had to tell a particular multiverse story that would prepare us for Spider-Man 3. Then there’s also the fact that Sony and Marvel really want to keep the film’s biggest secret from being spoiled. However, the cat has been out of the bag for months. No matter how hard you try to avoid this spoiler, you’ve probably learned that all of Sony’s Spider-Man variants from the past will appear in this film alongside their corresponding villains.
But while there’s no trailer to celebrate Spider-Man Day, we did see no fewer than three huge No Way Home leaks in the past few days. Two of them confirm the most significant No Way Home spoilers, while the third delivers a puzzling twist ahead of Spider-Man 3. Mind you, spoilers follow below.
’Spider-Man 3’ is a multiverse film
Toys based on the MCU do not always reflect the plot of the movies they’re related to. That’s what we’ve come to learn over the years, as we looked at various toy leaks that preceded movie launches. But the toys are always loosely based on the films, so it’s not like they’re entirely wrong.
The newest toy leak dropped online over the weekend, with Reddit picking it up almost immediately. The description seemingly confirms the multiverse and the upcoming Sinister Six lineup of Spider-Man villains:
Spider-Man: No Way Home 6-Inch Action Figures Wave 1 Set of 4:
Swing into terror with the Spider-Man: No Way Home 6-Inch Action Figures! With lots of articulation and potentially multiversal consequences, each figure draws its inspiration from the movie – and potentially other movies too! Case includes 8 individually packaged web slingers and sinister people.
The only way to have the Sinister Six in the MCU and Sony’s SPUMC is to take the villains from old Spider-Man movies and drop them into No Way Home. And if Spider-Man 3 is a film with multiversal consequences, then you must have different versions of Peter Parker in it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/ovub4m/no_way_home_spoilers_some_very_interesting/
Doctor Strange appears in No Way Home
We knew for quite a while that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) would appear in No Way Home. He will pick up the mentor mantle after Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Happy (Jon Favreau), and guide Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. But if you needed more proof that this particular wizard will appear in Spider-Man 3, then the following set photos should suffice:
New set photo shows Tom Holland meeting Doctor strange#SpidermanNoWayHome pic.twitter.com/5288zoFlwi
— NoWay (@1mperial32) August 1, 2021
The images popped on Twitter during Spider-Man Day, as seen above. We’re apparently looking at Tom Holland meeting Doctor Strange. The actors are too far away to be sure. We can’t confirm that’s indeed Peter Parker out there. But Strange’s costume involves a particular red cape that’s unmistakable.
As for that FEAST truck in the background, we saw it all the way back in January, so we’re definitely not surprised.
What if Tom Holland isn’t in What If…?
I explained a few days ago why What If…? is the most exciting Marvel show to watch now that we know how Loki ends.
Before Loki, What If…? was an exciting idea for a Marvel show. What If…? would tell alternate stories featuring our beloved Avengers. It would be a great excuse to have some of the dead or retired Avengers return to the MCU. But What If…? would not be relevant to the overarching MCU story.
But after Loki, What If…? might have a much deeper meaning. It might show us Avengers variants from different realities. And that’s quite exciting, as it ties the show directly to everything else in the MCU.
How does it all connect to Spider-Man 3? A new What If…? leak tells us that more than 50 MCU cast members will reprise their roles for the upcoming TV show. That’s excellent news for Marvel fans. But, as seen in the image below, Tom Holland isn’t listed among the show’s voice actors.
Hot Toys unveiled a close look at their Zombie Hunter Spider-Man figure from What-If… ! from MarvelStudiosSpoilers
Yet we know from the various What If…? leaks so far that there will be at least one Spider-Man episode in the series. We’re going to get a Zombie Hunter Spider-Man, but it will not be Holland doing the voice-over.
This might not mean anything. Holland might have been too busy with Spider-Man 3. But then again, everything Marvel does is calculated. Maybe there’s a more important reason why we don’t have Holland playing this Spider-Man version. We have no idea whether Sony had a say in this, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens next.
How does this new Spider-Man variant tie into No Way Home? That’s precisely the question we want answered. Spider-Man 3 will be a huge multiverse film. So who will voice this animated Spider-Man version if it’s not Holland?
What If…? premieres on Disney+ on August 11th.
Expanded What If? cast revealed in press brief from MarvelStudiosSpoilers
