That's Who We Are—'Spider-Man: No Way Home' | 2026: Movie Journey Vol. 78

Spider-Man, a summary of 20 years of history
At the time of release, no matter how much it was rumored or sometimes leaked, the more of a comic book movie fan you were, the more you thought, 'There's no way they'd go that far, no, they couldn't possibly,'—this is the movie that did it all without exception. My goodness, the possibilities of 'what if' are infinite. (If you include that Toei one, there's a bit more history, but oh well.)

"Almost" all villains assembled!
Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Sandman, Lizard, Electro, and the black sludge. (By the way, it seems there's also a Russian guy in a rhino suit at the edge of the multiverse.) Incidentally, there are some things to nitpick, like Sandman and Doc Ock knowing Green Goblin is Osborn, or Electro being there despite not meeting the condition of crossing dimensions by "knowing Spider-Man's true identity," but none of that matters.

Besides, making it a story about saving those they couldn't save back then was a stroke of genius. To sublimate the many sad partings of those who unwillingly gained powers, which have been depicted over the last 20 years, in this way.

Moreover, it fits the character of this MCU version of Spider-Man, and it's a good decision that reflects his pride in being able to save anyone (having saved the world in battles against villains like Thanos) as well as his youth and kindness. But youth can also be called immaturity. Even though his identity has been exposed and everything is in such a mess, the scene where he keeps saying, 'That person too, and that person too,' shows he is still very immature (though that's to be expected).

And this decision is—the beginning of the origin story of the MCU version of Spider-Man (Peter Parker) that had never been depicted before.

The death of a loved one
Just when you think it's a festival movie with a light tone and bright touch, the second half takes a turn. A so-called canon event. This is too cruel for Peter, who has only just overcome Tony's death, and it's brilliant that the Green Goblin, the original villain, becomes the main villain here rather than just a guest. (It's good that there isn't some mastermind pulling the strings, and that the villains and heroes don't just team up.)

And the Green Goblin
Willem Dafoe's masterful performance has evolved even further than it was in the Sam Raimi version, and it really tightens up the film. Because he firmly expresses the side of the kind-hearted scientist, the gap in his acting—the sorrow and grief of having his personality hijacked by the heinous Green Goblin—is truly something.

And then—
It's been four years since the release, so I'll spoil it: the appearance of the two other Peters. The pain of losing Aunt May should be something only I could understand, yet here comes someone who is none other than myself (and two of them, at that)—a crazy development. I knew the villains were gathering at the time, but when those two appeared... well, you know.

Of course, I like Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, but I love The Amazing Spider-Man too much. Every single expression of Andrew Garfield attacks my tear ducts directly. The scene where he talks about Uncle Ben and Gwen, and above all, that expression when he saves MJ. He looks more saved than the person he saved, and when I'm shown an expression like that, I'm the one who feels most saved. Please find MJ soon and be happy (please make a third movie!).

(Also, it's so mature of them to just brush off the romance with the Sam Raimi version's MJ as 'a bit complicated'.)

Come to think of it, it was a long detour.
His final decision was not to inherit an iron will, but to finally become a single Spider-Man by meeting two other Spider-Men and by losing many precious things and bearing loneliness. The final swing scene, carrying that sorrow and destiny, will surely remain in Spider-Man history forever.

Aside
The famous Spider-Man quote, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' appears often here too. I wonder if flipping this in this year's Spider-Noir to 'Without power, there is no responsibility' was an incredible moment.

That was 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'.
So, this is the third day of Spider-Man week. Tomorrow is finally the beginning of a 'Brand New Day'.

The seniors have passed on something necessary for Spider-Man. It's not something special like superpowers, but they entrusted him with something most important for a hero, marking the beginning of his 'Brand New Day' as a single Spider-Man. Three hours and a little more left—I'll go confirm it at the earliest screening!

And as for the story of the madness and threats of the multiverse surrounding Strange, that will be for another day...

Thank you for reading until the end!