Spider-Man: No Way Home seems set to introduce multiple versions of Peter Parker, showing us our first real glimpse not just at the multiverse introduced in Loki, but our very own SpiderVerse. But multiverse aside, the movie needs to remember that the trio of Peter, MJ and Ned have been the emotional center of the first two movies, and a big reason why the franchise has been successful.
It’s easy to get caught up in the big names, and the expansive story. Marvel fans have been clamoring for an exploration of the multiverse for years and bringing in multiple versions of Peter Parker – just like the animated Into The SpiderVerse did – seems like a brilliant way to pay off the introduction of multiple universes. After all, if anyone was bound to find themselves lost in the multiverse due to a combination of good intentions and bad luck, it would surely be Peter Parker. Any universe’s Peter Parker, for that matter. The story is exciting, and the possibilities are enough to have made this one of the most anticipated MCU movies in a while.
But the more rumors fly around about which characters – and actors – are set to make an appearance, the more it seems like there’s entirely too much going on in Spider-Man: No Way Home. And that isn’t always a good thing. The franchise has become so beloved not just because it’s Spider-Man, but because people have responded to Tom Holland’s portrayal of him. A large part of that portrayal hinges on Peter’s relationship with two of the most important people in this life – and no, not Aunt May, or Tony Stark (or the ghost of Tony Stark, as it were), but MJ and Ned. The chemistry between the main trio in Spider-Man has made the movies not just relatable, but fun, in a way other Spider-Man movies were perhaps lacking, and the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home might depend on how well they managed to strike a balance between the storyline, and the character dynamics people have come to rely on.
The first two Spider-Man movies in the Holland era have been good at balancing. Tony Stark was a presence in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and yet the movie still managed to not become Iron Man featuring Spider-Man and instead remain a Spider-Man movie where Iron Man had a supporting role. The same happened with Spider-Man: Far From Home, which featured a lot of Happy, Nicky Fury, and in many ways, the ghost of Tony Stark, yet it remained a movie about Peter Parker, above all things. If both those movies managed that, it’s because they both gave MJ and Ned a lot of the emotional weight and allowed them to carry it. There are supporting characters, and there are characters who do nothing more than support the main character. There’s a difference, and the Spider-Man franchise has always understood it.
But this is easier said than done when the movie only features the regular issues found in one universe, and much harder to pull off when different versions of one character – and multiple universes, are involved. Spider-Man: No Way Home features a lot of opportunities for introspection, and growth, for all versions of Peter Parker. But it’s important that it mainly focuses on the growth of our Peter, the one fans will continue to follow, and that growth will require some focus on his romantic relationship with MJ and his friendship with Ned. Otherwise the movie runs the risk of becoming just gimmick after gimmick, with no heart. That’s not the Spider-Man way.
Ideally, the multiverse – and the alternate versions of Peter Parker – will be a way for our Peter to understand not just his place in the universe but come to terms with his losses. But multiple versions of Peter should also be a way to examine his relationships with the people in his life, and how different his life might have turned out without them, or with different versions of them. Involving both Ned and MJ in the emotional journey of discovering not just what the multiverse is, but what it means to them all, will make the movie much more grounded. It will also keep the focus not just on the novelty of the multiverse, and instead on the ramifications of its existence. This is the only way a plot point as big as the multiverse can be dealt with in a way that doesn’t feel disingenuous.
Spider-Man: No Way Home looks like a fun, interesting way to explore the multiverse the MCU now exists on. But if the movie is going to be as good as the previous two, it needs to remember that it’s hard to connect to an idea as big as the multiverse. Fans need to be able to connect to characters, and they’ve really connected to the trio of Peter, MJ, and Ned. As long as they can continue to do that, without getting distracted by the novelty of multiple versions of the same characters, it will be easy to enjoy the ramifications of the multiverse. This is the lesson not just for Spider-Man: No Way Home, but for all the MCU movies to come.