Warning: This post contains Spider-Man: No Way Home spoilers
Filmmaker Kevin Smith revealed his thoughts on past Spider-Man film series at the same time. No Way Home oversees Peter Parker asking Doctor Strange to make his superhero identity a secret again with the use of magic, only to break open the multiverse, allowing alternate realities to bleed into Parker's universe. The film returns its series' stars in Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Marisa Tomei, and features appearances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, and past Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Alfred Molina, William Dafoe, and Jamie Foxx.
The anticipation surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home was at an all-time high heading into its premiere, with record-breaking ticket sales and continuously trending fan theories online. Not only did the film go on to set box-office records, easily becoming the highest-grossing film of the year and the first to cross the billion dollar mark since the COVID-19 pandemic, but No Way Home has the highest audience score in Rotten Tomatoes history as well, indicating that fans were not let down by their experiences. No Way Home received praise from critics for its story and direction, as well as its ability to firmly establish the complexity of the multiverse, something Marvel's Phase 4 will continue to explore.
On his latest Fatman Beyond podcast, Smith shared he is also a fan of Watts' Spider-Man: No Way Home. Smith states that the audience adds a dimension to No Way Home, and that Watts, as a director, stuck the landing. He adds that if there was any film since Avengers: Endgame that audiences would risk everything for, it would be this. Read Smith's quote regarding his experience viewing Spider-Man: No Way Home below:
"I can tell you right now, I'll never make a movie as entertaining or enjoyable as Spider-Man: No Way Home. This is not really a movie that you should enjoy alone. The audience added a dimension to it, just like Avengers: Endgame, what a fun movie that was to be surrounded by 200 people and vibing on that energy, and sucking in that Omicron. The (gasp) moments, 'oh what the f-ck,' are just better in a collective experience....When you're in a movie you're all believing the same thing, particular if the movie rocks the house, and this Jon Watts kid that's been making these Spider-Man movies for the last few years, what a genius. He stuck the landing beyond sticking the landing, for my money."
No Way Home had the second biggest opening in box office history, reflecting Smith's thoughts on its performance ability and audience turnout. Since theaters reopened following the onset of the pandemic, films and their distributors had to pivot their marketing strategies and adjust box office expectations, as many projects, even those associated with the MCU, performed lower than they normally would. While current factors related to the pandemic continue to affect moviegoing occurrences, the success of No Way Home suggests that audiences are not willing to give up the theater experience yet.
No Way Home certainly sets the stage for Marvel's projects, and if this film was any indication, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, whose teaser trailer appeared as a post-credits scene, should expect to see impressive box office numbers as well. It will be interesting to see if fan outcry over the future of Spider-Man, following the film's release, will result in more Maguire and Garfield appearances in future installments or perhaps even in their own standalone films. What comes next is yet to be revealed, but for now, fans can continue to speculate and Spider-Man: No Way Home while its plays in theaters.
Source: Comicbook.com
