The first official Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer has finally dropped.
Sony revealed the teaser as part of its CinemaCon presentation on August 23, likely pressured into releasing the footage following the previous day's leak. That copy of the tease – a blurry, barely visible version with incomplete CGI – is nothing in comparison to the real deal. For those who held off on watching, it was well worth the wait.
"We tampered with the stability of space-time," Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) intones at the teaser's peak. "The multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little."
Set photos way back in January hinted that the sequel planned to confront the fallout of Spider-Man: Far From Home, but turns out the real tidbits were the set photos of Peter Parker hanging out at Doctor Strange's New York stoop: that's where the crux of the film's twist resides. Early toy leaks hinted at the Marvel crossover, splicing together the MCU heroes, but without context, it wasn't clear how their paths crossed.
Now we know: Peter's sudden public visibility leaves him vulnerable, desperate for anonymity again. He turns to his pal for help in erasing Mysterio's announcement. The Sorcerer Supreme obliges, his subsequent spell causing reality to split, while he also takes over the mentor role left vacant by Tony Stark. It's an interesting turn; Stephen's decision to grant Parker this wish feeling curiously careless.
The bulk of the teaser builds to the moment Strange conducts his spell, with a fleeting montage of action shots thereafter. Most of them include the two sparring; once on a New York street, where Strange knocks Parker "out" of Spider-Man and again on top of a speeding train (nice Spider-Man 2 callback).
"Be careful what you wish for, Parker," Doctor Strange cautions, as Peter realizes the enormity of his desire. But it's too late and we get the biggest reveal of the trailer – Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, a role he originally played in 2004's Spider-Man 2, in which Toby Maguire played Peter Parker.
While they don't make an appearance here Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who took up the mantle in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, both have been rumored to appear alongside Jamie Foxx's Electro, from the Garfield Spidey sequel, who is almost certainly back for the film.
Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 17, 2021. Joining Holland and Cumberbatch for the third chapter are Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, and Jacob Batalon who reprise their roles as MJ, Aunt May, and Ned, respectively.
For more on the MCU, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, as well as a rundown of everything else to come in Marvel Phase 4.
