Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams wearing a red suit and sunglasses in Wonder Man
Marvel TV Shows Marvel supported Wonder Man despite bad test screenings, but it "almost didn’t survive" the big MCU strategy shift
Spider-Man, Hulk, and Punisher posing in the jungle alongside a carved stone head
Marvel Comics Writer Jonathan Hickman is bringing Spider-Man 4 stars Spidey, Hulk, and Punisher together just in time for the movie
Marvel Rivals Elsa Bloodstone aiming glowing double-barrel shotgun
Third Person Shooters All potential upcoming Marvel Rivals characters based on leaks, datamines, and in-game hints
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Superhero Shows Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
Marvel Movies Marvel Phase 6 release dates, news, leaks, rumors, and more
Daredevil: Born Again
Superhero Movies Upcoming Marvel movies and shows for 2026 and beyond
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
Marvel Movies Spider-Verse 3 producers know it's taking a long time: "There's no one that puts more pressure on us than ourselves"
Spider-Noir aiming his webshooter
Marvel TV Shows Spider-Noir is the "same character, different version": "It's not a continuation of Into The Spider-Verse"
Tom Holland as Peter Parker unmasked and in the middle of a fight during a scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Marvel Movies Spider-Man 4 release date, cast, leaks and theories, and everything else we know about the Marvel movie
Spider-Man websling and flying through the air with a cityscape behind him during one of the best superhero games Spider-Man 2 on PC
Action Games The 10 best Spider-Man games of all time
Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit
Marvel Movies Spider-Man: Brand New Day official synopsis confirms a 4-year time jump and Peter Parker's largest mystery yet
Robert Downey Jr. during the Doctor Doom announcement at Marvel's SDCC 2024 panel
Superhero Movies Upcoming superhero movies: every Marvel, DC, and comic book movie in 2026 and beyond
Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir
Superhero Shows Spider-Noir's new teaser gives us best look yet at Electro and Nic Cage's webslinger beating up gangsters
Spider-Noir aiming his webshooter
Superhero Shows New Spider-Noir character art gives us our best look yet at the spin-off's rogues' gallery, from an unlikely source
Hawkeye
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man showrunner reveals Hawkeye went through massive changes weeks before filming
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Superhero Movies

Spider-Man writers reveal "big" Marvel characters were cut from No Way Home

News
By Emily Garbutt published 12 January 2022

"We had to tell a story that felt like we were telling a personal story for our main character"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Spider-Man: No Way Home
(Image credit: Sony/Marvel)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Spider-Man: No Way Home may have been bursting with big Marvel characters (spoilers ahead if you still don't know who they are…), but there were some other major names that didn't make the final cut, according to the movie's screenwriters.

"I don’t know if we’re allowed to, honestly, but there were big characters," co-screenwriter Chris McKenna told Yahoo!. "But almost too big, because it always became a balancing act of how do we tell not only a story with all these awesome villains that we know we want to bring into this movie, the classic ones, but also how do we make this still a Tom Holland/Peter Parker story so that he’s not completely overshadowed? 

"Because at the end of the day, it’s not going to be a great Spider-Man movie if you’re not telling an emotional Peter Parker story. We had these riches that we had to… This giant idea [with] all these great actors, but also we had to tell a story that felt like we were telling a personal story for our main character."

You may like
  • Spider-Noir perching in a church All the Spider-Man characters we know about in Spider-Noir
  • Tom Holland as Peter Parker unmasked and in the middle of a fight during a scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home Spider-Man 4 release date, cast, leaks and theories, and everything else we know about the Marvel movie
  • Spider-Man, Hulk, and Punisher posing in the jungle alongside a carved stone head Writer Jonathan Hickman is bringing Spider-Man 4 stars Spidey, Hulk, and Punisher together just in time for the movie

No Way Home certainly isn't lacking in important characters from the Marvel and Sony superhero universes – it features five villains (Electro, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Lizard, and Sandman) and three versions of Spider-Man, plus Doctor Strange and a Daredevil cameo. That's probably enough for one movie.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters now. If you're already up to date with the web-slinger's adventures, check out our list of the upcoming movies to get excited about this year.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Social Links Navigation
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

Read more
Spider-Noir perching in a church
All the Spider-Man characters we know about in Spider-Noir
 
 
Tom Holland as Peter Parker unmasked and in the middle of a fight during a scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man 4 release date, cast, leaks and theories, and everything else we know about the Marvel movie
 
 
Spider-Man, Hulk, and Punisher posing in the jungle alongside a carved stone head
Writer Jonathan Hickman is bringing Spider-Man 4 stars Spidey, Hulk, and Punisher together just in time for the movie
 
 
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff in the upcoming movie, Kraven the Hunter.
Sony CEO confirms Spider-Man spin-off universe will get total reboot, but says partnership with Marvel is "great"
 
 
Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Thor: The Dark World
Tom Hiddleston has named his favorite Spider-Man and the choice leaves us with more questions than answers for Avengers: Doomsday
 
 
Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit
Spider-Man: Brand New Day director teases big "tonal shift" for the new movie
 
 
Latest in Superhero Movies
Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Wyatt Russell as US Agent in Thunderbolts
Marvel star Lewis Pullman puts Avengers: Doomsday cameo overload fears to rest: "Every character has their moment"
 
 
Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim in Sinners
Sinners star Delroy Lindo told director Ryan Coogler that he wants to be in Black Panther 3 "if the stars line up"
 
 
Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League
Zack Snyder would "still make Dark Knight Returns as a film" even though he admits he did "steal" from the comic
 
 
Doctor Strange wearing cape
10 years on, Marvel fans are still confused over the Doctor Strange post-credits scene: "Did Marvel forget about that?"
 
 
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff in the upcoming movie, Kraven the Hunter.
Sony CEO confirms Spider-Man spin-off universe will get total reboot, but says partnership with Marvel is "great"
 
 
Tom Hardy as Venom symbiote in Venom 2018
Sony's Venom lives on with new animated movie from Final Destination: Bloodlines directors and producer Tom Hardy
 
 
Latest in News
Yuta getting ready to attack in Jujutsu Kaisen season 3
Jujutsu Kaisen actor offers perfect response to why AI should stay out of anime
 
 
Pickmon
Pokemon fan artist alleges new Palworld clone Pickmon "stole one of my designs"
 
 
Life is Strange
Join Chloe and Max on a "fiery weekend" for a better glimpse into Life is Strange: Reunion at the Future Games Show this week
 
 
Mortal Kombat movie
Mortal Kombat 2 star joins in with Street Fighter movie beef after Game Awards dig because he "loves a good rivalry"
 
 
Mackenyu as Zoro in One Piece season 2
One Piece season 2 actor Mackenyu says he learned Roronoa Zoro's 15-minute 1 vs 100 fight in just 6 hours
 
 
Fujino and Kyomoto eating in Look Back
Live-action adaptation of Chainsaw Man creator's Look Back will escape Japanese cinemas and come to the west
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Virtual Boy for Switch 2 sitting on coffee table with TV in backdrop displaying Wario Land gameplay.
    1
    I respect the Virtual Boy as a collectable Switch 2 gadget, but it’s not exactly a retro console remake
  2. 2
    Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
  3. 3
    The Thrustmaster T248R is making me question where a sim racing wheel with no direct drive and no modular wheelbase fits in the market in 2026
  4. 4
    These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
  5. 5
    Pokemon fan artist alleges new Palworld clone Pickmon "stole one of my designs," saying "they didn't even try to change something and make it a bit less obvious"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...