*THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR “SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME”*

Well, it has finally happened– Marvel has released a film that even rivals the success of “Avengers: Endgame.” It appears that even the allure of resurrected aliens and Avengers can’t compete with Spidey One, Spidey Two and Spidey-Can’t-Seem-To-Get-A-Threequel. 

“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the third installment in Marvel’s latest trilogy, was out for “Endgame”’s crown from the beginning. The film’s trailer racked up over 350 million views worldwide within 24 hours of its release, far eclipsing the 289 million record held by “Endgame.” Spider-Man also reigns as the highest-grossing movie superhero ever at $8.05 billion, according to Guinness World Records. The movie has even managed to generate some Oscars buzz.

Part of the success of “No Way Home” could be attributed to movie fans’ eagerness to get into the theaters again, especially with Marvel’s blockbuster reputation. But the fact remains that no theatrical release has garnered anywhere near the amount of attention as “Spider-Man” since COVID-19 shut the U.S. down two years ago. With any luck, this marks only the beginning of theaters’ return to normalcy.

But popularity aside, the question remains: is “No Way Home” worth all the hype?

Actually…yes, if you are a Spider-Man fan.

In the months between the record-breaking teaser trailer release and the movie’s premiere, the Internet buzzed with rumors that Sony’s previous two Spider-Man stars, Tobey Maguire (2002 – 2007) and Andrew Garfield (2012 – 2014) would swing onto the scene. And despite the actors’ (many, borderline desperate) attempts to deny it, the pair do play a significant role in “No Way Home.” This lends a nostalgia factor to the film that no doubt plays into its hyper-positive reception, but the charm of their performance extends beyond pure sentimentality. 

Bringing three iterations of the same character together from across the multiverse allows for unique interactions, affording these scenes an extra bit of depth as well as humor. The Internet is ecstatic over the meme potential, but Marvel’s Spider-Man arc benefits as well. 

The two older “Spider-Men” act as temporary mentors to Tom Holland’s present-day Peter Parker, steering him away from the mistakes the older heroes had made. Because of this, “No Way Home” has an excuse to deviate a bit from the paths of its predecessors, avoiding some of the repetition that reboots and remakes so often get trapped in. It’s an interesting way to add the nostalgia factor while conveniently steering the plot away from some more tired tropes. 

With that said, by no means does “No Way Home” avoid cliches altogether– it is a superhero movie, after all. But it has heart, and while the inclusion of Garfield and Maguire may be fan service, their performances challenge any criticism. 

Like any Marvel film, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is full of action, acrobatics and rapid-fire jokes, and believe it or not, it might even make you shed a tear or two. All in all, this is one film no Marvel fan should miss.