Summary
Spider-Man: No Way Homeincluded a great set-up forThe Amazing Spider-Man 3that I still cannot believe Sony is ignoring. The third soloSpider-Manmovie in the MCU quickly proved to be a phenomenon, thanks toNo Way Home’s returning Marvel charactersfrom past franchises. Be it the likes of Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina as Green Goblin and Doc Ock respectively or Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as the other variations of Peter Parker,No Way Homeproved to be my Spider-Man live-action dream, as it did with many others.
After the release of the film,sequels to Maguire’s and Garfield’sSpider-Manmoviesrocketed to the top of our collective Marvel movie wishlists. Despite the overwhelming clamor for these movies to happen, theupcoming list of Marvel moviesshows no sign of includingSpider-Man 4orThe Amazing Spider-Man 3. Although a return to the Raimi universe with the iconic director and Maguire in the role would be great, the potential forThe Amazing Spider-Man 3is evident. One element of Garfield’s role inNo Way Homeproves this, setting up a storyline that I refuse to accept Sony is ignoring.
Upcoming Spider-Man Movies & TV Shows: All 12 Projects Explained
Along with more Spider-Man 4 and more Spider-Verse on the horizon, there are more movies and shows from the current Spider-Man multiverse coming up.
No Way Home’s Villains Teased A Perfect Amazing Spider-Man 3 Story
Garfield’s Universe Will Be Very Different After Spider-Man: No Way Home
The storyline forThe Amazing Spider-Man 3in question comes from a plot point ofNo Way Homethat I feel many have forgotten about. In the film, it is made clear that the villains are being captured to be returned to their rightful universes. However, Doctor Strange mentions that the villains will be returned to the same point in time from which they left. By the time ofNo Way Home’s ending, the various villains in the film have been successfully cured of their ailments by the three Spider-Men.
Jamie Foxx
The Amazing Spider-Man 2(2014)
Herein lies the potential for a majorThe Amazing Spider-Man 3story. With the villains from that franchise being returned to the events of those movies only as more benevolent, now-cured characters, the storylines of both films could change massively. For instance, Lizard would revert to Curt Conners, and may not be responsible for the death of Denis Leary’s Captain Stacy. Stemming from that, Electro’s aid of Harry Osborn inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2is what allowed the latter to become Green Goblin and kill Gwen Stacy.
If both villains are returned to the events of their respective movies only cured, the Stacy family should, theoretically, be whole again. This sets up a perfect exploration forThe Amazing Spider-Man 3which I think is being ignored. Crafting a movie that shows Garfield’s Peter reckoning with having Gwen back after years of grief and acceptance could be incredibly powerful. Similarly, the removal of two major Spidey villains could lead others to come to the fore, offering Garfield and Emma Stone one last chance to reunite onscreen for a final send-off inThe Amazing Spider-Man 3.
Why The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Was Canceled
Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker emerged as an MVP of Spider-Man: No Way Home, but here’s why he never starred in The Amazing Spider-Man 3.
No Way Home’s Success Proved The Perfect Time To Reboot The Amazing Spider-Man Series
The Film Shattered Box Office Expectations, Yet Hasn’t Been Capitalized On
Another element surroundingNo Way Home- besides story potential - baffles me even more concerning the absence ofThe Amazing Spider-Man 3.Spider-Man: No Way Homewas a box office smash, breaking records and becoming a worldwide phenomenon in 2021. Even in 2024,Spider-Man: No Way Homeranks as the highest-grossingSpider-Manmovie in history. The film earned just shy of $2 billion worldwide, $800 million more than the second-highest-grossing movie in the franchise,Spider-Man: Far From Home.
In comparison to other 2021 movies,No Way Homestands tall as the highest-grossing film of the year. The above worldwide haul took in over $1 billion more than the second-highest-grossing 2021 movie, a Chinese war movie titledThe Battle at Lake Changjin.This was when theaters were still being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic too, even further proving how successful the film was. Capitalizing on this success by greenlightingThe Amazing Spider-Man 3- orSpider-Man 4, for that matter - should have been a priority for Sony that I still cannot fathom the studio ignoring.
The lack of updates surroundingTom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man 4is even more nonsensical after No Way Home’s success.
I Think It’s Too Late For Garfield’s Solo Spider-Man Return
Any Possible Garfield Return Will Likely Be Part Of The Multiverse
Unfortunately, I think it is too little too late for Sony regarding a solo Spider-Man return. The opportune moment to placeThe Amazing Spider-Man 3into production would have been in 2022, shortly afterNo Way Home’s runaway success in December 2021.Garfield likely would have been more open to signing on for moreSpider-Manmovies at this timetoo, giving Sony the chance to strike while the iron was hot. That said, I think the studio has simply missed its opportunity to make the best of the situation.
It is no secret that Sony has remained focused on the Sony Spider-Man Universe which does not feature either Maguire or Garfield. With the SSU coming to an end due to the poor reception of most installments andVenom: The Last Dancemarking the final installment of the franchise’s only successful series, Garfield’s inclusion is unlikely. Any other multiversal adventures will likely be handled by Marvel Studios as part of the MCU, further proving that the best time to produceThe Amazing Spider-Man 3was after the release ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, a window that Sony has missed.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Cast
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can’t run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.
