Fans gush over unexpected return in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Let’s face it. I love Andrew Garfield. You love Andrew Garfield. Spider-Man: No Way Home is garnering well-deserved praise for his charismatic return as Peter Parker, and it’s one many fans are hoping will get another shot in a stand-alone film.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally swung into theaters, and the film has generated massive praise for its tear-jerking nostalgia and bittersweet transformation of Tom Holland’s Spidey. The film sees 17-year-old Peter go from an innocent teenager to a heartbroken hero willing to lose his life (and love) as he knows it. His incredible sacrifice saves the planet from descending into chaos and destruction.

Excitedly, the film brought what months of speculation and alleged leaks had proved to be true: the return of the MCU’s two previous actors to don the striped suit: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

Let’s take it back…

The Maguire trilogy began with 2002’s Spider-Man and ended with 2007’s Spider-Man 3, which is largely maligned for its overloaded plot and slow-as-molasses pace. Spider-Man 2, on the other hand, is considered by many to be the best Spider-Man film in MCU’s arsenal.

Following the first three Spider-Man films, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 created a decidedly sharp divide within the MCU fandom. While some fans applaud the films for their darker tone and a stellar cast, plenty of others insist the second go-round of Spider-Man missed the mark. While Andrew Garfield’s portrayal was met with praise, it wasn’t enough to save the struggling franchise.

Rumors are rampant as to why Sony decided to nix plans for a third installment of TASM, but the working theory is that despite the first two films being chock-full of heart, lagging box office numbers were the final nail in the project’s proverbial coffin.

Fast-forward to the release of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and fans have been gifted to a goofy, bumbling, and oh-so-adorable Peter Parker that we hadn’t had the chance to see from Garfield before. Needless to say, long-time stans who have been faithful to his Spidey from the get-go are thrilled with the long-overdue love.

Almost immediately after the first fans began pouring out of theaters, online chatter calling for Garfield to get another shot at donning his Spidey suit grew louder.

The rumor mill is in full force alleging Sony could give Garfield the third installment of TASM following the outpouring of praise he’s received. Now that the Multiverse has been introduced, the possibilities for sequels and reboots are endless.

For now, fans of the oft-overlooked second Spider-Man are just happy that he is finally getting his chance to shine.