The movie is helmed by Jon Watts, who also directed the first two “Spider-Man” films of the Holland era, beginning with 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” The script is by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, two writers who worked on “Homecoming” and “Far From Home.” Set for release by Sony on December 17, the movie is part of the Phase Four rollout of the evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cast also includes Zendaya as Mary Jane, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, Jamie Foxx as Electro, and Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus.

Molina’s appearance marks a reprisal of the role he played in “Spider-Man 2,” as part of Sony’s first iteration of the series starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. The villain died at the end of the Sam Raimi–directed film; Molina’s appearance in “No Way Home” signals a timeline-blending approach that helped set off rumors that other past “Spider-Man” actors would return to this latest entry. Among the rumors: That Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who took on the role of Peter Parker in Sony’s second reboot beginning with 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man,” would make appearances in this new film. Willem Dafoe, who played Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin in the third Maguire movie, could also be in the mix. Kirsten Dunst, whose role as MJ in the Maguire series helped skyrocket her to stardom, told Variety last week that she’d “never say no” to reprising her role. However, she told Total Film earlier this month that she isn’t in “No Way Home.” As the rumors suggest, this latest installment of the MCU continues the franchise’s history of fans eagerly speculating on plot details and going crazy for leaks. After the first trailer was subjected to an unauthorized release in August, Sony promptly debuted that first look the following day. In preparation of Tuesday’s trailer launch, a set of Twitter official hashtags sent the rumormill in overdrive. Among the hashtags now accompanied by Spider-Man emojis are #DocOck, #Electro, #GreenGoblin, and #Multiverse.

Our predictions for the trailer: https://t.co/BxneBhoekb pic.twitter.com/3LsTqW8Rzq — MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) November 16, 2021 Holland’s first two solo outings as Peter Parker earned wide acclaim. In his “B” review, IndieWire’s David Ehrlich praised the “stellar, frequently hilarious first act” of “Homecoming,” as part of what delivered a sense of freshness to the franchise. But that sense of freshness dissipated in 2019’s “Far From Home,” with Ehrlich writing that it marked the “least essential MCU movie in a long time,” despite its color and humor.

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