2021 was a big year for Marvel as many anticipated films came to theaters and joined the long timeline of the cinematic universe. The biggest release for Marvel Studios was Spider-Man: No Way Home, released on December 16, 2021. 

Tom Holland added the third movie to his trilogy of Spider-Man this year, and the world was not disappointed. This movie came out about two years after the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Peter Parker takes a class trip to Europe and ends up tangled in a web of lying friends and personal let-downs. But, nevertheless, Peter won the fight and fixed the problem, or so he thought. This movie adds connections to past Marvel films as well as upcoming releases that add to the fourth phase of the cinematic universe. One prominent character is Dr. Stephen Strange, who makes an appearance in the New York Sanctum Sanctorum. But, before jumping ahead, let’s look back on the two other Spider-Man trilogies that have paved the way. 

Back in 2002, Tobey Maguire first debuted Peter Parker as Spider-Man on the silver screen. From there, the original The Amazing Spider-Man trilogy was born, lasting until 2007. A few years passed and in 2012, the second of the new The Amazing Spider-Man movies debuted with Andrew Garfield portraying Peter Parker. The Garfield era of Spider-Man spanned until 2014 when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was released. From these films also came an array of villains that the Spider-Men fight when overcoming a struggle. In Maguire’s trilogy, we are introduced to Sandman, Doc Ock, Venom, and Green Goblin. From Garfield’s two movies, we meet Electro and Lizard as the most infamous two. These two separate movie series created a new path for the newest Spider-Man to join the universe. 

In 2017, Spider-Man: Homecoming was released in theaters with a new actor portraying Peter Parker. Tom Holland is added to a new generation of Spider-Man, making it a five-year gap between him and Garfield. Soon after, in 2019, Spider-Man: Far from Home was released and included a connection to the passing of Iron Man, showing memorabilia of after Avengers: Endgame. The movie to round off the trilogy was Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opened the door for directors working with Marvel to explore more. 

Before you go to see the movie, here are some things to consider. First, try and watch every Spiderman movie that came before it. There are huge connecting pieces to everyone, so be sure to watch the movies beforehand as not to get confused. Second, watch Dr. Strange before going. As mentioned before, Dr. Strange makes an appearance and plays a crucial role so it is important to know who he is and why he is connected. Finally, stay after the second set of credits. As many know, there is always a post-credit scene after the first set of credits, but some Marvel movies contain more than one. This Spiderman film is one of those rare movies that has a second extra clip at the end of the second round of credits. Be sure to stay behind and catch the clip, it connects the movie you just watched. 

This film is an absolute must-see so grab some popcorn, pick a good seat, and enjoy the show, it is that good.