No Way Home.

When Tom Holland's Spider-Man burst onto the scene in Civil War you knew as a long time fan of Marvel that the character would be a major factor going forward. Tom has since starred in the biggest Marvel movies of all time and Spider-Man: No Way Home may become the biggest.

After the events of Far From Home we knew the stakes were even higher for Peter and his friends. Nothing would be the same after his identity would be revealed. Peter is forced to confront his actions all the while looking to make it so his prior experiences no longer have an impact on his best friends. Turning to his old friend Doctor Strange, Peter bites off more than he can chew when a spell goes wrong and the multiverse opens up.

The first part of the movie was very similar to the previous two in terms of humor and light hearted superhero fodder but the second half is a masterpiece in comparison to most. It amps up when the villains begin appearing from another universe which sets the stage for the ultimate showdown. It's a culmination of 20 years of Spider-Man content all rolled into one emotional action adventure. Once it fully dives into the Multiverse it does not let up and all emotions are brought back. Especially when we get to see the other two Spider-Man juxtaposed against the MCU backdrop.

Willem Dafoe absolutely steals the show in a return to the role that put comic book villains on the mainstream map. He is like listening to an old classic that you never get bored of. His split personality approach kept everyone guessing and wanting to see what the results would be. It leads to a showdown that allows for Tom Holland to get the emotional showcase he has needed since the series debuted. Add in Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield who are able to jump right back in as if they never left. Both provide context and advice for Tom's Peter who is struggling with losing someone very close to him. It was a phenomenal showcase to see them all struggle with different feelings of loss and anger.

While the second half is emotional the first half has that signature style that has hindered the series thus far from taking the leap. While Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon have amazing chemistry as friends they essentially took any hope of seeing them mature as a group away with an odd ending for a trilogy of movies. One person gets a complete understanding of massive events but everyone else around him doesn't get to have a memory of going through that with him. It all but writes them out of a future trilogy and that is a shame. It would have been interesting to see how they responded to this series of events that just took place. I thought Zendaya's emotional range was under utilized throughout the series and it would have been nice to see them all transition into adulthood with real world consequences.

If Holland does take a break there are plenty of potential ways to keep Spider-Man alive in the MCU. One would include bringing in my personal favorite version in Miles Morales. The MCU is in need of a bold move and has been making the transition to legacy characters in various other movies and series. It wouldn't be a stretch to retire Peter for a while and allow Miles his moment in the spotlight.

No Way Home is a brilliant culmination of all things Spider-Man that have occurred for the last two decades. It's respectful of all the actors, villains, love interests and friendships that have been made along the way. Now it is time for the MCU to take a leap forward and do something that has not been done before with the character.