The Original Plan for Introducing Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Multiverse Saga and the Introduction of Previous Spider-Men

Spider-Man: No Way Home brought together all three live-action Spider-Men thanks to the multiverse chaos provoked by Peter Parker and Doctor Strange. The introduction of the previous two versions of Spider-Man \\u2013 Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield \\u2013 was initially planned in a way that could have deeply affected the movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe went through much development in Phase 4, which explored new themes and concepts that set the Multiverse Saga in motion. This saga formally introduced the MCU multiverse to audiences in releases like Spider-Man: No Way Home, making past Spider-Man movies and characters MCU canon.

Split image of Peter in Spider-Man, Peter in Spider-Man No Way Home, and Peter in The Amazing Spider-Man

Spider-Man: No Way Home picks up minutes after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Mysterio framed Spider-Man for his murder and revealed his identity, leading Doctor Strange to cast a botched spell that opened the gates of the multiverse. This allowed villains from past Spider-Man movies to cross over to the Spider-Man: No Way Home cast, and it also brought Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield\u2019s versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man to the MCU timeline. The manner in which the duo were originally planned to be introduced was almost very different, and could've hampered the success of this ground-breaking movie step in the Multiverse Saga.

The Original Plan for Introducing Andrew Garfield & Tobey Maguire

As Holland\u2019s Peter dealt with the Green Goblin and the death of Aunt May, Ned discovered he could open portals with Doctor Strange\u2019s sling ring. Ned and MJ decided to use these portals to find Peter, but instead, they found Maguire\u2019s Peter (Peter-Two) and Garfield\u2019s (Peter-Three), and together they all found this universe\u2019s Peter (Peter-One). This introduction of the past Spider-Men was an exciting moment for fans who had speculated about their return for months.

Speaking to Variety in December 2021, No Way Home screenwriters Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna revealed that they originally planned a very different introduction for these two Spider-Men. They would have arrived just after the death of Aunt May in a way that would have taken away the surprise and excitement of seeing them walk from the shadows. They were going to be brought by \u201Ca Marvel character\u201D as the \u201Csaving graces and they\u2019re going to help you through this\u201D, accepting that \u201Cit was just more of a deus ex machina\u201D.

Why the Original Plan Wouldn't Have Been As Good

The original plan for introducing Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would have made their appearance feel akin to the MCU cameo formula, resulting in a more forced crossover starting point. In the actual movie, their introductions left a couple of seconds of suspense for the audience to wonder if they were truly in the MCU now, as Garfield showed up in full costume in a dark alley and Maguire literally walked in from the shadows.

Tobey Maguire smirking in Spider-Man No Way Home

Not only did this moment let audiences adjust and have their own personal realization that the long-anticipated crossover was actually happening, but the characters' own confusion over how they ended up in another timeline and how they had just casually walked through a portal helped their introductions feel more natural. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield\u2019s return in Spider-Man: No Way Home was the biggest treat the MCU has given fans, and they had to be very careful with how they handled every detail about it, with the story of the characters\u2019 altered introduction being just one example of many regarding how much thought went into making the movie feel special.