Unveiling the Multiverse: The Near Spider-Verses Encounter in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

Spider-Man: No Way Home, released in 2021, managed to bring together all three live-action versions of Spidey from different cinematic universes, along with their respective villains. Initially, there were plans for Tom Holland's Spider-Man to visit significant moments from Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's versions. Concept artist Phil Saunders recently shared some concept art created for the film, which showcased Holland's Spidey and Doctor Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) venturing into the other Spider-Men's universes.

In his post, Saunders mentioned that one early idea for the film involved Spidey and Dr. Strange engaging in a chase through the multiverse, contending for the control of the spell's source (in this case, the Book of Vishanti). The original plan was to incorporate scenes from the previous Spider-Man movies, where they would overlay Spidey and Doc into the footage. Although the final film did feature a fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, the focus shifted more towards highlighting Doctor Strange's extraordinary powers rather than revisiting past moments from the franchise.

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One concept art depiction within Maguire's universe exhibits Spider-Man and Doctor Strange participating in a wrestling tournament alongside Bonesaw McGraw. Additionally, another concept art illustration from Maguire's realm showcases Mr. Ditkovitch and his daughter Ursula. In Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 directed by Raimi, Mr. Ditkovitch assumes the role of Peter's landlord who incessantly reminds him about paying rent. In Garfield's universe, two concept art renderings display Oscorp, where Doc Conners endeavors to release a gas that would transform everyone into lizards resembling himself. Another piece of concept art portrays the clock tower where Garfield's Spider-Man is unable to save Gwen Stacy.

Image via Sony

Following the tremendous success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans are eagerly anticipating the next chapter of Holland's iconic web-slinger. Sony and Marvel are collaborating on a fourth installment in the MCU Spider-Man franchise. This time around, Peter finds himself in a world where his existence has been erased from everyone's memory, courtesy of Doctor Strange's spell. Simultaneously, in the realm of animation, Jake Johnson's beloved portrayal of Peter B. Parker will make a triumphant return to the big screen in the highly anticipated third Spider-Verse film, aptly titled Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently available to stream on Starz in the U.S. Check out the concept art images below:

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of the Spider-Man franchise, I am thrilled by the concept art that reveals the potential for an epic crossover in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The idea of Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange battling their way through iconic scenes from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man movies is incredibly exciting. It would have been an amazing opportunity to see these different versions of Spider-Man interact and team up to face a common threat.

The concept art also provides a glimpse into some intriguing ideas that were considered for the film. The wrestling tournament scene with Bonesaw McGraw in Maguire's universe and the return of Mr. Ditkovitch and his daughter Ursula would have added a touch of nostalgia and humor to the film. Similarly, the scenes in Garfield's universe, including Oscorp and the clock tower where he fails to save Gwen Stacy, would have been powerful and emotional moments.