film / 2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Peter Parker asks Doctor Strange to restore his secret identity, rupturing reality and drawing villains and Spider-Men from other universes into his world.
Verified facts
- Runtime
- 2h 28m
- Director
- Jon Watts
- Released
- 2021
- Origin
- United States
PlotGeeks explainer signals
Why read this explainer
The first spell draws visitors from other universes into Peter's world. The final spell closes the breach by making everyone forget Peter Parker entirely, with a different cost for his relationships.
PlotGeeks note
The other Spider-Men help Peter continue the cures after May's death. Their intervention keeps his attempt to help the visitors from ending in revenge against the Goblin.
Connected knowledge
Connected in PlotGeeks
Related explainers and browse pages for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
- Appears in MCU Spider-Man films in order
See where Spider-Man: No Way Home belongs in the listed reading and viewing orders.
- Explore Identity
Discovering or revealing an identity can change a character's relationships, status, or chances of survival.
Timeline
Major events
- The first spell fails
Peter's revisions pull multiversal visitors into his world.
- Peter rejects Strange's plan
He chooses to cure the villains rather than send them toward known deaths.
- May dies
Her final words anchor Peter's responsibility after the Goblin's attack.
- Everyone forgets Peter
The last spell closes the breach by erasing his place in other people's lives.
Story in 60 Seconds
The short version
After Mysterio exposes Peter's identity, public scrutiny damages Peter, MJ, and Ned and costs them admission to MIT. Peter asks Doctor Strange to make everyone forget he is Spider-Man, but repeated changes destabilize the spell and summon people from other universes who know Spider-Man's identity. Strange wants to return the villains to their fates; Peter instead traps Strange and tries to cure them. Norman Osborn's Green Goblin persona takes control, the villains rebel, and May is killed. Two alternate Peter Parkers arrive through Ned's portals and help Peter develop cures.
Spoiler sectionEnding ExplainedShow ending detailsHide ending details
The three Spider-Men cure the villains at the Statue of Liberty, and Peter stops short of killing the Goblin after the older Spider-Man intervenes. Strange cannot contain the multiversal breach, so Peter asks him to cast a final spell making everyone forget Peter Parker entirely. The visitors return home and Peter visits MJ and Ned, but chooses not to restore their memories after seeing them safe. He moves into a small apartment, makes a new suit, and continues as an anonymous Spider-Man, accepting the isolation created by his sacrifice.
Original context
Why it matters
Responsibility without the old support
The apartment and handmade suit leave Peter working outside Stark's network. His continuing patrols show that losing those connections has not ended the responsibility May taught him.
Key turning points
May dies after the villains rebel
May's death threatens to turn Peter's plan to cure the visitors into revenge. The other Spider-Men help him finish the work and stop him from killing the Goblin.
Character links
Who connects to whom
Character motivations
Peter accepts being forgotten
The last spell demands Peter's place in his friends' lives as the cost of closing the breach. Seeing MJ and Ned safe later leads him to keep that separation.
Explore the story
Creators, themes, and characters
Reading and watching order
Where this story fits
Films
MCU Spider-Man films in order
Watch the four Tom Holland solo films in release order. Each film directly inherits Peter's relationships, public identity, and consequences from the previous entry.
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