Everything You Need to Know Before Seeing 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'!

Unless you have been living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard about the MCU’s latest release. Jon Watts’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Benedict Cumberbatch, has been one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year. The film only just released on December 17 and has already made over $601 million dollars in the box office! The film is currently available in theaters, but before closing this article to go buy your ticket; I recommend sticking around so I can tell you what films you MUST watch before hitting the theater. 

In the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, one may notice some familiar faces from the first Spider-Man franchise starring Tobey Mcguire. These villains include Green Goblin (played by Willem Dafoe), Dr. Otto Ocatvious (played by Alfred Molina), and Sandman (played by Thomas Haden Church). In order to fully enjoy the new film, you just must be familiar with these villains!

Here are all the films you need to watch before seeing No Way Home! 

1. Spider-Man (2002)

The first film you must watch is Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, which released on May 3, 2002, and stars Tobey Mcguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco. Not only is this film a necessity to watch in order to understand No Way Home, but it’s a fantastically enjoyable movie. The film centers on Peter Parker (Mcguire), who gains superhuman abilities when bitten by a genetically-altered spider. Parker takes on the persona of Spider-Man, but his main battle of the film is with the Green Goblin (Dafoe). Spider-Man is currently streaming Hulu or Amazon Prime. 

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

The second film you must watch is Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, which released on June 30, 2004, and is the second installment in McGuire’s trilogy. Due to a failed nuclear fusion experiment that kills his wife, damages his brain, and turns him into a deadly cyborg with tentacles, Dr. Otto Octavius (Molina)becomes Parker’s primary enemy throughout the film. Spider-Man 2 is streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime. 

3. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

The final film in Sam Raimi’s trilogy is Spider-Man 3, which was released on May 4, 2007. In this film, Peter Parker and his love interest Mary Jane (Dunst) are finally on the track to happiness -- that is, until two new villains enter the scene and shake things up. Sandman (Church) and Venom work to destroy everything Parker has built for himself. Spider-Man 3 is now streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime. 

Now that you are caught up on the first Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey McGuire, it's time to brace yourself for what comes next: Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. [insert mic drop] The No Way Home trailer features two villains from Garfield’s movies -- the Lizard (played by Rhys Ifans), and Electro (played by Jamie Foxx). This makes watching Garfield’s two movies imperitive. 

4. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The fourth film you must watch is Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, which released July 3, 2012, starring Andrew Garfiled, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans. During this film, Peter Parker (Garfield) struggles with the abandonment by his parents, the death of his Uncle Ben, and his feelings for Gwen Stacy (Stone). All of this leads him to uncover the truth about his parents, which then leads him to a battle with Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), a past colleague of his father, who turned himself into a scary lizard. The Amazing Spider-Man is now streaming on Vudu and Amazon Prime. 

5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

The fifth film is Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which released on May 2, 2014. In this film, Parker faces his biggest battle yet with Electro (Foxx). Electro’s real name is Max Dillion, who was just a nerdy dude and Spider-Man super fan, working at OSCORP before falling into a pool of electric eels, which then turned him into a powerful villain. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is now streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime. 

Once you finish Garfiled’s films, it’s time to catch up with our current Spiderman, Tom Holland! Though Holland's Spidey has also made many other appearances throughout the MCU, you will want to rewatch his two standalone Spider-Man films before seeing No Way Home. 

6. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The sixth film you will need to watch is Jon Watts’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, which released on July 7, 2017, and stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Robert Downey Jr. In this film, Peter Parker (Holland) tries to balance high school and his desire to be an Avenger. Parker goes head to head with the villain Vulture, who is stealing items from the Department of Damage Control to make deadly weapons. Spider-Man: Homecoming is now streaming on Vudu and Amazon Prime. 

7. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

The seventh and final film you need to watch is Jon Watts’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, which released on July 2, 2019. Following the five-year blip, Peter Parker and his class go to Europe, and his vacation takes a turn when Nick Fury recruits him for a mission along with superhero Mysterio. Let’s just say Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) turns out not to be the best guy. 

Congrats! Seven movies later and you’re ready to see Spider-Man: No way Home! Trust me, it's worth it; I binged all seven before seeing No Way Home, and it made ithe experience that much better. Time to brush up on your Spider-Man facts! P.S bring tissues to the theater, you’re gonna need them!

Spider-Man: No Way Home is now streaming in a theater near you.