Top 10 Things to Remember Before Seeing Spider-Man: Far From Home

Things to Remember Before Seeing Spider-Man: Far From Home

The MCU is a big universe, so it pays to do your homework before heading to the theater. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Things to Remember Before Seeing Spider-Man: Far From Home.

For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most important factors and background info to keep in mind heading into this 2019 Spidey film. Please note: we will be discussing the plot of Avengers: Endgame, so a major spoiler warning is in effect.

#10: It’s the Final Phase 3 Film

Avengers: Endgame felt like a conclusion. The film brought to a close a story long-in-the-making and served as a send-off for a number of original Avengers. Be that as it may, Marvel’s Phase 3 technically doesn’t end there, but rather with Spider-Man: Far From Home, much like Phase 2 ended not with “Age of Ultron” but with “Ant-Man.” For fans who are still feeling emotional about Endgame, a European vacation with Peter and his pals seems like the perfect follow-up, reminding us that even with Iron Man and Black Widow gone, and Cap out of the picture, life goes on and the world still needs heroes.

#9: The Creative Team is Back

Fans went wild when Spider-Man joined the MCU in time for “Captain America: Civil War”. But… the news of Spidey being rebooted yet again so soon after the Amazing Spider-Man had many people expressing concern that the character wasn’t being given enough down time. Thankfully, when “Spider-Man: Homecoming” landed in theaters in 2017, all those fears were quickly alleviated. Filmmaker Jon Watts delivered a movie that was equal parts superhero flick and high school comedy - the influence of John Hughes being especially apparent. Given the success of the film, it was music to the ears of fans that not only Jon Watts would be returning, but also two of the screenwriters from Homecoming, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

#8: The Title’s Double Meaning

Out of context, the title“Spider-Man: Homecoming” might seem like a bit of an odd choice. But since the character was finally joining the MCU, it felt very appropriate, in the sense that Spidey was coming home to join his peers. Of course, the plot of the film also very much centered around the homecoming dance at Midtown High. For the sequel, “Far From Home” Watts and company are continuing with this thematic titling strategy. In the literal sense, the film will see Parker and his friends traveling abroad. But there’s also a more symbolic meaning to the title as well, but we don’t want to spoil anything, so you’ll just have to wait and see for yourself in theaters.

#7: The Elementals

So… with the Vulture seemingly locked up and Thanos well and truly having been defeated in Endgame, which villain does Spidey get to tangle with next? Well, Far From Home actually has a number of familiar faces show up, but as far as the trailers would have you believe, Peter is being tasked with stopping the Elementals. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, don’t worry, you’re not alone. These element themed characters are a rather obscure group that debuted in 1974’s Supernatural Thrillers #8. And like their comic book counterparts, these powerful beings are introduced as extradimensional beings in Far From Home. As they appear in the film however, their design has clearly incorporated elements of more popular Spidey rogues like Sandman, Hydro-Man and Molten Man.

#6: Aunt May Knows

It’s been a couple of years since Tom Holland’s Spider-Man made his solo debut in 2017, and a whole lot has happened since then. The kid went into outer space and was also a victim of the snap. So… you’d be forgiven for forgetting some of the finer points of “Homecoming”. In the film, not only does Peter’s best friend Ned discover his secret identity, but, at the end of the film (in a scene that surprised many fans), so too did his Aunt May. This happened right before the credits roll, so we never got to see that conversation play out. But based on the trailers from “Far From Home”, she seems supportive and actively involved in Peter’s crimefighting career, as is Happy Hogan!

#5: It Will Heavily Focus on a World Without Iron Man

Nothing will ever be the same after the events of Infinity War and Endgame, not for fans of the MCU or the characters who inhabit it. Tony Stark bravely gave his life to save not only Earth, but the entire universe from Thanos. As one of the world’s greatest heroes, he is sorely missed. And for Peter, to whom Tony was a mentor and a surrogate father figure, that grief is particularly hard to live with. Everywhere he looks there are reminders of Iron Man, not to mention the pressure to help fill the heroic void that Stark left behind. Based on the trailers, the fallout of Iron Man’s death will very much color film’s themes and overall character motivations.

#4: It’s a Transitional Film & The Last MCU Film for Awhile

As previously mentioned, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the last film of Phase 3. But it’s more than just an epilogue. If Endgame bookends the first 3 phases of the MCU, Spider-Man: Far From Home is perhaps best described as a bridge between that volume of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its future. Considering Marvel has been rather tight-lipped about their slate of films moving forward, we’ve also been led to believe that Far From Home may serve to help set up the direction of the MCU moving forward. Notably, it’s also the last Marvel film slated for release for quite some time, with the next confirmed release date being May 1st, 2020 - marking the longest gap between MCU films in years.

#3: Peter & Some of His Classmates Were Recently Unsnapped

As we learned in Avengers: Endgame, at least as far as the MCU is concerned, there’s no changing the past. And for those who disappeared when Thanos snapped his fingers at the end of Infinity War, that means there’s no getting that time back. For adults, this is confusing and painful, but not insurmountable. For a teenager, however, a five-year difference fundamentally changes relationships. Thankfully, it seems as if all of Peter’s closest high school friends also got snapped, which means they aren’t suddenly five years older than him. Be that as it may, they all still have a fair amount of baggage from the experience, and new relationships to form with their technically younger classmates.

#2: Enter: Mysterio

This master of illusion is one of Spider-Man’s oldest rogues, having debuted all the way back in the early 1960s. At least in the comics, Mysterio doesn’t have any powers; instead, he uses technology and his mastery over the art of illusion. Fans have long fantasized about seeing him on the big screen, but given his costume design, there were concerns that he didn’t work in a live action capacity. But the creative team behind “Far From Home” certainly proved the naysayers wrong! Played by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mysterio looks perfect. In a bit of a curveball, the character is introduced as a hero in the MCU, but as fans of the character will tell you: when Mysterio is involved, things are rarely as they appear.

#1: It Might Introduce the Multiverse

Okay… this could be huge. In the comics, the reality inhabited by our heroes (Earth-616 to be precise) is just one of many parallel universes. This is something that has been touched on in the MCU, both with the introduction of the Quantum Realm and the alternate timelines visited during the events of Endgame. But in the trailer for “Far From Home”, they finally got explicit in talking about the “multiverse”, with Quentin Beck allegedly coming from one such alternate reality.
But like we said, with Mysterio involved, it’s best to question everything. Sadly, there also doesn’t appear to be any connection to the Spider-Verse either, but hey… anything is possible!