Over a year ago now we all went to go see the final chapter in the Infinity Saga excited to see questions left from the epic that was Avengers: Endgame. How is the world now that everyone is back? What happened to all the characters we didn’t get to see on screen in Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame? Can Peter Parker handle the loss of his mentor? All these questions were answered in an answer to the tragedy of Endgame — Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Spider-Man is one of the biggest names in comic book history — guaranteeing success — which meant that Far From Home was going to have no problem following up the smash hit that was Avengers: Endgame. The real challenge that the crew behind Far From Home faced was getting it to live up to the expectations of a fanbase fulfilled by what could be considered one of the most epic finales in film history. In doing so, they crafted one of the most entertaining films in MCU history. By taking Peter Parker on an adventure across Europe they expanded the audience’s general perceptions of the character; a controversial choice to many fans. The film won fans over by having some of the most fun with any of the movies in the entire MCU. It has consistent action packed thrills with plenty of goofy moments to keep audiences roaring throughout.
Far From Home makes light of the infamous “Snap” from Infinity War by having characters react to the world around them in a comedic fashion. This is something that in most cases would cheapen the effect of such a catastrophic event; it’s integral, then, that Endgame perfectly wrapped up the tragedy in all of our character’s hearts. It replaced that moment with new sorrow. In the case of Spider-Man, it’s the death of his mentor, Tony Stark. The characters that were gone had no idea what happened to the world around them. The first thing Peter experiences after disappearing in Tony’s arms is the death of Iron Man. Fans got to mourn with Peter Parker which allows the plot to end with a newly energized Spider-Man who knows his role in the world.
Tom Holland sells every scene he’s in as scrappy young Peter just trying to be a kid without the responsibility of being “the next Iron Man” looming over him. His youthful energy is welcome when most of his superhero peers are a lot more experienced than he is. One of which is the great villain, Mysterio, played hilariously by Jake Gyllenhaal. He puts all of his trust in this mysterious (no pun intended) figure because he feels so out of his league. Peter’s vulnerability is the true antagonist of the film. That, and his inability to use his “Peter tingle”, the rebranded spidey sense, are what he breaks through by the end — accepting his responsibility.
Far From Home also features the third score in the MCU by Michael Giacchino. With Far From Home, he set out to expand the main theme and add various new motifs for characters like Nick Fury, MJ, and Mysterio. It’s one of Giacchino’s best and sells the excitement of each scene by using each motif to its fullest extent. He composed a suite that contains all the major ideas aptly named Far From Home Suite Home.
As if all these elements weren’t enough; the ultimate fan service arrives at the ending of the film as we see the return of J. Jonah Jameson played by returning actor, J.K. Simmons! Revealing Peter Parker’s identity to the world was enough excitement. With the addition of a fan-favorite character from the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy; the film soared to new levels of hype.
Shortly after the release of Far From Home, reports began to arise that suggested Sony may have been ready to drop their deal with Marvel Studios for Tom Holland’s portrayal of the character. This outraged fans all across social media as the ending of the film left the possibilities for a sequel buzzing in their minds. The reaction was intense enough that Tom Holland himself called Bob Iger to tell him how much being Spider-Man had “chang[ed] [his] life in the best way”; as revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
It took a while but Spider-Man was back in Marvel Studios’ hands shortly after the whole ordeal. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, speaking about the ending of Far From Home and the renewed deal with Sony told Variety, “(Spider-Man Far From Home) sets us up for a Peter Parker story that has never been done before on film.” This is a big claim to live up to, but fans have high hopes that Spider-Man 3 will be a great sequel. The film is set to release in late 2021 but, with the world as it is, that could change.
It has been the pattern for Marvel to release three movies a year for the last three years. Phase 4 starting in 2020 was meant to break it up with the release of only two major motion pictures, but with two streaming TV shows alongside them. Black Widow was originally set to release in May with The Eternals following it up in November. COVID-19 changed everything. Normally we would have seen the next chapter in the MCU by now — here we are with nothing new until the new release of Black Widow in November alongside various other blockbusters that were all pushed out of the Spring/Summer release window.
The two Disney+ streaming shows that were set to release this year, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Wandavision, have ceased filming for the time being as Hollywood slowly figures out how to start up again. With nothing new in the MCU, the world of blockbusters feels quite small right now. It was almost customary to make it a big hangout with my friends to go see the latest chapter in Marvel’s saga but now it’s rewatching city at home.
Spider-Man Far From Home is the last thing we got to see of this franchise and it will be a while before we see a Marvel film in theaters again. Even so, it was a great epilogue to the Infinity Saga as a whole. It has all the fun of a comic book wrapped into a film that expands what we know about the MCU naturally. Spider-Man is arguably the poster boy of Marvel Comics and his last big-screen appearance was the best way to leave the MCU in a state of slumber.
Giovanni Delgadillo is a columnist for Boardwalk Times.
