First, if you were concerned over the fate of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can rest easy. Even as I’m writing this, Sony and Disney managed to come to an agreement meaning that everyone’s favorite wall crawler is still very much a part of the future films in some way and it also means that Marvel will still oversee the upcoming sequel. As far as Spider-Man, he was last seen in Avengers: Endgame making a return after being snapped out of existence in one of the more emotionally powerful scenes in Infinity War.
Spider-Man: Far From Home picks up shortly after the events in Endgame. Remember that in the MCU timeline five years have passed between Thanos eliminating half of the universe and the Avengers managing to bring them back. Peter (Tom Holland) is still a high school student despite the fact he should have graduated not too long ago and conveniently enough, his entire class and even Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) were also snapped out of existence. Peter however is more focused on his trip to Europe with his class and even calls from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) are going unanswered. Peter would much rather leave his identity of Spider-Man back in New York and instead focus on just being a teenager and more importantly, Mary Jane Watson (Zendaya.)
There is another potential threat brewing however and Peter is soon tracked down by Fury. It seems that otherworldly beings known as Elementals have made their way to Earth from a parallel dimension which was the home of Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal.) Beck has now fought these threats on our world the news has seemingly dubbed him Mysterio, a name which is accepts as one of Earths new heroes. Peter meanwhile isn’t ready to swing back into action as a hero and instead hands things over to Beck including the high-tech glasses left to him by Tony Stark which gives him access to the entire Stark Industries database. While it may seem that Peter has left the latest threat in good hands, Beck may not be all that he appears to be.
Initially I was a little concerned when seeing the trailers for Far From Home that the film was going to take a turn that many superhero films have before it; having too many villains. It appeared as though besides Mysterio, some of the Elementals might have been attempts to bring in other villains such as Hydro-Man and possibly Sandman but that’s not the case. The MCU has for the most part stuck to having whomever the main villain is be the center of the film although occasionally any other minor threats are there to serve to the story. This hasn’t always been true and the earlier Spider-Man outings did start pilings on the rogue’s gallery much like the Batman films did earlier. If your villain can’t carry the film and instead needs to have an assortment of other baddies alongside them then perhaps they aren’t necessarily the right choice.
Far From Home does a good job at picking up where Endgame left off. Not only does it address the issue of what happened in the five years that have passed it also brings up the feelings that Peter as well as Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) have with the absence of Tony Stark and it’s not just them. Evidence is seen around the world as we occasionally find murals and memorials created to pay tribute to Stark. However, some of the recent reports coming from the MCU camp consist of rumors that Downey may be coming back to the role although in what capacity hasn’t been stated.
As with Homecoming, Far From Home aims to tell its story on two different sides. Spider-Man of course is a super-hero but unlike Iron Man, Thor, or Captain America, he’s still a teenager. Peter may have come to a point where he knows what he’s capable of in costume, but once out of whatever Spider suit he’s decided to wear, he’s still dealing with high school, bullies, and girl troubles and these are some things that no super power can easily solve. He may have an advantage with his power as well as the newly acquired EDITH, the glasses given to him from Stark, but they can’t solve everything. His main concern however is trying to maintain a secret identity and that’s his main reason for not wanting to get involved with Fury or Mysterio. It would seem too obvious if Spider-Man just happened to show up in Europe while Peter and his class are there especially after the previous events in Washington DC. Peter ends up with another suit to try and hide his Spider-Man guise but to some, it’s a little too obvious as the powers are identical.
Mysterio is one of the many Spider-Man villains which has been around nearly as long as the comic book itself. The film changes his origin however and he’s gone from a special effects wizard turned to a life of crime to a former Stark employee who created a high-tech system to create virtual reality to such a degree that it can’t be distinguished from reality. Regardless of how he is presented, Mysterio’s overall abilities, his illusions, would have been something I don’t feel could have been illustrated in a realistic fashion several years ago but technology for films has changed drastically. Far From Home is able to capture his powers and given his connection to technology, having him tied to Stark is actually a good choice. The result is a very visual effects heavy movie but I think most have come to expect this especially when Guardians of the Galaxy and the last two Avengers films have really set the president for what can be done. It’s effects used for purpose, not simply to be there and make the movie look good, and that’s truly where things pay off. There are also those moments of humor that I think fans come to expect from the films in the MCU as well and even without Stark around as he and Peter did have some hilarious scenes together, the movie still provides thrills and laughs.
Far From Home on 4K has quite a few bonus features but I think as most expect these days, these are all found on the blu-ray although those who are using the digital copy will find all of these available on their Movie Anywhere or Vudu account. The extras include:
Peter’s To-Do List – A Short Film
Gag Reel & Outtakes
Deleted & Alternate Scenes
Teachers’ Travel Tips
The Jump Off
Stepping Up
Suit Up
Now You See Me
Far, Far, Far from Home
It Takes Two
Fury & Hill
The Ginter-Riva Effect
Thank You, Mrs. Parker
Stealthy Easter Eggs
The Brothers Trust
Select Scene Pre-Vis
Even if Spider-Man had made an unfortunate departure from the MCU fans would still enjoy what could have been the last Spider-Man film that was part of the franchise. The movies continue to connect to the storyline which has now been ongoing for a decade and Far From Home seems to perhaps be the final chapter to tie it all together as we head into Phase Four which will bring back familiar faces as well as plenty of new ones. In fact, for those who watch those post credit scenes (and that really should be everyone) there is another face making a return appearance from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films and in the same role which gives me hope that if the producers are willing to do this, maybe Patrick Stewart could return as the leader of a particular group of mutants who, at some point, will be part of the MCU. Far From Home offers plenty of web-slinging action and continues to evolve the MCU in new and exciting ways. Peter Parker and his alter-ego have been brought to the screen as they should have back in 2002 and luckily, there’s no dancing in the streets of Europe to be found anywhere here.
Mike is the resident reviewer for Couponing to Disney and his own site Underland Online. He has a young daughter and is obsessed with Haunted Mansion and all things Disney. You can read Mike’s complete bio here.