Spider-Man: No Way Home is a reward to longtime Marvel fans

When first reactions and early reviews for Spider-Man: No Way Home began to surface online, everyone kept calling it “a love letter” and a movie “for the fans.” I didn’t get what they meant by this. After catching the movie at an advanced screening, I understood. (No spoilers ahead!)

I was never going to not love the movie, let me be clear. I’m a longtime Marvel fan with a deep love for the MCU. Marvel is my main jam! Me, critic an MCU movie harshly? Never! Well, okay, there are the Hulk movies (do these even count?) and Thor: The Dark World. I also felt disappointed by Eternals…but other than that, I’ve enjoyed them all and cherish most.

After watching the movie though, I got it. And I can best describe it as Spider-Man: No Way Home being a reward to longtime fans of the franchise. That’s what No Way Home feels like to me. Like I have spent enough time and given it all my love and I can now collect my reward. A reward that only Marvel could pull off. And what an achievement!

Spider-Man: No Way Home is Marvel’s best

Despite our high expectations and unrealistic demands, Spider-Man: No Way Home checks all the boxes and even throws in a dose of emotions to give us the most perfect comic book movie. Now, I’ll always have a spot in my heart for Avengers: Endgame, it’s the end of an era! But as far as best told stories? No Way Home takes the cake. The plot is very complex, yet it holds audiences hands and guides us every step of the story.

Does it have flaws? Sure! But if there’s a hero who is all about embracing your imperfections, it’s your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Will there ever be another film as hotly anticipated as Spider-Man: No Way Home? Probably not. Not for a long while. We are all excited about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but are we AS excited as we were about No Way Home? Are we madly trying to figure out who will star in the movie and what will happen? Not really. I can’t wait for it and I know it’s going to blow our minds, but, Marvel fans, it’s time to collect more points for our next reward. It’s going to be an amazing ride.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters on Friday, Dec. 17, but showings begin the evening of Dec. 16.