Welcome back to Question of the Week, where I get to talk about the most important topic on my mind in a segment that's just ambiguous enough to let me get away with writing about whatever I want. It's been all music-related questions so far, but now feels like the best time of all to buck that trend. Let's get into it.
Of all the great feats of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of my favorites is how they can turn the social media conversation on a dime whenever they damn well please by releasing a trailer, seemingly unannounced. We had this last week, when we got the final Eternals trailer, and now, just a few days after Marvel showed off the work of Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao, they're giving the fans what they were truly after: our first look at Spider-Man: No Way Home. Well, it's not the "first" look, if you count the recording of a cell phone being held into a mirror that showed the unfinished trailer, but it is the first authorized look at the movie.
A moment of silence for the poor soul who is now on the run for leaking the trailer, by the way. The internet will remember you forever, even though we'll likely never hear from you again. Feige, have mercy.
As for the trailer, perhaps the move anticipated in the history of the MCU, it delivers completely. We get some scenes that set up the fact that No Way Home will be picking up right after Far From Home's jaw-dropping mid-credit scene, where Mysterio reveals Spider-Man's true identity, and the fallout that ensues. We're also seeing how Dr. Strange is woven into this movie, and it seems pretty logical. We also get teased to the teeth with villains, and get an all-time heat check from Alfred Molina at the end of the trailer. There's so many great moments (Tom Holland and Zendaya on the rooftop! Dr. Strange winking! The Pumpkin Bomb! "Hello, Peter!"), it's impossible to even whittle it down to a Top 3. This was the most anticipated movie of the year by a mile, and now, it may be the most MCU film of all time. Yes, even more anticipated than Endgame.
This all got me thinking, though: after the hysteria and the buildup for this trailer, is there any reason to reveal any more? Do we need another trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Before I get into this any further, let's make one thing clear: there's going to be another trailer. This one was called the "teaser" trailer, and we'll likely have another one ready just in time for Eternals to hit theaters in November. What I'm saying, though, is that we really don't need another one.
If we're going to be honest with ourselves, there was nothing in this trailer that someone who checks twitter weekly didn't already know. Hell, Alfred Molina himself revealed he'd be back as Doc Ock earlier this year. (Feige, have mercy.) We know that Jamie Foxx will be Electro once again, as Foxx himself said it on his own Instagram page. Still, there are some dots connected here, and as someone who accidentally read a full description of the last 30 minutes of Endgame, I'm trying to go into this knowing as little as possible.
Speaking of which, wouldn't it be nice if the entire audience went into this knowing as little as possible? There are so many questions that this trailer doesn't address, and a few that it adds to fans' questionnaires. Are we really going to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield join Tom Holland? Was that Willem Defoe's Green Goblin who threw the Pumpkin Bomb? Was that Matt Murdock in the interrogation room who Peter looks up at in surprise? Are fans finally going to be right that Mephisto is behind it all? Is there a reason that we don't see MJ or Ned at all after Dr. Strange's "spell" is case in the trailer? I answer these questions with one of my own: wouldn't it be incredible to find all of this out when we've slouched into our seats in December?
Disney/Marvel already played this wonderfully by holding out on dropping the trailer as long as possible, why not steer into the skid? They know this movie is as close to a sure bet to make a billion dollars as any movie they've put out before it, why not have some fun with it and leave fans with more questions going into this movie than ever before? Sure, another trailer will likely cause another spike in attention to the movie, but how many more people need to be swayed to see this movie? I know I'm not one of the people being paid millions to make these decisions, but this time, I do think I've got a point here. The example's already been set: the more people have to wait for information or footage of this movie, the crazier they're going to go when they actually get it. Now that we've got some of the questions answered, a few more asked, and even more remaining unanswered, people are already at a fever pitch. Why not make them wait just a little longer?
Like I said, I know that there's going to be another trailer within the next few months, so this is a moot discussion. I'm simply stating that this trailer was so good, and evoked such happiness, they don't even need another one. Will I be disappointed when that trailer gets released? Of course not. Will I cry watching it? Well, I cried watching this one, so it's a safe bet. All I'm saying is that in the fallout of this teaser being released, I see an opportunity for Marvel to set up an experience that fans haven't had with any of their movies or TV shows, with only one trailer providing viewers with a feel for the movie before it comes out. Is it going to take away from my enjoyment if they release another trailer? Of course not. Will not putting another one out create a memory that Marvel fans, as an entire population and culture, could remember forever? Hell yeah.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters December 17. You can watch the trailer below.
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