Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Ending Explained

Warning: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending explained. The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced the multiverse concept in the Disney+ series Loki, but No Way Home pushes the envelope regarding what it means for Peter and the MCU at large. The third solo outing for Tom Holland’s web-slinging superhero not only opens the gateway for the multiverse, but the film’s events change how fans will see the MCU’s previous movies, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, and elements of The Amazing Spider-Man films.

Set in the aftermath of Mysterio outing Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home sees the 17-year-old wanting to fix the situation before things really get out of control for his loved ones. When Doctor Strange casts a spell to make people forget who Peter is, it goes awry and cracks open the multiverse. This leads to the arrival of the web-slinger’s rivals from alternate universes: Doc Ock (Spider-Man 2), Green Goblin (Spider-Man), Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Sandman (Spider-Man 3) and the Lizard (The Amazing Spider-Man).

Spider-Man: No Way Home ushers in the multiverse in a unique way and it sees Peter rising above the obstacles in his way to save his friends and family, while also growing into the superhero he was always meant to be. The film’s ending closes out Peter’s story while also leaving the door open for the future. Here’s what happened at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, what’s next for Doctor Strange, and how his spell rewrites a lot of events in the MCU.

Click here to watch Spider-Man: No Way Home Ending And Post-Credit Scenes Explained on YouTube

What Happens At The End Of Spider-Man: No Way Home

All three versions of Spider-Man — Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield — work together to find cures for each of their villains, who are clamoring to fight with the web-slingers and obtain more power than before. In a bid to clear his name, Peter lets the public decide whether or not he’s worth their support after everything. After battling the villains, Spider-Man and his allies successfully cure Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Sandman, Electro, and the Lizard, turning them back into the non-altered humans they were before. While it’s certainly a major win, Peter realizes the only way to save the world from multiversal havoc (and send the villains and the other two Spider-Men back) is to complete Doctor Strange’s spell, which erases Peter’s identity from the world. Doctor Strange succeeds and Peter goes back to square one as a superhero, with no help from anyone, alone in the world completely — for now.

What Happens To The Villains When They Return To Their Universes?

Spider-Man — with the help of Maguire and Garfield’s iterations of Peter Parker — opted to help cure the antagonists instead. Fully restored to their pre-experimental states, Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Lizard, Electro, and Sandman all returned to their universes with a clean slate. It’s possible they’ll pick up where they left off or go down different paths than before. Not only were they cured, but a few were given a second chance at life after dying in their respective movies. Dr. Otto Octavius could go back to his research, Norman Osborn could return to Oscorp and change things around, and Electro could finally embrace the fact he’s not a nobody at all, but someone with a lot of potential. Meanwhile, Sandman will hopefully be able to return to his daughter and Dr. Connors could continue his research to help people without experimenting on himself. Considering it’s been years since the previous Spider-Man movies, the villains being cured and going back to their worlds alive continues their stories in a way that feels hopeful.

What Happens To Maguire & Garfield?

Maguire and Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man aided Peter in curing their nemeses, learning to work together as a team while understanding one another’s emotional pain. After the battle’s over, however, they (like all the villains who came from alternate universes) go back to their own worlds to continue their lives before the multiverse cracked open. Spider-Man: No Way Home gives Garfield’s Spider-Man a major and meaningful redemptive moment when he saves MJ, making up for the fact he couldn’t save Gwen in his world. The Amazing Spider-Man’s Peter goes back to his universe a bit more hopeful than before considering his current state. Maguire’s Peter isn’t given as much, though it’s assumed that he will be reunited with his MJ when he returns. His reunion with Doc Ock, who is no longer trying to kill him, could also mean they’ll reconcile and work together when they go back to their world.

Who Was Coming Through? All Spider-Villains Teased

As the multiverse cracks open further, several shadowy figures appear, ready to step through to likely fight Peter (Peter-2 and Peter-3). Considering the multiverse fracture is connected to Spider-Man’s identity, the distant figures seen in the sky are all the people who know — and have ever known — who he was. None of the figures’ faces are actually shown, however, with only their silhouettes appearing as they step forward. However, two of the more distinct characters that seem to be coming through are Rhino, who was portrayed by Paul Giamatti in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Kraven the Hunter, who is getting his own movie with Sony. Their brief appearances could set up their eventual arrival in the MCU, and their fate in the shared universe could depend on whether or not there will be another Spider-Man film, but the seeds have at least been planted for Kraven the Hunter, who was initially planned as the villain of Spider-Man: No Way Home before the multiverse storyline took hold.

What Doctor Strange’s Peter Parker Spell Does To The MCU Timeline

Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending rewrites the history of the villains in their respective films. It gives them a second chance by curing them before they’re sent back to their universe, which means an alternate timeline could have branched off from the original one to adjust to the changes. Moreover, No Way Home also alters the MCU’s past and future. Now that no one remembers Peter Parker at all, it reshapes the Avengers’ history with the superhero. No one will remember he helped fight Thanos or joined Iron Man in his fight against Captain America during Captain America: Civil War. Peter is erased from the timeline, which changes how every other superhero will remember past events, including Avengers: Endgame. The spell, to some extent, also rewrites Peter’s origin story as Spider-Man; cut off from Tony Stark’s money and gadgets, Spider-Man’s timeline gets a fresh start. Crucially, the spell affects Peter’s role in the MCU’s future, likely altering all future events and creating various timelines thanks to the multiverse. To be sure, nothing will be the same again.

Does Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Die?

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man is stabbed in the side by Green Goblin, but he thankfully doesn’t die (it’s close!). The moment was there to shock the audience into thinking he was going to die after convincing Holland’s Spider-Man not to kill Green Goblin for murdering his Aunt May. Maguire’s Spider-Man jokes he’s been stabbed before and he goes back to his universe with some blood to clean up, but he will more than likely heal and be up and about shortly after. Maguire’s Spider-Man was ultimately stabbed so that the moment would carry some emotional weight. After all, his is the Spider-Man who has been around the longest and the mere suggestion that he could die is enough to elicit a few gasps. Luckily, Maguire’s web-slinger is resilient; he’s been through worse, so he’ll be able to bounce back.

Why Peter Doesn’t Tell MJ The Truth

Peter doesn’t take it well when MJ and Ned don’t get into MIT because of their connection to him and his (no longer) secret identity meant their futures were affected. While MJ made Peter promise to come find her, he decides not to tell her the truth about who he is or what happened after he hears she and Ned made it into MIT. What’s more, Peter stopped in his tracks when he realized MJ still had a scar from the fight at the Statue of Liberty. It’s likely he didn’t want her or Ned to be caught in the middle of the danger that came with being a superhero. Not knowing who he was offered MJ the opportunity to live a life unaffected by his alter ego. It’s possible Peter will eventually tell her the truth (or she’ll figure it out), but he has peace of mind for now knowing MJ can live out her dreams and go to the university she wants simply because she doesn’t know who he is.

Peter Parker’s Homemade MCU Spider-Man Suit Explained

For the majority of his time in the MCU, Peter has worn the upgraded Spider-Man costumes provided to him by Tony Stark. All of the nanotechnology and security systems built into the suit aided Spider-Man in his superhero activities. But at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter goes the old-fashioned route and makes his own homemade suit because he no longer has access to any of the suits and gadgets. The new suit, sewn together, is a far cry from his previous suits, but it harkens back to his grounded origins that the MCU changed. No one remembering him means he is cut off from Stark’s money and the privileges he has as an Avenger. In short, Peter was well and truly broke now and so he had to improvise with his suit, which is barebones (though still in his signature blue and red). Ultimately, Peter’s new suit takes him back to the start so that he can build himself up again on his own terms.

What The Ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home Really Means (Tom’s Journey)

Spider-Man: No Way Home’s finale sees Spidey finally stepping out of the shadows of Tony Stark and other adult mentors to finally take responsibility for his actions and choices. MCU Spider-Man has long been a reactionary figure, relying on others to aid him in the messes he creates. Peter takes a lot of steps to change that in No Way Home, now understanding what his title as a superhero means. He can’t overlook situations if he’s involved or leave it to others to fix — no matter what the personal cost. With a more grown-up Peter, Spider-Man: No Way Home closes one chapter and opens another by bringing Peter back to his superhero roots and starting over new. It’s less of an ending and more of a new beginning, and it’s also reflective of Tom Holland’s journey as Spider-Man. The actor has grown so much in the role as the web-slinging hero and, like his onscreen counterpart, might feel like it’s time to say goodbye (though with the hope of returning to the role one day).

Venom Leaves The MCU… But Leaves Some Symbiote Behind

Venom is never one to be left out, but his arrival in the MCU doesn’t occur until the mid-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Before he has a chance to explore the alternate world and seek out Spider-Man, he’s zapped back to his own by way of Doctor Strange’s spell that erased Peter’s identity from everyone’s minds. However, Venom leaves behind a drop of the symbiote. This posits Venom could be the next major Spidey villain in the MCU, though it’s unclear if or when the MCU will make another solo film about the superhero. Considering Venom is specifically a Spider-Man villain, leaving the symbiote behind teases the alien creature will eventually find a new host in the MCU — be it the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man or maybe the waiter trying to explain to Eddie Brock about Thanos and the Blip.

Doctor Strange 2 Trailer Explained

Rather than a traditional post-credits scene, Spider-Man: No Way Home debuts the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The trailer offers a glimpse into what the sorcerer will be facing — or rather who he will be facing. A dark version of Doctor Strange, likely the alternate reality version who appeared in What If…? season 1. What’s more, Doctor Strange will have to face the villain Shuma-Gorath, an ancient, one-eyed creature that breeds chaos. The trailer also gives a first glimpse of America Chavez, who has the power to move through the multiverse and will likely aid Doctor Strange in traveling between worlds. With so much on his plate and things getting out of his control, he also seeks out Wanda Maximoff’s help. So while Spider-Man: No Way Home offered a glimpse into how volatile and dangerous the multiverse can be, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will explore more about how alternate realities work, the dangers they hold, and how it affects the heroes — now and in the future.

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
(1078 Articles Published)

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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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