Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home. It wouldn’t be a new Marvel movie without countless Easter eggs to analyze on your first, second, or third viewing — and true to form, Spider-Man: No Way Home features a multitude of references to both Spidey lore and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Marvel’s third Spider-Man film didn’t just wink at past movies, though: Its plot centered around quite literally bringing back past iterations of Peter Parker, and all of his foes, too. Andrew Garfield, who played the web-slinger onscreen from 2012 to 2014, and Tobey Maguire, who donned the iconic superhero suit from 2002 to 2007, joined current Spidey Tom Holland for an unprecedented onscreen reunion — and the party was only partially soured by the reappearance of Big Bads like Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe).
The references in No Way Home aren’t just callbacks to previous films, though. Many of the movie’s most memorable moments cite memes that have been circulating in the Marvel fandom, or point to possible future events in the MCU.
You probably didn’t need a reason to watch the film all over again. But just in case you did, here’s a major one: There are still plenty of references that you may have missed! Below, are some of the top Easter eggs from Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Rogers: The Musical
During Peter and MJ’s opening swing through New York, an advertisement for Rogers: The Musical — the performance seen in the Disney+ series Hawkeye — is visible in the background. It’s not the only Hawkeye tie-in, though...
Matt Murdock’s Busy Few Months
Daredevil is in the MCU! Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Charlie Cox, the star of the Netflix Daredevil series, would be back as the beloved vigilante before No Way Home’s release. But the first appearance of his cane might have still sent your theater into frenzied, delighted surprise.
Poor Matt is already dealing with a lot in the MCU — from working with Peter to dealing with Kingpin at Christmas. (Sure, Matt doesn’t actually appear in Hawkeye, but you have to imagine he’s at least aware that his longtime foe is up to some very shady stuff.)
“Go Get ‘Em, Tiger”
MJ (Kirsten Dunst) delivered this iconic line to Peter in 2004’s Spider-Man 2. But this time around, it comes from Peter’s classmate and Daily Bugle intern Betty Brant.
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology continues to have a firm grasp on the MCU. As Feige told CinemaBlend, Peter wanted to go to MIT in part because his mentor, Tony Stark, went there. (In hindsight, name-dropping Iron Man might have helped Peter swing himself and his friends back into the school’s favor.)
But the connection doesn’t stop there. Riri Williams — aka Ironheart, the hero who will be introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — also goes to MIT, and was spotted filming at the school earlier this year. Perhaps we’ll meet her classmates Ned and MJ there, too?
FEAST
Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) is seen working at an organization called FEAST (Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter, & Training), which appears in the Marvel comics as well as in the popular PlayStation video game. It’s operated by a Spidey villain we haven’t met in the MCU yet, Mister Negative.
A Heartbreaking Peter & May Callback
You’re probably not over Peter’s loss, or May’s final words about power and responsibility. But here’s something to make it even sadder: When Peter tells May that she’ll be OK, he says, “It’s just me and you.” May told him the exact same thing in Homecoming, before she even found out he was Spider-Man.
“My Back!”
OK, back to funny stuff. Garfield and Maguire’s hilarious back-cracking moment was an extended nod to a scene from 2004’s Spider-Man 2, in which Peter suffers a major tumble off a building because his webbing doesn’t work. After getting up, he cries, “My back. My back!”
“Trying To Do Better”
Another reference to the older films happens between Maguire’s Peter and Doc Ock, after he’s been cured. “It’s good to see you dear boy ... you’re all grown up. How are you?” Doc asks. “Trying to do better,” replies the web-slinger. During their first meeting back in 2004, the scientist told Peter that he’s said to be brilliant, but lazy, to which Peter says he’s “trying to do better.” Aw...
Garfield’s Big Save
Maguire wasn’t the only Peter Parker to get a redemptive, feel-good moment. Garfield’s Spider-Man saving MJ was a heartbreaking callback to his failed attempt to do the same for Gwen Stacy, his love interest, in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. You might have missed the major way he changed his strategy this time around: Instead of employing a web like he did with Gwen, he hurdles his body down to catch her in his arms.
A Familiar Outfit
Remember back in February, when No Way Home’s title was announced with a hilarious video starring Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon? Take a swing down memory lane and look at their outfits. This teaser must have been shot concurrently with production on No Way Home’s second half — including the emotional scene where MJ almost has a fatal fall, and when the trio tearfully parts ways. Oh, if only we knew what was coming...
Peter’s Landlord
When Peter moves into his new apartment, we hear a landlord off-screen say that “rent is due on the first of the month,” and then — well, no one actually appears, but didn’t it feel like a shoutout to Maguire’s landlord from the original films? Here’s hoping Mr. Ditkovich returns for the next trilogy. Speaking of which...
A New Foe
Peter was pretty rude to Mr. Ditkovich in 2007’s Spider-Man 3 (cue, “You’ll get your rent when you fix this damn door!”), but that was only because he was under the influence of the Symbiote. And from that post-credits scene with Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock/Venom, we know that a piece of the powerful, extraterrestrial slime got left behind in Holland’s universe, potentially hinting at a new foe for the next Spider-Man film. Luckily, with that “Umbrella” number on Lip Sync Battle, Holland’s already proven that he has the dancing chops to pull off his own Emo Peter Parker era.
