‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ theory pitches a Maguire/Electro face-off

The second trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home outright confirmed that at least five villains from the franchise’s past will be returning in the incoming threequel. Namely, Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and Sandman (Thomas Haden Church). Though the marketing has depicted Tom Holland’s Peter Parker facing off against them alone, fans are convinced Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be swinging by to aid him. But which villains will each Spidey fight?

Reddit user u/JetSpark123 has shared a compelling theory on the u/MarvelStudios subreddit which suggests that we can look forward to a battle between Maguire’s webhead and Foxx’s Max Dillon. The theory is spawned from a much-discussed moment in the trailer. Though the shot showcases Holland standing off against Sandman, Lizard and Electro on his own, Lizard can be seen recoiling from an invisible hit. It’s generally agreed that this must be one of the other Spideys digitally removed from the scene.

The theorist argues that it has to be Garfield. Originally appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Curt Connors is a foe with a strong personal connection to Garfield’s version of the hero, so it only makes sense for them to spar once more in this film. Going by the trailer, Holland will then be taking on Sandman. That leaves Maguire as the only one free to tussle with Electro. As for why he would be best suited for this job, the Redditor reminds us that Maguire is the only one with organic web-shooters, therefore he doesn’t have to worry about his mechanical shooters being damaged by Dillon’s electricity.

This is a very neat theory that fits with all the evidence we’ve seen so far. While Maguire vs. Sandman would be the more obvious choice, part of the fun of this crossover is for the Spideys to fight different villains, so it would be a waste if the movie missed this opportunity. We’ll find out what’s in store for the wall-crawlers when Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on Dec. 17.