SPOILER WARNING!!!
There…you’ve been warned!
I’m going in and I’m going deep! So if you haven’t seen Spider-Man: Far From Home yet…get thee to the theater and FIX IT! Then come back and read on!!
I’m serious. I’m gonna spoil things.
Ok…here we go!
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Tony…Natasha…Steve…Vision. They’re all gone. And the world is grieving the loss. But losing the heart and the head of the Avengers isn’t all that’s changed in the world. With half the population snapping back to a world 5 years in their future, there’s some serious catching up to do.
Turns out Thanos’ Snap, which caused the disappearance, has been dubbed “The Blip.” Those who disappeared were “blipped” and the movie takes the appropriate beat right in the beginning to fill us in.
Teens are repeating grades, Brad is much older and hotter. So much has changed!!
But the biggest thing that’s changed for Peter is the death of Tony Stark. And with the world grieving him, his image lives on in rudimentary video tributes and wall murals everywhere. No matter where Peter turns, Tony seems to be there asking the question. “Will you take over for me?”
The Heir Apparent
Peter is grieving the loss of his mentor and friend. He’s trying to move on and figure out his place in this world. And the world is trying to move on too. But as anyone who’s lost someone will tell you, that’s easier said than done. And for Peter, losing Tony is like losing Uncle Ben all over again. (Or at least that is this author’s sentimental assumption.)
What Peter wants most, after having saved the world alongside the strongest among us, is to kiss the girl at the top of the Eiffel Tower and tell her he likes her. And maybe even hear those words reciprocated. But “with great power…” as all Spidey fans know!
Grappling with what he wants and his duty as a superhero is a struggle every incarnation of Peter Parker must go through. And Tom Holland’s Spidey is no exception.
E.D.I.T.H.
It’s the introduction of E.D.I.T.H. (control over Tony’s tech empire) that leaves young Peter holding the weight of the world in his hands…literally. E.D.I.T.H. stands for Even Dead I’m The Hero. Leave it to Tony to deliver some post mortem narcissistic humor at the exact right moment.
But is Peter the right person to have control over the most powerful technology on Earth? He’s pretty sure the answer is no. Especially after almost killing Brad, his rival for M.J.’s attention. Control over the unlimited power that E.D.I.T.H. offers is way out of Peter’s league.
So when a successor comes along that looks worthy enough, he takes the chance to pass the buck. Knowing in his heart that he, himself, was never worthy of taking over for Iron Man in the first place. After all, who would entrust a teenage kid with that much power.
Mysterio
From the early looks at the trailers through the first act of Spider-Man: Far From Home, we’re led to believe that a mysterious and dashing new hero is making a splash on the scene. Mysterio seems like the perfect hero to enter the picture after the events of Avengers: End Game.
In the wake of Tony & Natasha’s deaths and Cap’s departure back to the 1940’s, the world feels the void. The world wants questions to be answered. The world is looking for a hero.
Quentin Beck has decided to orchestrate just such a hero.
With a multiverse threatening to rip holes in the space time continuum, Beck presents the perfect hero to believe in. And after everything the Avengers and the rest of the world have seen, why wouldn’t they believe the story Beck has told them.
Except that what you see isn’t always what you get! Don’t trust anything! That’s the lesson here. Quentin Beck is not what he seems. And after being handed the keys to the Stark kingdom, we see what Peter has missed…Beck’s true nature and his purpose in befriending Peter Parker.
Alas…there is no multiverse threatening our world. Just a charismatic orator with a band of loyal subjects and access to advanced technology. This merry band of Tony Stark’s displaced former employees have latched on to Beck’s vision of the future. And with their help he will become the hero he thinks the world still needs.
Love is in the Air
In the midst of all the action and drama…there’s a lot of love in the air. Happy and Aunt May. Peter and M.J. It seems that Spiderman: Far From Home is bringing romance back to the MCU in a big way. But Peter and Happy aren’t the only ones. Our very own Ned gets a ship of his own! FINALLY! A beloved side character gets a little romance!
But the biggest, most anticipated ship in this harbor is Peter and M.J.. When last we saw M.J., Peter was just barely over his crush on Liz (daughter of arch enemy, Vulture.) But now…he’s all “Liz who?!” It’s M.J. that Peter has on the brain and on the heart. And he has a 6 point plan on how to win her over.
This isn’t the heavy, star-crossed love of Cap and Peggy. And it’s not the comfortable, playful love of Pepper and Tony. It’s not even the angsty, teenage love of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy. This is sweet, high school romance that is a precursor to love. Lingering gazes, awkward interactions and adorable first kisses are what makes up this teenage shipper.
Their ship is not new to Marvel fans or comic readers, but it is new to the MCU. There’s a lot of potential for M.J. and Peter to grow into this ship as they grow up in the franchise.
A major change in the classic retelling of Peter and M.J.’s love story is that this time around M.J. figures out his secret pretty early on. So we won’t get the secret identity love triangle that used to plague poor Spider-Man. No, this time, it’s all about letting the secret out. Starting with Iron Man back in 2008 and continuing into Spider-Man: Far From Home. Secret keeping is not more.
The Secret’s Out
So…M.J. figures out Peter’s big secret. But, if she had waited a couple days she could have found out Spidey’s identity with the rest of the world. Quentin Beck may have been defeated (and is possibly dead) but that doesn’t mean his work is done.
This movie has plenty of surprises to boast of. But the biggest one comes in the mid-credit scene. (Make sure to wait till the very end!) Turns out Quentin laid a trap for Peter and leaked the footage to the news. Covering the story is a very familiar face.
That’s right!! J.K. Simmons returns as J. Jonah Jameson. Fans of Tobey Maguire’s run as the web slinger will recognize him immediately. This is an unprecedented move on Marvel’s part. As we have never…repeat…NEVER seen a character from a non-MCU Marvel movie join the MCU. So the appearance of Simmon’s spicy and comic-book-accurate portrayal of Jameson is a surprising, yet welcome move!
It’s Jameson that has the coverage outing Peter’s identity. But this isn’t your momma’s Daily Bugle. This is TheDailyBugle.net and it’s described as a controversial online news outlet. Harkening to the Info Wars-esque sites we have in real life today. This Daily Bugle is slinging whatever salacious gossip will get the most clicks. And that includes the fake story Quentin planted about Peter being the true villain. As well as the juicy detail of Spider-Man’s true identity.
Secret War?
But that’s not the only surprise waiting for viewers at the end of the movie. The end credit scene holds a treasure trove. Nick Fury and Agent Hill, after wrapping their mission get into a black car and drive away. But it isn’t Agent Hill or Nick Fury at all. It’s the Skrulls. Particularly, Talos and his wife, Soren last seen in Captain Marvel.
Talos calls Nick Fury to report on the mission and to let him know that things did not go as planned. He also tells Fury that it’s time to come back home. But Fury himself seems far from home.
At first glance it looks like Nick might be getting the R&R he deserves after having been blipped for 5 years and having saved the world, as usual. A fruity drink with a beachy view, but again…the theme here is that looks can be deceiving and Nick is really on a space ship with a bunch of other Skrulls.
With the added edition of a quick mention in the movie by Agent Hill (aka Soren) about “Skrull sleeper cells”…could this be the start of the Secret War storyline? Only time will tell!