Tom Holland and Samuel L. Jackson star in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: ™ FAR FROM HOME
Spider-Man: Far From Home was full of unexpected twists and turns that kept us glued to the edge of our seats. We discuss our five favorite surprises here.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the gift that keeps on giving. From Easter eggs, Marvel Cinematic Universe homages, outrageous hilarity and plenty of heart, there’s something for everyone in this film. It’s no wonder the film has already broken one box office record and is well on its way to becoming one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer.
Whether you’ve seen it just once, or several times, there is no dearth of twists and surprises for ardent fans and casual viewers to enjoy. The twists certainly make for some of the most memorable moments of the film, especially since Jon Watts and the writing team litter them throughout the film, even keeping some for the mid- and post-credits sequences!
The biggest surprise for many came even before audiences bought tickets – in Spider-Man: Far From Home Peter Parker was uprooted from his home in New York to travel around Europe with his classmates. For those who doubted that Marvel could make a globe-trotting Spider-Man work, the film successfully answers the question with a “B**** please, you’ve been to space!”
While Peter’s classmates spend the majority of the film dodging attacks by the Elementals, Peter joins forces with the newest hero in town, Mysterio, as they try to save the world together. And that’s when all the surprises begin. Both Peter and the audience are in for so many more. Here are five of our favorite surprises from Spider-Man: Far From Home. Warning, spoilers for the film ahead.
Credit: Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios for Spider-Man Far From Home (2019) — Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland)
5. Fury and Hill
Throughout Spider-Man: Far From Home, Nick Fury and Maria Hill seemed a bit off. Hill appeared overly cynical, while Fury was uncharacteristically gullible. It was hard to believe these two stalwarts of the Avengers franchise would so easily fall for Mysterio’s antics, or that they would embrace this stranger as the next hero of Earth. Why were Fury and Hill behaving so strangely? And why could neither of them empathize with Peter’s predicament? Well, we figure it out in the post-credits scene.
The film ends with Hill calling Fury out for misreading Mysterio and consequently putting the world in danger. As it turns out, these two were Skrull shapeshifters the entire time – Fury was actually Talos and Hill was his wife, Soren,. Played with charming ease by Ben Mendelsohn and Sharon Blynn (reprising their Captain Marvel roles), Talos and Soren have been warming these seats, while Fury has bigger fish to fry. After almost being killed by Mysterio, however, Soren wants Talos to bring in the big guns. And that means a call to Fury himself.
It’s hard to choose which moment was the bigger surprise in this scene – the reveal of the Skrulls, or the fact that Fury has been chillaxing out in space with the rest of the Skrulls. It looks like Fury is using his return from the Blip as a chance to take a much-earned break. Him kicking back with a cocktail, a holographic beach scene and no shoes is not an image MCU fans are going to forget very soon.
(l to r) Numan Acar, Tom Holland and Jacky Gyllenhaal in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: ™ FAR FROM HOME
4. The Multiverse
Avengers: Endgame introduced time travel to the MCU, which made many comic book fans wonder if alternate realities also existed in the cinematic universe. Our prayers seemed to be answered in Spider-Man: Far From Home when Quentin Beck introduced himself as a scientist from Earth-833. He says he’s travelled to Peter Parker’s reality – Earth-616 – to stop the Elementals who terrorized his world from destroying this one. Most fans were leaping from their seats at this point since Marvel Comics exist in the Earth-616 timeline.
A potential multiverse would open up endless possibilities for the franchise. To begin with, there could be other Tony Starks out there – a thought that must have crossed Peter’s mind, as it surely did for many viewers. Characters could be given a new lease on life, and other renditions of favorite characters could be explored. We could have another version of the Spider-Verse. If only it had all been true!
In a cruel twist by the film’s creators, Mysterio is eventually revealed to be just a regular guy from Earth, meaning any hope for a multiverse is nipped in the bud. But this being Marvel, it’s still possible that the multiverse exists in the MCU and will become canon one day. So let’s hold out hope that a live-action Spider-Verse can still come to fruition.
Jake Gyllenhaal is Mysterio in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: ™ FAR FROM HOME.
3. Mysterio’s Powers
Comic books as a medium allow creators carte blanche when it comes to powers and abilities. Mysterio’s special effects wizardry knows no bounds on the page, but how would his characteristic illusions translate to the screen?
The MCU’s production quality is top-notch, and yet including otherworldly gimmickry at the wrong time in a film can ruin the viewing experience. Thankfully, Spider-Man: Far From Home relegates Mysterio’s psychedelic tendencies to one mind-bending scene.
Once Spider-Man and MJ realize Mysterio fooled them, Peter rushes to battle the villain head on, only to find himself trapped in illusion after illusion. The cinematography alone ensures this scene deserves a place in this list.
The scene doesn’t always make sense, but it is purposely disturbing because Mysterio is trying to disorient Peter until he’s mollified enough to reveal who else knows of Mysterio’s plan. The nod to Marvel Zombies (which is rumored to be making a return), is also what sets this scene apart. Not only does Mysterio toy with Peter’s grief, but the Iron Man zombie looks very much like his comic book counterpart.
The real gut-punch comes when Mysterio is shot dead by Nick Fury, much to the relief of Peter, who immediately confides in his mentor. Of course, Fury turns out to be Mysterio in disguise. The entire scene is one twist after another and, without a doubt, every subsequent viewing of the film will reveal new details the filmmakers have hidden in it.
Jake Gyllenhaal is Mysterio in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: ™ FAR FROM HOME.
2. Mysterio
Anyone with a passing knowledge of Spider-Man lore is aware that Mysterio is not a good guy. He’s a villain, who has tried and failed to position himself as a hero. But Spider-Man: Far From Home does plenty to dupe the audience into believing in Quentin Beck.
For one, Beck is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who is loved by all. He’s been winning fans over on the film’s promotional tour ,so when Mysterio arrives in a blaze of glory, the film wants you to love this character. Beck is so earnest and has a believable and sympathetic backstory. He wants to save the world, and he is immediately on Peter’s side. What’s not to like about the guy?
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The fact that he’s a supervillain, that’s what! After Peter passes the Iron Man baton over to Beck, the audience knows that the other shoe is about to drop, and it does, but in an unexpected fashion. In an obvious homage to the Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3, Beck turns out to be a regular guy who had ill intentions from the start. He has been after Tony’s tech because Beck was a former employee of Stark Industries and wants payback for Tony Stark’s treatment of him and his squad. The way Gyllenhaal changes the character’s personality is the reason this reveal is outstanding – gone is the solemn and kind Mysterio, before us is an egotistical megalomaniac. In Quentin Beck, Spider-Man: Far From Home gives us a villain who is scarier out of his cape than in it.
Michelle (Zendaya) catches a ride from Spider-Man in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: ™ FAR FROM HOME.
1. That Mid-Credits Scene
Spider-Man: Far From Home really didn’t pull its punches. The Marvel mid/post-credits scenes have become part of legend, but we will be the first to admit that there have been a few misfires in the past. Not with this film, however.
We’ve already mentioned the end-credits scene, but the mid-credits one is the more dramatic of the two. It starts off with MJ complaining about swinging across New York, which was one of our top funny moments, but then the scene segues into something completely different!
First of all, the giant billboard screen cuts away for breaking news from the Daily Bugle. And who is there to announce the news? None other than J. Jonah Jameson, played by J. K. Simmons, who reprises his role from the Sam Raimi films. That surprise would have been good enough, but then Jameson reveals that he has received footage of Spider-Man executing Quentin Beck. Not only that, Beck recorded himself disclosing Spider-Man’s true identity.
The way the scene is edited is not for the faint of heart. Beck’s camera cuts out just as he starts to say Peter Parker’s name, and everyone watching – the film viewers and Peter alike – temporarily breathes a sigh of relief, thinking Peter’s had a lucky escape. But no! Beck’s camera comes back on, and he blurts out Peter’s name for the entire world to hear. Peter’s holding his head in his hands, and so are we. How does Peter come back from this revelation?
Did you love all the twists and surprises in Spider-Man: Far From Home? Which of your favorites made it to our list, and which didn’t? Let us know in the comments.