Here are the grades of the main characters from Spider-Man: No Way Home and what made them great or lackluster.
Spider-Man: No Way Home may have been the most anticipated movie of 2021. The buzz of a Marvel Studios Spider-Man movie is more than enough to get people excited. The added surprises going in helped raise the level of excitement for the Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
***WARNING! SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME!***
First, we saw that villains from past Spider-Man movies would be part of the project. Then, there was the worst kept secret of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield being part of the Spider-Man: No Way Home. Both actors denied being cast, but fans knew the truth. As the project got closer to being released, Kevin Feige essentially confirmed that we would see Charlie Cox return as Matt Murdock in the MCU. All of these surprises helped make the latest project from Marvel Studios an overwhelming success.
But it wasn’t just the surprises that made Spider-Man: No Way Home the number 1 movie in the world. The cast made the movie nearly perfect. Each of them put on performances that carried the movie smoothly into the end. Some of them went above and beyond what anyone would have expected. With that in mind, this writer will grade each of the characters and explain the results.
16. J. Jonah Jameson
J.K. Simmons is the voice of J. Jonah Jameson and no one has or will do it better. He wasn’t just Peter’s boss in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, he was a big part of those films and he may have been even better in the MCU.
It was funny seeing him in a house with a green screen. He wasn’t as powerful as we’ve seen him in previous movies but he was actually in the field reporting instead of sitting behind a desk in a cluttered apartment.
This was unlike the other movies where he was only in the Daily Bugle. All of this was an updated version of how things are reported. A great job by the creators.
Grade: A
15. Matt Murdock
It didn’t matter if you knew Charlie Cox was making his return to the MCU or not; seeing him on-screen made for a memorable moment. In one scene, Cox gave everyone what they’ve missed from him and reminded fans why they loved his portrayal of Matt Murdock. The only thing missing was a hallway fight scene.
Murdock remained an incredible lawyer when he was helping Peter and Happy with their case, reminding people that he knew his stuff. When he caught the brick being thrown at him, it showed people that he’s still Daredevil. Hopefully, he’ll be back in red in a future Spider-Man project.
Grade: A+
14. MJ
MJ wasn’t in the movie as much as you’d think or want, but she had a major part in carrying the film. She wasn’t just the sassy character we’ve seen in the previous two projects. She had a plethora of deep, emotional and character moments. Among them was the film’s ending.
Seeing MJ oblivious to Peter and their history in the film’s final scenes was sad. However, she left fans with a little hope, reacting in a way that perhaps suggested that Peter looked familiar (even if she couldn’t remember from where).
It was subtle. That subtlety is part of what makes Zendaya great. Without her, Spider-Man: No Way Home would have been good, just not spectacular or amazing.
Grade: A
13. Ned Leeds
Ned had a few funny moments throughout Spider-Man: No Way Home. For example, his scene with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire when they appeared through the portals. He carried that scene. Unfortunately, that was the end for him.
Jacob Batalon isn’t to blame for this. He had a role to play and performed well. There just wasn’t enough time for everyone to shine and Ned was one of the film’s main sources of comic relief. Sometimes that means that you don’t get as much in the way of dramatic storylines.
Batalon was one of the MVPs of the last two Spider-Man projects. This time, he had to take a backseat.
Grade: C
12. Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch rocks wherever he goes. This was just another example of him being awesome. Was this a good representation of Doctor Strange’s power and abilities? No. That said, that was the point.
Doctor Strange made Peter Parker look fantastic. It’s rare that anyone gets the best of the Sorcerer Supreme, especially when they don’t have supernatural powers, but that’s exactly what Peter did. Stephen Strange served as an obstacle for Spidey to overcome and he played that role well. Throw in his humor to the mix and we have an amazing supporting character.
Another underrated part is how this sets up Stephen for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Magic has a price and Stephen will be paying a heavy toll.
Grade: B
11. Happy Hogan
Happy Hogan is the same in every Marvel Cinematic Universe project. He’s a supporting character that’s used mostly for humor. Thankfully, he had more deep moments than normal in No Way Home. His interaction with Peter as Aunt May died and their talk at her grave were things we hadn’t seen much of before. We saw glimpses of this in Avengers: Endgame when Tony died, but that was it.
Acting isn’t what made Jon Favreau great. Nevertheless, he has excelled in his role of Happy Hogan. Hopefully, we’ll see more of him in Peter’s life in the future, even if the character is not able to remember him.
Grade: C
10. Aunt May
Marisa Tomei might be everyone’s favorite Aunt May. She played a hilarious and friendly character in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, she was able to show even more range. She was the caring Aunt May that we’ve waited to see. More than that, she also played the Uncle Ben role well.
When Aunt May died, she gave Peter the “With great power, must also come great responsibility” speech. A moment that’s normally reserved for Uncle Ben. Marvel fans seemed happy that this was changed. It made more sense for her to give Peter the message. It made for a better story given the emotional connection between May and Peter, and it also kept us from seeing Uncle Ben die again.
Grade: A
9. Otto Octavius
Alfred Molina didn’t miss a step when he reprised his role as Otto Octavius. In fact, he was as phenomenal as he was in Spider-Man 2. When he first appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he was incredibly menacing and it ensured that his fight scene with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was even better than his one with Tobey Maguire’s Spidey on the train – something that didn’t seem possible.
When he moved away from his evil personality, he made the transition perfectly. Having him be one of the saviors at the end made this writer smile. This was him making up for all of the bad he previously did, ending his time as Doc Ock on a positive note.
Grade: A+
8. Electro
Jamie Foxx probably looked at his return as Max Dillon (Electro) as a way to show everyone what could have been. He more than redeemed himself. No more insecure Electro. He stood up for himself and spoke out about what he wanted. This is the kind of villain we should have gotten in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Had we received this version, Andrew Garfield may have been Peter Parker in one more movie.
The only negative thing that could be said about Jamie Foxx’s performance is that we may not see him as Electro again. Foxx is one of the best actors alive and his Electro could have ended up being one of the greatest recurring villains in comic book history.
Grade: A+
7. The Lizard
There really isn’t much to say about the Lizard. He was fun and creepy whenever he was on screen. Other than that, he was just okay. He didn’t add much to the movie. Then again, when you’re next to Green Goblin, Electro, and Doc Ock, it’s not easy to stand-out.
Rhys Ifans did what he was asked to do. It just wasn’t enough to make the Lizard a more than average character. Other than a few lines while being in captivity, the Lizard just wasn’t memorable.
Grade: C
6. Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn doesn’t know how to stand up to his evil persona. Instead, he hides within himself, cowers or runs away, fearful of what the Green Goblin will do when he takes control. Too bad he can’t escape him.
The Goblin is part of him. This didn’t change much in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Norman still couldn’t contain the darkness inside him. Even worse, the darkness in him masked itself as “weak” Norman Osborn.
Grade: B
5. Green Goblin
If this writer had to give the Most Valuable Player trophy to one character, it would be the Green Goblin. Willem Dafoe was absolutely flawless in reprising the role. His facial expressions continued to be top notch, showing us that we never needed the goblin mask in the first Spider-Man movie. Dafoe’s eyes bulged out, his speech pattern changed with the character, and his laugh could creep out a demon from Hades.
The Green Goblin played Peter like a fool. By the time Peter figured out Norman wasn’t the one he was working with, it was too late: The Goblin’s plan was in action. The beating that happened in Happy’s condo was one of the best scenes of the film. Then, having him kill Aunt May just highlighted the evil that is the Green Goblin. He was absolutely perfect.
Grade: A+++
4. Sandman
The best way to put Sandman’s performance would be forgettable. The only thing that anyone will recall from his role in the film is him wanting to get back to his Earth. Why? Because he said it at least a dozen times. It was as if it was his only line.
Ironically, Thomas Haden Church’s character was as dry as the sand he turns into. This writer truly believes that Sandman could have been better but he wasn’t given anything of importance to do. And that made the Spider-Man 3 character’s return the most disappointing part of No Way Home.
Grade: D
3. Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire)
Tobey Maguire showed the world why he was the best Peter Parker of all time. His comeback wasn’t about being Spider-Man; he was there to be the older, wiser, and gentler version of the MCU’s Peter. When Maguire’s Peter was needed most, he was there. Killing the Green Goblin was a decision that the MCU’s Peter wouldn’t have been able to take back. Thankfully, that wiser Spider-Man was there to stop him from making a mistake.
Maguire’s good-natured Peter was a great addition to the movie, as was the tease we got of his current life. He seemed content – an emotion that most Peter Parkers only dream of. Maguire’s Peter almost lost everything over the course of his time on-screen in the Sam Raimi trilogy due to his own mistakes and somewhat selfishness. Seeing him say, “We’re working on it” in regards to his relationship with MJ gave everyone a feeling of satisfaction.
Grade: A+
2. Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield)
Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker was very much like the comic book version. He was self deprecating on a level that we haven’t seen much of from the other live-action versions. Seeing how he differed from his alternate selves in Spider-Man: No Way Home actually encouraged this. The Amazing Spider-Man franchise’s hero didn’t have the gadgets, girlfriend, or even the villains that the other Peters had. This made him feel inferior – so much so that he even called himself lame.
There was a lot to love about the return of Andrew Garfield’s Peter, but the one part fans seem to hold onto is how he changed after Gwen died. He said that he stopped pulling his punches. Some might make the assumption that he meant he started killing people. However, what if that isn’t it? He could have just turned into a version of Spider-Man post Marvel Civil War in the comics. That Spider-Man put on the black costume and used his fear and strength to intimidate and finish his enemies. The fans deserve to see this Andrew Garfield in a Spider-Man movie.
Regardless of whether we do or don’t, it was great to see Garfield return as Peter.
Grade: A+
1. Spider-Man (Tom Holland)
And now we come to Tom Holland. The Peter Parker who both caused and solved the problems in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This was the most classic Spider-Man story we’ve seen in a movie so far. Peter let his love for his loved ones almost ruin the lives of billions of people. And just like he would in a Marvel Comics series, he sacrificed everything he loved to save the day.
The biggest takeaway from this journey was Tom Holland’s Peter becoming a leader. Despite the other two Spideys being more experienced, the MCU Peter knew how to lead them. This may have been his shining moment in the MCU and a glimpse into the future. Some fans believe that he’ll be the next leader of the Avengers, and No Way Home certainly made a good case for why he could be.
Grade: A++
What do you think? How would you have graded the characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let us know in the comments below.