Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s iterations of Spider-Man get new footage in the No Way Home extended cut, but how much more of them is there?
Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield made their long-awaited returns to the Spider-Man role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the two classic web-slingers are given even more footage in the film’s extended cut. The “More Fun Stuff” version promises roughly 13 minutes of extra footage, and while most of it focuses on Tom Holland’s iteration of Spider-Man, the crowd-pleasing reappearance of Maguire and Garfield is also extended. The extent of the new scenes, however, may displease some viewers who were hoping for specific moments teased in No Way Home’s behind-the-scenes material.
No Way Home – More Fun Stuff integrates several deleted scenes into the film, such as a cameo by Tom Holland’s brother, and the previously-released elevator ride for Peter, Aunt May, and the multiversal villains. Easily one of the most helpful moments to alleviate confusion among viewers is the film’s new post-credits scene, which further explains the effects of Doctor Strange’s final reality-warping spell by showing altered photos that no longer include Peter Parker’s face. In this regard, the More Fun Stuff version is similar to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.1, only it offers a far greater improvement over the theatrical cut than the Raimi film, which told its story succinctly in the theatrical version of Spider-Man 2.
Arguably the greatest selling point of No Way Home is not only the resurfacing of supervillains from the two previous Spider-Man franchises but also the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man iterations. Naturally, viewers may hope for more footage of the three Spider-Man variants together. For better or worse, there is only one extended scene with the two older Spider-Men, with the prelude to the Statue of Liberty battle being a few minutes longer and including more humorous self-reflection and comparisons between the three. Tobey and Andrew’s Spider-Man iterations express desires for second chances and interest in seeing each other again after the multiversal crisis is averted (coming off as both meta-commentary and a hint that they will both return) and there is extra dialogue regarding Tobey’s organic web-shooters and how the three have become accustomed to their fantastical adventures.
Does No Way Home – More Fun Stuff Make Maguire & Garfield’s Returns Better?
While the additional act 3 dialogue for Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man iterations is a welcome addition to the No Way Home extended cut, it ultimately adds little to their crowd-pleasing reappearance. The extended pre-battle scene simply includes a few more minutes of the three Peter Parkers bonding (and blurring the lines between the actors and their characters), which might disappoint viewers who were hoping for more insight into what Andrew’s iteration has been up to following the events of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 or the deleted fight scene between Tobey’s Spider-Man and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. The extra dialogue, like the rest of No Way Home’s extra scenes in the More Fun Stuff version, should have been included in the film’s home media releases.
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Out of all the additions in the More Fun Stuff version of No Way Home, the only scene that truly adds to the film’s narrative is the new post-credits scene, which, in hindsight, should have been part of the film’s original theatrical cut. The rest of the film’s new scenes add humorous dialogue and entertaining moments, and while they by no means make the movie worse, they only marginally improve it. The new footage in Spider-Man: No Way Home’s extended cut, including Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s extra scene, is enjoyable but only arguably worth a theatrical re-release.
