‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Director Jon Watts Gathered the Actors to Have a ‘Spider-Man Therapy Session’
Emotions run high throughout Spider-Man: No Way Home. One minute the audience is laughing and cheering, and the next, they’re crying. The Marvel Cinematic Universe film means a lot to so many fans, and it’s a testament that the world is still talking about it. And Jon Watts, the director of Spider-Man: No Way Home, realized the impact the film could potentially have, so he spoke with the actors before filming to make sure they got it right.
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ featured the return of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire
In the months leading up to Spider-Man: No Way Home, rumors run rampant on the internet that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire would reprise their roles as Peter Parker in the film. Marvel confirmed that a few former Spider-Man actors would be in the movie, but they constantly denied Garfield and Maguire’s involvement.
However, they were lying. The actors did make an appearance in the film, and the world will never be the same. Garfield and Maguire showed up in the MCU when Tom Holland’s Peter accidentally tore open the multiverse. And they were there to help him fix the chaos.
Fans and critics have widely praised Spider-Man: No Way Home, and it dominated at the box office. And while there’s no doubt that Garfield and Maguire contributed to its success, the movie is overall a triumph.
Director Jon Watts describes preparing to film the first scene between Garfield, Maguire, and the main trio
Jon Watts knew that Spider-Man: No Way Home contained high stakes, and he wanted to navigate them the best that he could. So, according to Variety, the director asked for some help from a few of the Spider-Man actors — Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire.
“We sat on folding chairs in a circle and went through the script together,” Watts revealed. “I had talked to everyone separately, but to have everyone together to talk about the story, how the pieces fit together and what Spider-Man meant to them — that was exciting for me. We had the only three actors to ever play Spider-Man in a film, and each had been through so much, on and off-screen. It was like a Spider-Man therapy session.”
He continued, “Because we had done that work ahead of time, when filming that first scene with everyone, it was great to take a step back and see the crew watching, like they were watching the movie. You’re capturing something more than a scene from a movie; you’re watching a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
We are sure that many fans would have loved to be a fly on the wall during the “Spider-Man therapy session.” But it’s clear that their open communication contributed to the iconic first scene where Tom’s Peter meets Andrew and Tobey’s characters.
Jon Watts admitted that one thing made him nervous on the ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ set
Spider-Man: No Way Home was an enormous feat to pull off, and, somehow, Jon Watts did it. But he revealed to Variety that one thing plagued him during filming.
“The only thing I was nervous about is that I’d miss something great,” Watts shared. “As a director, you always keep your eyes and ears open.”
He added, “I’ve always taken my greatest fear and made that central to the thematics of the films. [Spider-Man: Homecoming] is about a kid who gets a huge opportunity and is so afraid he’ll miss his chance that he creates a disaster. That was my fear: ‘What if I screw the whole thing up?'”
“[Spider-Man: Far From Home] is about being afraid to make a second movie and screwing things up,” Watts said. “Peter Parker is given a mission, and he doesn’t want to take a risk. [Spider-Man: No Way Home] is about trying to finish this origin story and the responsibility that comes with this. Peter Parker and Spider-Man mean so much to people, and I felt that responsibility.”
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters.
