Warning: This list contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is finally out and it contains some of the most exciting moments in the MCU to this point. The movie is a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, and it also contains some of the most tearful scenes not only in this Spider-Man trilogy but any Spider-Man movie ever. These scenes are not only tearful for being sad but in some cases being joyful.
No Way Home is a triumph in many ways and represents a culmination not only of this particular Spider-Man trilogy but the Spider-Man franchise in live-action going back to the first Sam Raimi movie in 2002. For fans old and new, it’s a goodbye in many ways, but also a reunion in many others, leading to a lot of tears and a lot of reasons to see the movie again and again.
Norman Osborn’s Struggle
One of the most unexpected aspects of the new movie is that it not only brings back classic villains from previous Spider-Man movies but also continues their story arcs. Nowhere is that more poignant than with Norman Osborn, who lands in the MCU and discovers that not only does Oscrop not exist there, but his son Harry doesn’t either.
Willem Dafoe is lost, confused, and in grief throughout his opening scenes, making the Green Goblin once again one of the most compelling villains. His pain is real and generates some tears, especially when he ultimately succumbs to his Green Goblin persona.
Doctor Strange Admits He Loves Peter Parker
One of the most tearful scenes in the new movie has Doctor Strange reveal his genuine affection for Peter Parker. As Peter Parker suggests casting a forgetting spell to stop the multiverse from invading the MCU, Doctor Strange says “Everyone who knows and loves you will forget you.”
Doctor Strange has been a villain many times in Marvel Comics, and No Way Home positions him as an antagonist of Peter Parker over the course of the movie. But, by the end, fans see how much Doctor Strange values Spider-Man and everything he represents.
The Return Of The Spider-Men
One of the most ecstatic moments in the new movie is also one certain to generate a lot of tears. When Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire make their entrances into the MCU, it’s a joyful moment that represents something many fans thought they would never see.
The initial introduction of the two previous versions of Spider-Man from the movies is also hysterical, with MJ demanding the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man prove he’s Peter Parker as she continuously throws bread at him to activate his spider-sense.
Sam Raimi Spider-Man Stops MCU Spider-Man
There are many powerful versions of Spider-Man in the comics, and many of them have met. It’s arguable they have never had a moment as impactful as the Sam Raimi Spider-Man stops the MCU Spider-Man from killing the Green Goblin.
The MCU Spider-Man is determined to kill Green Goblin after the death of Aunt May, which would destroy what she died for and everything he represents. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man’s intervention is a poignant and powerful moment and validation of who Spider-Man truly is.
The Amazing Spider-Man Remembers Gwen
One of the saddest scenes in the new movie has The Amazing Spider-Man remember the death of Gwen Stacy from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. It’s especially sad as Andrew Garfield tearfully explains that after her death, he became “rageful” and “bitter.”
It’s a sad outcome for this version of Peter Parker. Gwen Stacy’s death was one of the most shocking deaths in Marvel Comics, but Spider-Man eventually found peace. It was very sad to see the Amazing Spider-Man didn’t, at least to that point.
Brothers
The combination of all three Spider-Man very easily could have not worked in the movie, but the chemistry and camaraderie between them are some of its best features. One of the most joyful moments comes when The Amazing Spider-Man says he always wanted brothers.
The three Spider-Men bond in ways that are tearfully joyous, becoming a team and a band of brothers in the course of trying to save the lives of the supervillains out to kill them. Their parting hug is one of the most touching moments in the movie.
Sam Rami Spider-Man’s Reunion With Doctor Octopus
Another powerful moment that inspires some tears comes when the Sam Raimi Spider-Man is reunited with Doctor Octopus. Comic book fans know Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains, but in Spider-Man 2 and in this movie, they’re close friends.
Doctor Octopus’s pride in an older Peter Parker is one of the most poignant moments in the movie, especially as Doc Ock’s death in the Sam Raimi trilogy is now retconned in a way that allows the two to continue their friendship and partnership in their universe.
Saying Goodbye
One of the saddest moments in the new movie comes when Peter Parker has to say goodbye to his friends MJ and Ned. The only way to stop the multiverse from encroaching on the MCU, he has Doctor Strange cast a spell to make everyone everywhere forget Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
His tearful farewell to MJ and Ned is heartbreaking. He promises to find MJ and Ned and make them remember, but as he later discovers, that may not be as easy as he thinks and the impact of the spell could be permanent for Peter Parker.
The Amazing Spider-Man Saves MJ
A lot of fans anticipated that The Amazing Spider-Man would save MJ as she fell from the scaffolding of the Statue of Liberty. Their speculation was rewarded with a triumphant moment that was equally poignant. Andrew Garfield’s relief and remnant grief for Gwen Stacy radiates out of him as holds a grateful MJ.
It’s a powerful moment for fans too, who have seen some form of this scene in every iteration of the Spider-Man live-action franchise. The relief for The Amazing Spider-Man and fans goes all the way back to Gwen’s death in the comics in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 in the 70s.
The Death of Aunt May
One of the most shocking and sad moments in the movie is the death of Aunt May. Her death is even more tragic because she dies trying to save the man who killed her. But her death at the hands of the Green Goblin also allows for one of the most powerful moments in the movie.
After Aunt May is injured, she delivers the iconic line “With great power comes great responsibility,” the guiding principle for Spider-Man that was uttered by Uncle Ben in the comics and other movies. Here it takes on added weight and poignancy as she pays the ultimate price for her values and for Peter Parker’s as well.