Here's Where You Know The Cast Of Spider-Man: No Way Home From
Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
Tom Holland is back playing Peter Parker aka Spider-Man for the third installment of the superhero franchise, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which scored a premiere date of December 17, 2021.
The film, which is directed by Jon Watts, follows the events of "Spider-Man: Far From Home." The second chapter saw newspaper mogul J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simmons) outing Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as Spider-Man to the world. Now, under an impossible level of scrutiny, Peter enlists the help of fellow Avenger Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to make everyone forget he is the web-slinging superhero. As a result of this altered reality (and Marvel and Sony's new rights deal), the film delves deeper into the Spider-Verse than ever before, reintroducing some familiar faces including Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx, who reprise their roles from past "Spider-Man" franchises. "I think that what's nice about these movies is it kind of connects Spider-Man and his whole history [together]," producer Amy Pascal explained to Nerdist. So, the plan was clearly for these returning characters to play an important role in the film.
Beside Tom Holland are Zendaya and Jacob Batalon as MJ and Ned, Peter Parker's "Spider-Minions." Supporting the main cast is "Mare of Easttown" star Angourie Rice, who will reprise her role as Betty Brant, while Tony Revolori of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" fame is back as Flash Thompson. Keep reading for the full breakdown of the "Spider-Man: No Way Home" cast.
Tom Holland
Tom Holland returns to the big screen as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Holland has played the character since 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" and has now racked up 10 credits as the web-slinging superhero, per IMDb. He's no longer just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, though. Holland teased that he explores new sides of his character in "No Way Home," including "Peter Parker's ability to be bad." "There's something that happens in this film which I think fans will be very shocked by, which is really exciting and, for me, was something I loved bringing to the screen," he told CBR.
Though Marvel is responsible for Holland's rise to stardom, the British star has also branched out from the superhero world. You might have seen him in films like "The Devil All the Time," "Cherry," or "Chaos Walking." Playing the title character in "Cherry," who struggles after returning home from Iraq in 2003, was the most challenging and demanding role for Holland. "This role took me to some of the darkest places I have ever been, emotionally, physically," he admitted to British GQ. "I would never go back there again, not for anyone. I am pleased I did it, but that door is now closed and locked."
Zendaya
What can't Zendaya do? The "Euphoria" star, who was born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, is an actor, model, dancer, and singer. If you watched the Disney Channel in the early 2010s, you might recognize her for her role as Rocky Blue in "Shake It Up," which Zendaya starred in alongside Bella Thorne. Since then, she's racked up countless acting credits but has been choosing her projects carefully. "I would much rather have one line in a great movie than be the lead of a sh***y one," she explained to Variety. "I wanted to wait for the right thing."
In 2017, Zendaya notably starred in "The Greatest Showman" alongside Hugh Jackson, Zac Efron, and Michelle Williams. Four years later, she reunited with her former co-star Rebecca Ferguson in the science fiction film "Dune" alongside Timothée Chalamet. While both of these films were incredible achievements for the actor, Zendaya still looks back at Disney Channel's "K.C. Undercover" as one of her favorite roles to date. She chose to return to the House of Mouse mainly because "there weren't any families of color on the channel." Zendaya is now incredibly proud of that decision. "I think I've successfully made a show that not only allows for representation but sees girls in a powerful and strong position," she said.
After "K.C Undercover," Zendaya joined the Marvel-Sony "Spider-Man" trilogy as Michelle "MJ" Jones. "The coolest part" of the role was "knowing they embraced the diversity" with the cast, Zendaya told Variety. She was also excited by her "smart, quirky, different, and outspoken" character.
Jacob Batalon
Jacob Batalon plays Ned Leeds, Peter Parker's best friend and the first person (outside of the Avengers) to find out that he's "Spider-Man." As Ned said in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," every superhero needs a "guy in the chair," and that's him. Batalon is very excited about his role in "No Way Home," which sees the development of a new dynamic between Peter, MJ, and Ned. "I think they become a team in the movie. So I think that's important, that Ned and MJ are the loyal base that [Peter] has, the strength that he needs, the people that he needs," Batalon explained to CBR.
Outside of his role as Ned in the MCU, Batalon is best known for starring in the 2019 Netflix Christmas film "Let It Snow," which has been hailed for its "representation" and diversity, per MEAWW. "I just think really the normalcy of it all is what we're trying to push," explained Batalon. "It's just real life that we're emulating, so there's no real reason for it to be some sort of divisive thing."
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei plays Peter's aunt, May Parker, in the most recent "Spider-Man" trilogy. "I'm happy to be part of the Marvel world now," Tomei gushed to Fox News. However, she admitted that she had to do some research for the role. "I didn't really know how young [Peter] was when he came to live with us and how long ago in the past [his Uncle] Ben had been killed."
Outside of her role in the MCU, Tomei, whose career spans more than three decades, is best known for playing Mona Lisa Vito in "My Cousin Vinny." She was the underdog when she won an Academy Award for her performance in the 1992 comedy, and her win led to the birth of a conspiracy theory that award presenter Jack Palance had called out the wrong name at the awards ceremony. Tomei called the speculation "hurtful" in a 2001 interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
But while chatting with Fox News, Tomei said that Mona Lisa is one of her roles fans still love the most. "Mostly it's fantastic that people are still enjoying it and laughing, and once in a while it's like 'Oh my god, this was a long time ago,'" she said. And her fans are still quoting lines back to her too — wow, that film really has stood the test of time! In the years between "My Cousin Vinny" and "Spider-Man," Tomei has also starred in "Crazy, Stupid, Love," "Love the Coopers," and "The Handmaid's Tale."
Jon Favreau
Marvel fans will recognize Jon Favreau, who's starred in no less than seven MCU films as Harold "Happy" Hogan. In "Iron Man," Happy is Tony Stark's driver, bodyguard, and all-around personal assistant. However, as his character evolves, Happy becomes a friend to Stark's protégé Peter Parker, and later he also becomes romantically involved with Peter's aunt, May.
Having appeared in both of the Jon Watts-directed "Spider-Man" movies (and always coming to Peter's aid), it's no surprise that Happy has a pretty significant role in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," too. "I'm so happy I've been a part of [the MCU] and been able to be there with Tom Holland since the beginning," said Favreau proudly during a TikTok livestream of the premiere (via YouTube). Thankfully, Favreau's character wasn't killed off like the Marvel execs originally intended, then!
Outside of the superhero universe, you might recognize Favreau from films like "Four Christmases," "Cowboys & Aliens," or the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian." Favreau has also served as director and executive producer on a number of blockbuster films, including "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2." Though the first film grossed $585,366,247, per Box Office Mojo, and the second film even more, it's not money that motivates this director. "I care about the reviews, I care about what people think — and not just the reviews, but what the reaction online is," Favreau explained to Entertainment Weekly. "For something to be profitable doesn't necessarily mean it's the best thing in the world for the director. You judge a movie by different standards."
J. B. Smoove
Jerry Angelo Brooks, known professionally as J. B. Smoove, plays Julius Dell, one of Peter Parker's teachers. Smoove made his debut in the Audi and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" cross-promotional video, per Screen Rant, and was officially written into the franchise with his role in "Spider-Man: Far From Home."
As a longtime Marvel fan, Smoove says being in the "Spider-Man" franchise is a "big" thing for him. However, it doesn't seem like he's content just playing a teacher. "I'm gonna plant no seeds, but once you get in that Marvel Universe, then maybe it's a possibility they'll give me some damn powers," Smoove joked, per Young, Bold, and Regal. Well, anything is possible in Marvel.
Outside of the MCU, the actor, comedian, and writer is best known for the HBO sitcom "Curb Your Enthusiasm." In a 2019 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Smoove recalled getting the role of Leon Black by walking into his audition "as the character," whom he described as "somewhat of an opportunist, but he's a guy that got your back." Smoove has also voiced characters in animated films and series, including the comedy "Hell and Back" and the superhero series "Harley Quinn." Smoove told "The Daily Zeitgeist" that he is particularly proud to be in "the Marvel universe and the DC universe."
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch is a name synonymous with many different characters, but none more iconic than 221B Baker Street resident Sherlock Holmes, which is inarguably one of Cumberbatch's biggest roles to date. The British actor played Holmes from 2010 to 2017 in the BBC drama "Sherlock" alongside Martin Freeman. Cumberbatch said he really studied Holmes' backstory for the role. "I wanted to know all that information very early on because you're playing the most adapted and greatest fictional detective of all time," explained Cumberbatch to BBC. Fans surely appreciate the BAFTA award-winning actor putting the extra effort into his roles including everything he brings to the screen in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
In the "No Way Home" trailer, fans got a small taste of what to expect from his role. In the movie, Tom Holland's Peter Parker is on a mission to make the world forget that he's Spider-Man, so he enlists the help of his fellow Avenger, Dr. Stephen Strange, a reality-bending superhero who has the means to accomplish this ambitious goal. "It's a daring, brilliant, brilliant concept," Cumberbatch told the "Variety Awards Circuit" podcast of the film. Cumberbatch also agreed that it is one of the most "ambitious" superhero movies ever to be made — until "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is released, of course.
Benedict Wong
The "Spider-Man: No Way Home" cast welcomed another "Doctor Strange" star to their ranks. Actor Benedict Wong — whose character's name is also Wong — plays Doctor Stephen Strange's partner in crime, or rather partner in superhero-ing. As the trailer reveals, Wong tries to stop Stephen and Peter from messing with the timeline, but he fails just in time to see a slew of past "Spider-Man" villains return to the screen.
As a longtime "Spider-Man" fan, Wong was excited about bringing his Marvel character to the Spider-Verse. "I'm thrilled to play this role," he gushed, per Baby Savers. This was an extra special moment for Wong, who said that as a kid he wondered where all the Asian superheroes were. "It's like why I had to simply get this role by birthright. My ancestors would not let me live this down," he explained.
Before joining the MCU, Wong starred in the Netflix series "Marco Polo" from 2014 to 2016, and in 2015, he starred in the feature film "The Martian" alongside Matt Damon. You might also recognize him from the supernatural drama "Nine Days." Despite it being a quite low-budget movie, Wong saw something special in the script of "Nine Days." "I'm 30 years in the business now, and you know the rarity of a gem of a script," he explained to Slash Film. It's not all about money for Wong, who thinks everyone involved with the film told an amazing story. "You can do a lot with passion," he added.
J. K. Simmons
J. Jonah Jameson, editor of the Daily Bugle, was last seen exposing Peter Parker's identity to the world in the "Spider-Man: Far From Home" mid-credits scene. J. K. Simmons originally played this character in Sami Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy, reprising the role for the 2019 film. However, Simmons thinks this is a different iteration of the character. He could even be a variant (a term introduced in "Loki) thanks to the Spider-Verse. "You know what, I think it's a slightly different version, and certainly, from the creators of this current iteration of the story, it's a very different character," Simmons explained on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. Either way, fans are excited to see Simmons back in the "Spider-Man" universe.
Apart from his time as the Daily Bugle newspaper editor, you might know Simmons from his role as Dr. Emil Skoda in "Law & Order" or as James Gordon in "Justice League." He, like his co-star J. B. Smoove, has starred in both the Marvel and DC universes, playing Commissioner Gordon in both "Justice League" and the 2022 "Batgirl" movie. Simmons said he grew up watching different actors playing the detective-turned-commissioner in movies and never dreamed it would be a role he'd take on. Now that he has, he can't bring himself to re-watch those films. "I'm just planning on learning as much as I can about him through the comics and getting my feet wet in the first movie, and then hopefully continuing from there," he told Collider.
Willem Dafoe
Yes, that's right, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" brings back past Spider-Man villains! As a result of Peter Parker and Doctor Strange messing with reality, characters from the Spider-Verse cross over into Tom Holland's world — simultaneously proving the Multiverse is real, so there's a lot going on in this film.
Willem Dafoe reprises his role as Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin from Sam Raimi's 2002 "Spider-Man" film, which featured Tobey Maguire as the title character. "It's nice to revisit things. I had a really good time when I originally did it and, you know, kind of continuing the story in a slightly different circumstance, but it's nice to return," Dafoe said during a TikTok livestream of the premiere (via YouTube).
Dafoe rose to fame in the mid-'80s when he starred in "To Live and Die in L.A." and "Platoon." When he started acting, Dafoe planned to focus on "commercial theater." That was until his film career took off, per MarketWatch. You might also recognize him from some of his later roles, including "Aquaman," "Murder on the Orient Express," and "The Lighthouse," which co-stars "The Batman" actor Robert Pattinson. "When I see the movie, I can kind of lose myself and I don't see myself up there," Dafoe told Deadline of "The Lighthouse." "I don't see Robert Pattinson up there. I don't have hard associations, like I normally do, with the filming."
Alfred Molina
After the Green Goblin, there was Doctor Octopus. Alfred Molina played scientist-turned-villain Dr. Otto Octavius, better known as Doctor Octopus, who appeared in "Spider-Man 2." After he engaged in some truly villainous behavior, the 2004 movie ended with Dr. Octavius seemingly sacrificing his life to stop the fusion reactor he created. But he appears alive and well in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and Molina cleared up the question about his fate when he told Den of Geek that Octavius "picks up where he left off." "He's looking for revenge," the actor added.
Outside of his role in "Spider-Man 2," you might know Molina from the 2011 feature film "Abduction," where he played Frank Burton, a crooked CIA agent chasing Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins' characters. This was a standout role for Molina in his career, he revealed. "[I've] been around a while and, it's very easy to kind of coast ... you end up getting maybe the same kind of part, and it's quite easy to kind of go, 'Yeah, okay, I'll do it. I know what I'm doing here.' And then suddenly for something to come along that really is a bit of a real shift of gear, that's very exciting," he told Manny the Movie Guy. The movie certainly marked a change from some of his other work, which includes the animated films "Chill Out, Scooby-Doo!" and "Monsters University."
Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church played Flint Marko/The Sandman in "Spider-Man 3." He caught Spider-Man's attention as a professional criminal, and although he earns some sympathy from viewers when they learn that he's stealing to save his sick daughter, it also turns out that he's responsible for one of the saddest film deaths of all time: Uncle Ben. Church reprises his role as The Sandman in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," but Den of Geek writes that he "almost behaves downright heroically" in some scenes.
Outside of his role as the "Spider-Man" villain, you might recognize Church as Robert Dufresne from the comedy-drama "Divorce" or as Lobster Johnson from the feature film "Hellboy." He also appeared alongside "The Amazing Spider-Man" star Emma Stone in "Easy A" and received an Oscar nomination for his work in the 2005 comedy "Sideways." One of his competitors in the supporting actor category was another member of the Spider-Verse, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" star Jamie Foxx. "Twelve years later, a lot of what comes my way I attribute to [Sideways] kind of kickstarting everything," Church told The Guardian in 2016.
Though Church has worked in a variety of genres — everything from superheroes to drama to comedy — he says there's one commonality that links a lot of his work. "It seems like in most of my movies I play a loner," he mused.
Tobey Maguire
If Marvel and Sony can bring back old villains, then why not other iterations of Peter Parker from the Spider-Verse? Tobey Maguire, who starred in Sam Raimi's trilogy from 2002 to 2007, made an appearance in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Before his cameo was officially confirmed, speculation was rife, with Screen Rant calling it "the worst-kept MCU secret." It began in 2020 when Collider published an article announcing both Maguire and Andrew Garfield would be returning as their versions of Spider-Man. First Marvel studios refused to confirm or deny his appearance, then a supposedly leaked photo showed both of the former "Spider-Man" actors together on set.
A Looper review shined a light on the memorable "hero shot of multiple Spider-Men, swinging into action side-by-side." But Maguire's version of the hero doesn't just sling web. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, one way he aids Tom Holland's Spider-Man is by trying to help him cure Norman Osborn.
Aside from portraying Spider-Man, Maguire is best known for playing Reese Witherspoon's sibling in the 1998 movie "Pleasantville" and starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Great Gatsby." The latter was the kind of experience "where you'd go to the set even if you weren't working ... just to check it out because the work was so beautiful," Maguire revealed to Flicks and the City Clips.
Andrew Garfield
Marvel and Sony can't play favorites when it comes to Spider-Man, right? If Tobey Maguire was being brought back, then Andrew Garfield had to make a cameo, too. He seemed to deny his return to the Spider-Verse while chatting about "Spider-Man: No Way Home" on "The Tonight Show," but he does slip on the webslinger's suit once more in the new film. Per The Hollywood Reporter, he even gets to play chiropractor for Maguire's injured Spidey in one scene.
Garfield played Peter Parker aka Spider-Man, from 2012 to 2014 in the Marc Webb-directed franchise. However, you might know him as Eduardo Saverin from "The Social Network," Desmond Doss from "Hacksaw Ridge," or as Jonathan Larson from "Tick, Tick... Boom!," the Netflix feature film he starred in alongside Vanessa Hudgens.
Garfield made his musical debut in "Tick, Tick... Boom!" but told GQ that he needed "about a year and a half" of coaching for his singing role. He revealed on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" that he and the movie's director, Lin-Manuel Miranda, share a massage therapist. Their mutual masseuse hilariously lied to Miranda about Garfield's singing ability, claiming that the actor was on the same level as Ariana Grande. "I've always wanted to learn how to sing properly and this was definitely the opportunity to do that," Garfield said, per GQ.
Rhys Ifans
Welsh actor, singer, and producer Rhys Ifans played Dr. Curt Connors/the Lizard in the Marc Webb-directed film "The Amazing Spider-Man." Like many of the Spider-Man villains, Dr. Connors is someone Peter Parker looked up to and learned from (like Tobey Maguire with Dafoe and Molina's characters in Raimi's trilogy, for example). "The Amazing Spider-Man" ends when Dr. Connors is defeated by Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker and is put in prison for his actions.
Ifans reprises the role in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," but he kept tight-lipped about it ahead of the premiere. "Like most Christmas presents, the good thing is not knowing what's in them until it's time to open them," he told Murphy's Multiverse. It seems "wait and see" is all he had to say on the matter.
Of course, Ifans is a busy actor, and he doesn't have time to be sharing all of Marvel's secrets. "Harry Potter" fans will recognize him as Xenophilius Lovegood from "The Deathly Hallows: Part 1," while rom-com fans will know him as Spike from "Notting Hill." Speaking about his role in Harry Potter in 2010, Ifans expressed his excitement over joining the prestigious franchise. "I'm really excited to be a part of it ... it really feels like you're participating in a little piece of film — and British — history," he said, per Clevver TV. For Ifans, starring in Harry Potter meant working with "the best in the business."
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop, known professionally as Jamie Foxx, played Oscorp engineer-turned-villain, Max Dillon/Electro, in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Foxx was excited about his return to the "Spider-Man" franchise in "No Way Home" after his character failed to get a happy ending in the Marc Webb-directed film. "We got another chance to stir some things up," said Foxx, per Den of Geek. "Electro is like, 'The world did me wrong.' And now I got this energy, I'm about to go get mine."
Outside of the superhero world, the actor, comedian, and singer is best known for starring in the sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show" from 1996 to 2001. After that, he starred in blockbuster films such as "Horrible Bosses" and "Robin Hood," and he scored an Oscar for his work in the 2004 biopic "Ray." Part of Foxx's creative process is developing relationships with his co-stars off the camera. He played the Little John to Taron Egerton's Robin Hood and said that the reason their chemistry on set was so good was because of their off-screen friendship. "We already had a connection before they said action and cut, so that plays through the movie," he explained, per Valentine Tube.