Every Hidden Spider-Man Clue Hiding In The No Way Home Trailer, From Suit Swaps To A Brazilian Cut

The No Way Home trailer did not end the debate over whether Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are in the film, but it is loaded with hints and apparent mistakes that point that way. Marvel trailers are known for misleading audiences, and Spider-Man trailers in particular have a history of swapping costumes before the final cut goes out.

The trailer trims hint at cut lines and a suit swap

When moments from this film were first shown in Empire magazine, Tom Holland was pictured wearing the red and black suit, only for the trailer to reveal he actually wears the integrated suit instead.

Tom Holland's own reaction to the trailer also gave something away, referencing lines like "this is all my fault, I can't save everyone" that never actually turn up in the cut fans got. On top of that, several special effects moments in the trailer stand out like a sore thumb, and that pattern of visible VFX mistakes runs through the whole thing.

A Brazilian cut of the trailer shows an invisible force attacking the Lizard

The biggest indicator comes in a shot that has been shared all over the internet, where Tom Holland's Spider-Man leaps toward Electro, Sandman and the Lizard. The English version of the trailer cuts away before anything is revealed, but the Brazilian version shows the Lizard getting kicked in the face by an invisible force.

This could be Ant-Man or John Cena, but what is likely going on is that one of the Spider-Men was removed from the scene digitally. If I had to guess, I would say that is Andrew Garfield, since Garfield and the Lizard had a rivalry in The Amazing Spider-Man.

The villain lineup suggests Tobey Maguire fights Sandman while Tom Holland faces Electro

Because of that shot, it looks like Tom and Andrew will not be facing all three villains by themselves. The way the shot is framed makes it seem like the bad guys are heading toward their own individual targets, and in films like this you typically get the same number of villains as heroes so everyone gets a counterpart to fight.

My theory is that the Tom Holland-looking Spider-Man we see leaping is actually Tobey Maguire going after Sandman, and while it is not clear who Electro is heading toward, I would guess that is Tom Holland's version, pairing everyone off. Electro and Andrew Garfield also have a big history, since he forgot his birthday.

Electro's redesign hints he is the MCU's own version of the villain

Jamie Foxx's Electro has a changed design in this trailer, while the Lizard and Sandman look the same as they did in their original films. I think that has been done because Electro is very much an MCU version from an alternate universe, whereas the Lizard and Sandman could be pulled from films audiences have already seen.

Elsewhere in the trailer, Electro also appears to be fighting someone off screen, since he does not chase after Tom Holland even though he would if Tom's Spider-Man were the only one there.

Visual effects slip ups reveal the shield warp and MJ's ghost arm

Credit to Eric Voss at New Rockstars for pointing out that a piece of Captain America's shield actually warps as if someone is jumping off it, potentially another Spider-Man, with the effects team failing to erase the bend and warping motion the shield had.

Another mistake happens just as MJ falls backward off the scaffolding. While Ned reaches out to her, there is also a ghostly arm visible on the left hand side of the shot, as if a body attached to it has been erased through visual effects.

Leaked Andrew Garfield footage matches the scaffolding shot and feeds a Gwen Stacy redemption theory

Earlier in the year, leaked footage apparently showed Andrew Garfield gripping scaffolding similar to what appears in this trailer shot, and separate leaked images that circulated online showed scaffolding playing a big part too, so the leaks now look to be confirmed by the trailer.

I would love it if these scenes were stitched together, with Andrew appearing here before jumping in to save MJ alongside Tom Holland. Cast your mind back to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where his biggest failure was letting the love of his life die. If he helps save MJ here, that would somewhat redeem Gwen Stacy's death.

The shots are similar enough that they line up not just with Tom Holland's worst nightmare in Far From Home, but also with the death of Andrew's love in his own films. It is a popular fan theory right now that Andrew travels into a universe where Gwen did not die, giving him a second chance at life the way Steve Rogers got one.

A brightened frame and a familiar mask design turn up in the trailer

I boosted the brightness on the ghost arm shot, and while it loses some color, you can kind of make out what might be an arm with a hand and fingers attached. Other possibilities are that it is just a rope with nuts in it, the kind commonly used in construction, and plenty of people have said that is exactly what it is. As I put it, "I'm a believer and also an idiot."

Separately, for a split second when Spider-Man swings through the construction site, the eyes on the mask look exactly like Tobey Maguire's. Comparing that mask to another shot shows a clear difference, with one design more angular and rigid than the other. I said I would be surprised if that swinging shot is not actually Tobey Maguire.

Ned and MJ appear on a screen taped to Spider-Man's chest, complete with wires and an arc reactor

When Spider-Man goes to tackle Electro, you can make out MJ and Ned playing on a screen attached to his chest. It is not clear if it is a hologram or just a screen, but I think it is more likely a phone, with Peter face timing them. It ties back nicely to Ned being the guy in the chair, and it is a nice touch that they get to watch the fight play out.

Duct tape is visible holding the screen in place, which is also commonly used by electrical engineers, and there are wires sticking out of the suit as well. That might be because Peter has outfitted the suit so Electro cannot damage him, something that happened in the comics too when Peter built a special suit for fighting his electrical enemy. Electro also has an arc reactor on his chest, a detail credited to Chris from 3C films.

A TV spot reveals Doctor Strange forcing Spider-Man into an astral projection escape

Since the trailer's release, a TV spot showed more of the moment Doctor Strange traps Peter, using Spider-Man's own webs against him before pulling him in and pushing him so hard that Peter astral projects out of his body, a move similar to what the Ancient One did to Strange and what Hulk experienced in Avengers Endgame.

Peter says it is one of the coolest things that has ever happened to him but that he should not do it again. My theory is that the way Peter is able to escape has a lot to do with his spider sense, which makes his body react automatically, sometimes allowing him to break the hold and keep moving since Peter often acts off instinct alone.

The building explosion hints that Aunt May might not survive while MJ likely does

The explosion sequence shows J. Jonah Jameson wearing clothes very similar to what he had on in Spider-Man 3, and a lot happens at this building, including the Sandman and Electro storm. Doc Ock is also blasted out of a window, and there is a chance he has turned good at this point and is trying to fight the villains himself.

Peter dives at a pumpkin bomb and catches it in the air as it explodes. The explosion does happen and he is unable to stop it, though his suit and powers might have saved him. Someone who might not have been saved is Aunt May, who appears inside the building holding a strange device. It was reported by Big Screen Leaks that the magic seen on the gauntlets is actually an infused web shooter that lets Peter zap the villains back to the Sanctum's basement prison.

My guess is that May is rushing to give Peter this equipment so he can shoot the Green Goblin back there, and unfortunately gets caught in the blast, which would explain why Happy looks devastated outside and why Peter is out in the rain looking destroyed. May dying would fit with the comics too, where after Peter's identity is revealed, hitmen go after him and end up shooting May. As for MJ, plenty of people think she will die, but I do not think that is the case, since we see her and Peter kissing in the sunlight while he wears the integrated suit, which I think likely happens at the end of the movie after the Statue of Liberty scene.

What do you think, are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield really in this film?