Spider-Man: Far From Home Ending Explained: Why Mysterio Might Not Be Dead

Spider-Man: Far From Home picks up immediately after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with the world still mourning the loss of Iron Man after he sacrificed himself to save the universe. The film opens with Nick Fury and Maria Hill caught in the middle of an attack from the earth elemental and about to be killed, only to be saved out of nowhere by Mysterio. On the surface, Mysterio looks like the perfect replacement for Tony Stark, more than willing to take on the role of the planet's best protector.

In stark contrast, Peter is not sure he wants to deal with the responsibility that comes with his powers, and he tries to ghost Fury at every opportunity. He is happy wearing the suit but clearly is not ready to become the next Iron Man, even though his powers are much sought after. When Fury tracks him down in the middle of a school trip through Europe, Peter slowly comes to realize he has to step into that role. What I love about this acceptance is that Peter first gets a real hint of how he must look at the world when he puts on Tony's glasses, which begins to make him understand this is bigger than just him, and that when the earth is in danger he has to answer the call.

Along the way Peter teams up with Quentin Beck, Mysterio, who becomes something of a mentor and puts a wealth of doubt in his mind about whether he is cut out for the hero life. Beck's story is that he came from the multiverse, transported to this timeline by the snap, and that the elementals ravaged his own world before he arrived to stop the same thing happening here. If you have even a passing interest in Spider-Man, you probably knew from the first trailer that the elementals would be fake and that Mysterio is actually the one orchestrating the entire attack for fame and fortune.

Mysterio's Real Identity Exposes Another Failure of Tony Stark's Legacy

We learn that Beck is a master of illusions and an ex Stark Industries employee who helped create the augmented reality simulation seen in Captain America: Civil War, technology he has been using to cast a shadow over Peter's mind. We also discover that, at least for now, the multiverse doesn't actually exist, and that Beck was fired for being unstable. In the wake of Stark's death he finally sees an opportunity to rise to the forefront, and Peter uncovers this during the film.

What I love about the villain is that it once again showcases the depth of Stark's failure. Ever since the first Iron Man film, the majority of enemies in the MCU have been brought forth due to Tony's own responsibility, and Spider-Man slowly learns that though he must follow in his mentor's footsteps, it is imperative that he does not make the same mistakes.

Peter and MJ's Relationship Finally Comes to Fruition

It's also in this movie that Peter's relationship with MJ really comes to fruition, and after the performance by Zendaya and Tom Holland it's clear to see why they are Marvel's new golden couple. The two put it together that Beck is faking it, and though Peter goes to face down his new arch nemesis, he also has to battle the self doubt that Mysterio expertly planted in his mind.

What's masterful about the manipulator is that he really makes Peter not only doubt himself but also those around him. Peter realizes he must rebuild himself, which manifests in him creating a new suit that comes across as one of the coolest he's worn in the franchise so far. It's in this scene, building the suit in a cave much like the very first Iron Man film, that I really felt like Peter stepped into the role of the new Iron Man.

Why Mysterio Might Not Actually Be Dead

Peter rushes to London to take on Beck head on, who is once again attempting to unleash an illusion, but Peter stops him and Mysterio seemingly dies. Whether that is actually the case is another thing entirely. Mysterio is a master of illusion, and upon realizing he's unable to beat Peter, I can definitely see him instead faking his death to get out of the situation. Bear in mind Beck takes control of Stark's tech in the film, so he is more than capable of making it appear that he's dead.

The only thing that confirms he's no longer alive is the machine that he himself had control over, and it's pretty safe to assume he had a contingency plan built into the AI in case he needed to get out of the situation. As I put it, "to me you don't cast Jake Gyllenhaal as you big bad to kill him off in the first film," and I can genuinely see him returning, which I think is confirmed by the first post-credits scene.

The First Post-Credits Scene Exposes Peter's Identity to the World

The film wraps up neatly, with Peter and MJ looking like they're in love and things going back to the status quo, until both characters swing into the first post-credits scene. It picks up with Peter gliding through New York with MJ, and after he drops her off he leaps to a lamp post overlooking Madison Square Garden. There, a large screen shows an incoming news report from the Daily Bugle, which has apparently acquired an exclusive clip showing Spider-Man was behind the drone attack in London and is a threat to the world rather than its hero.

The report is hosted by J. Jonah Jameson, played by JK Simmons, and while this is an amazing moment, it quickly turns bittersweet when Jameson reveals the second part of the footage, showing that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Peter is devastated, but just before we can see the repercussions of the reveal, the movie cuts to black, similar to the ending of Homecoming, in which Aunt May discovers her nephew is the web head.

If you're a fan of the comics, you'll know this reveal to the world already happened in the pages of Civil War. With Peter's identity out in the open, his enemies quickly close in on him, but after realizing he's very difficult to kill, they instead go after his friends and family. An assassin shoots Aunt May, and the story becomes about Peter tracking down the shooter and getting to the root of the hit, which is revealed to be the Kingpin. I don't think the MCU will bring that story in directly, and it's very possible that in this incarnation Mysterio could still be pulling the strings, since it seems likely the villain edited the footage and gave it to Jameson to broadcast to the world.

What the Comics and the Recast Jameson Suggest About Peter's Future

While I've seen a lot of people angry that Peter's identity has been revealed so early, the MCU is no stranger to heroes having public faces, and this has pretty much been a staple of the universe since the first film in 2008. In the comics, though, the creators did walk back the reveal after Peter made a deal with Mephisto that altered reality in the One More Day storyline, allowing him to become anonymous again, but at the cost of losing the love of his life.

The post-credits scene also confirms the multiverse, since a slightly altered version of Jameson appears in this universe as opposed to the Raimi set of films. If Jameson is a constant across universes, that means alternate versions of other characters could also exist. It gets me really hyped for the future of the franchise.

The Second Post-Credits Scene Confirms Fury and Hill Were Skrulls

The second scene starts with Nick Fury and Maria Hill driving along before they transform into Skrulls, revealed to be Talos and his wife from Captain Marvel. This means that throughout Far From Home, the two shield agents we saw have in fact been Skrulls the entire time, and we discover that the real Hill and Fury are on vacation aboard a Skrull spaceship. We've had confirmation from Kevin Feige that the alien race would return to the Marvel Universe, and I have a feeling we will definitely get more from them than just a credits scene.

At this point in the MCU it's been 30 years since the events of Captain Marvel, and it doesn't look like the Skrulls have finally found a home yet. In the comic storyline Secret Invasion, they invade the planet and assume the identities of several heroes to achieve their goals.

My Verdict on Far From Home

Far From Home is outstanding from start to finish and really feels like the perfect follow up to Endgame. It brings the storyline back down to ground level and sets up several things I know will have bigger consequences down the line. It's one of those movies you walk out of wanting to find out what happens next as soon as possible, and every actor brings their best. I really hope the next film is set in Australia and called Spider-Man: Home and Away, but even if it's not, I feel like this movie ticked all of the boxes, and that's why it gets a 9 out of 10.

Where do you think the web slinger's story goes from here now that his identity is public?