What Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Toys Reveal About the Movie

Spider-Man: No Way Home remains one of the most potent centers of speculation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Indeed, director Jon Watts’ upcoming Sony-co-produced threequel is rumored to introduce transformative multiverse-related implications. Yet, as of press time, the film has yet to yield even a teaser trailer. Thankfully, Marvel has poured the hungry fandom a proverbial aperitif with new preview images of the tie-in toys for the film. While, for various reasons, movie toys don’t always end up reflecting what ends up onscreen, the plot of the film nevertheless appears to be present in the plastic.

Marvel has unleashed a barrage of official Spider-Man: No Way Home toy images from the usual partner companies — Hasbro, Funko, and LEGO. While the material is lacking in context, the imagery speaks for itself, especially after the climax and post-credit developments of 2019’s Spider-Man: Far from Home. With that set, let’s break down what some of these toys (possibly) reveal about the upcoming sequel!

Black & Gold is the New Red & Blue

The Funko Pop! line has revealed the “Black & Gold” Spider-Man suit. The outfit—which is also getting a Hasbro Marvel Legends release, as seen in the title image—is an exciting reveal on numerous levels, since the outfit is noticeably reminiscent of the Spider-Armor MK II from the pages of Marvel Comics, which debuted in 2011’s Amazing Spider-Man #656. Developed by Horizon Labs, the suit was designed to provide Peter enhanced protection during the brief period in which he lost his Spider-Senses. A version of the suit was also unlockable in the hit Spider-Man PS4 video game.

While its presence in No Way Home isn’t confirmation that a similar event will happen to Holland’s Peter, it’s possible that the Black & Gold suit could be worn by a multiverse doppelganger with a similar backstory. Indeed, one notion that might suggest it’s not a suit for Prime Peter is the fact that the Funko release will be a Target exclusive, a designation that could reveal its status as a secondary suit in the film. However, the Black & Gold suit is getting releases in Hasbro’s kid-friendly basic budget line and, as mentioned, its collector-driven Marvel Legends line, as the above image reveals, put next to its new Iron Spider counterpart.

Spidey Has Literal New Tricks Up His Sleeve

While the Iron Spider outfit—the lasting gift left to Peter by his late mentor, Tony Stark—seemingly remains his go-to pair of duds, the suit seems set for upgrades. As you can see from the Funko Pop! release of Spider-Man’s “Integrated Suit,” the confirmed team-up between Tom Holland’s Wall-Crawler and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will apparently yield mystical results in contrast to its technological conception by Stark. While it’s doubtful that Peter will somehow become magic-receptive, what we’re seeing in this figure is likely the utilization of Strange-set magical upgrades to the Iron outfit—in addition to some aesthetic tweaks—during the course of No Way Home.

The Webbed Wing Suit is Getting an “Upgrade”

While we’ve been focusing on Spidey’’s fancy new No Way Home duds, don’t expect the film to ignore the OG outfit, as the Funko Pop! release of the “Upgraded Suit” clearly reveals. Indeed, one of the more heartfelt aspects of the current movie iteration’s design for the regular Spider-Man suit is its inclusion of the classic callback under-arm webbing. It was a nice shout-out to Steve Ditko’s original design for Spider-Man, and was brilliantly reworked to have a utilitarian purpose akin to the wingsuits that skydivers use in real-life, as last demonstrated in Far from Home. However, as indicated by the “Upgraded” status of the suit, we can expect more bells and whistles this time around.

Spider-Man is Laying Low in the Sanctum Sanctorum

Upon the news of Doctor Strange joining No Way Home, it was implied that Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme would provide a mentor role for Peter that had been missing since Tony Stark’s sacrificial demise in Avengers: Endgame. Indeed, besides the previous implication of magical upgrades to the Iron Spider suit, this notion is further evidenced by an upcoming LEGO set called “Spider-Man at the Sanctum Workshop.”

As you can see, the workshop in question—likely in the Greenwich building’s basement—has, indicatively, been taken over by a teenager, with non-Strange items such as a video game controller and a bicycle present. Of course, Peter would need to hide in Strange’s basement, since the aforementioned events of Far from Home left him as a fugitive after J. Jonah Jameson publicly outed him as Spider-Man, and played a video in which Mysterio posthumously claimed to have been murdered by him.

Also of note is the set’s inclusion of MJ and Strange’s cohort, Wong (seemingly confirming Benedict Wong’s presence in the film), who, having apparently survived his recently-revealed Shang-Chi cage fight with Abomination, is wearing a yellow Freddie-Mercury-esque jacket, and is apparently not faring well against an unexplained giant scorpion creature included in the set.

LEGO is also releasing sets that are, as they put it, “inspired by” previous films Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far from Home. Interestingly enough, the Homecoming set oddly pits the Vulture against a LEGO version of Black & Gold Spider-Man. Could such an anachronism end up proving intentional?

J. Jonah Jameson Will Have a Significant Role

As if the now-legendary post-credits cameo of J.K. Simmons’s newer, balder version of the Daily Bugle’s premiere prevaricator wasn’t enough indication of his future role reprisals, then Hasbro’s Marvel Legends release of a J. Jonah Jameson figure certainly cements the idea. With Peter still on the run—presumably hiding behind the safety of the Sanctum Sanctorum—expect the film to be filled with J.J.’s idiosyncratic rantings and perpetual demand for pictures of Spider-Man!

However, our embattled Peter seems to have a sagely protector in Doctor Strange, who, as you can see, is also getting a Marvel Legends figure, albeit one that’s tweaked from previous releases. Notably, Strange seems to have the Eye of Agamotto back around his neck for his No Way Home toys, possibly confirming that Captain America did indeed return the Time-Stone-set trinket to its proper time after Endgame’s Time Heist.

Doctor Shovel?

Last, but certainly not least, here’s a Funko Pop! release of Doctor Strange, which, without explanation, has the Sorcerer Supreme wearing the Cloak of Levitation and Eye of Agamotto over some street clothes, rocking yellow boots. However, while his right hand is characteristically casting a spell, his left is holding what appears to be a snow shovel. This rather esoteric representation of Strange clearly indicates that this is a scene-specific figure. Yet, without context, we’re all just left to wonder what development in No Way Home could possibly leave Doctor Strange, with all his magical might, in need of a shovel!

Well, that’s about all the speculative morsels we were able to glean from the Spider-Man: No Way Home toys. With this sneak peek now set, valuable context will likely come sooner rather than later from the long-sought first trailer. For now, you can mark your calendars for the film’s theatrical release date of Dec. 17.