Update: After some light trolling, the third MCU Spider-Man movie's official title has been revealed: Spider-Man: No Way Home is releasing later this year. Check out a short video below for more.
This, we can confirm. #SpiderManNoWayHome only in movie theaters this Christmas. pic.twitter.com/kCeI8VgkdmFebruary 24, 2021
Original story: Tom Holland has given us a first glimpse of Spider-Man 3 – and trolled fans over the movie’s supposed title.
Holland, alongside co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to tease fans with the first official stills from the upcoming MCU flick. As expected, the images (one of which you can see above) don’t give anything away but, judging by the concerned looks on their faces, the trio have stumbled upon something worrying or huge.
Zendaya and Batalon – who play MJ and Ned Leeds respectively – also joined Holland in pranking fans over the film’s alleged title. The group accompanied their Instagram uploads with captions stating their delight over being able to share Spider-Man 3’s title. However, fans who scrolled to the resulting images were met with humorous takes on the trilogy’s previous two entries instead.
You can view Holland’s post below, and then check out Zendaya’s and Batalon’s follow-up images. Spider-Man: Phone Home, Spider-Man: Home Slice or Spider-Man: Homewrecker – take your pick.
A post shared by Tom Holland (@tomholland2013)
A photo posted by on
The still-untitled third Spider-Man movie is currently scheduled to arrive in December 2021.
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Is there a hidden message in the fake Spider-Man 3 titles?
On the surface, it seems that Holland and friends are simply pranking fans with their amusing title images. Given how the other two movies had the word ‘home’ in their titles, many fans would view the trio’s ‘Phone Home’, ‘Home Slice’, and ‘Home Wrecker’ inclusions as funny nods to Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home.
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Is that simply the case though, or is there a hidden meaning within the title mock-ups?
It seems strange that each title has the word ‘Spider-Man’ rocking a different color. More to the point, the hues used in Holland’s and Zendaya’s title image are reminiscent of the colors used by the MCU’s two Spider-Man villains so far. In the comics, Vulture traditionally wears a green costume, while Mysterio’s signature garb is primarily purple in tone.
Based on Holland’s and Zendaya’s posts, could we see both bad guys reprise their roles in Spider-Man 3?
Batalon’s gray Spider-Man image is ordinarily associated with Rhino, but it’s unlikely that this character will turn up in Spider-Man 3. With that in mind, it could be that Batalon’s post is devoid of any traditional villain colors so fans don’t speculate on which member of the webslinger’s rogues gallery might also show up.
We've heard that Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock are crossing over from Sony’s Spider-Verse, but Batalon’s post doesn’t point towards either of them. The lack of color in his image, then, could be reserved for an unannounced villain, and cause plenty of online speculation as a result. The word 'wrecker' and the color gray make us think of Rhino, who appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, played by Paul Giamatti.
Or, this could all just be nothing at all, and it's merely a gentle trolling by the film's cast.
As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.