Peter Parker with MJ and Ned in Spider-Man No Way Home.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The Spider-Man: No Way Home writers reveal that two legacy Spider-Man characters originally had a very different introduction in the film. No Way Home, the conclusion to Tom Holland's Homecoming trilogy, has proven to be a massive success for Sony and the MCU, already the highest-grossing Spider-Man film ever, having earned over $1.16 billion globally. The film has also been met with nearly universal audience and critical acclaim, holding a 94% critical approval rating and an astonishing 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In addition to its strong emotional core and strong lead performances from Holland and Zendaya, the film has been praised for the way it incorporates legacy Spider-Man characters into the story. While Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Alfred Molina's Doc Ock, and Jamie Foxx's Electro were revealed in trailers leading up to the film's release, it is the inclusion of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective versions of Peter Parker/ Spider-Man that really surprised fans. The two beloved characters are summoned into the MCU when Ned (Jacob Batalon) uses Doctor Strange's sling ring in an attempt to find Holland's Peter, who has just suffered the devastating loss of his Aunt May.

Related: No Way Home: Ned Can't Truly Become The Hobgoblin (Because Of The Comics)

In a new interview with Variety, Spider-Man: No Way Home writers Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna reveal that, in earlier drafts of the script, Maguire and Garfield were introduced in a very different fashion. According to the writers, both characters would show up right after the death of Aunt May, having been brought by an unnamed MCU character in order to help Holland's Peter. Check out McKenna's original comment below:

“They are brought by a Marvel character going, ‘Here are the saving graces and they’re going to help you through this.' It was just more of a deus ex machina.”

Doc Ock holds Spider-Man in his tentacles in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Unfortunately, McKenna and Sommers decline to reveal which Marvel character they had bringing Maguire and Garfield into Holland's universe, leaving it up to fans to speculate. This "deus ex machina" approach remained unchanged in the script until, two months into production, the writing duo had to rewrite the film's third act, ultimately leading to a revelation that Maguire and Garfield should come by way of Ned experimenting with the sling ring. According to McKenna, finding the perfect introduction to the legacy characters "was a beam of light in the darkness."

Ultimately, the decision to change the way Maguire and Garfield are brought into the world seems to have been for the best. Deus ex machina moments can often have audiences feeling cheated or manipulated because, by definition, these moments introduce solutions to problems the hero is facing without the hero actually doing any of the work. As for the mystery character that would have brought Maguire and Garfield into the MCU, it seems possible that Wong could have played a role or perhaps another character from Doctor Strange who has a better understanding of the machinations of the multiverse. Regardless of what the original plan was, however, it certainly seems like audiences are thrilled with the heart-warming introductions they got for Maguire and Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

More: No Way Home: Why Doctor Strange's Astral Spell Is So Weak Against Spider-Man

Source: Variety

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