No Way Home's Memory Spell Won't Help With Spider-Man's MCU Villains

Doctor Strange's memory-wiping spell at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home protected Peter Parker's loved ones by giving him his secret identity back, but how will this affect Spidey's past MCU villains? Spider-Man has one of the most extensive galleries of famous villains, and the MCU has already introduced a large portion of it to live-action. However, at least six of Spider-Man's greatest foes come from alternate realities in the multiverse, while the rest inhabit the home universe of Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

What exactly happens to the villains of Spider-Man: No Way Home after being sent back to their original universes isn't explained by the movie, but what's for certain is that Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, the Lizard, and Electro redeemed themselves before parting ways with the three Spider-Men. On the other hand, Eddie Brock left a piece of symbiote before returning with Venom to Sony's Spider-Man Universe, while villains like Vulture, Scorpion, Shocker, and possibly, Mysterio, have probably been affected by Doctor Strange's memory spell without having interacted with Spider-Man.

None of Spider-Man's MCU villains may know who Peter Parker is anymore, and they won't be able to take advantage of his personal life, but their hatred for Spider-Man will remain the same — or maybe increase even more. For instance, Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. the Vulture, refused to reveal Peter Parker's identity to Scorpion out of respect for saving his life at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, but now that the personal connection between Peter and his ex's father is gone, Vulture and Scorpion could become a bigger threat if they get out of jail. Add Vulture's new alliance with Morbius, and Spider-Man could have a huge problem in his hands.

Mysterio, Vulture, Scorpion, and Shocker in the MCU Spider-Man Movies

Peter Parker has gained the attention of many criminals while wearing the Spider-Man mask. Apart from Vulture, Scorpion, and countless common crooks, Spidey has crossed paths with Aaron Davis, uncle to Miles Morales and eventual villain The Prowler, as well as Vulture's henchman Herman Schultz a.k.a. The Shocker, and their weapons manufacturer, The Tinkerer. None of them knew about Spider-Man's secret identity before Mysterio revealed it to the world, which means that even though Spider-Man seems to have pushed the reset button to his entire life during the final scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home, his past can still haunt him.

Lastly, undoing Mysterio's reveal wouldn't necessarily negate him as a threat. Knowing Quentin Beck's talent for deception, it's still possible that he faked his death at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Doctor Strange's spell may have taken away Mysterio's greatest weapon against Spider-Man, but that wouldn't change the fact that the villain targeted the masked hero to get his hands on Iron Man's drones or that Spider-Man thwarted his plan. In the end, the spell that erased the world's memory of Peter Parker helped Peter avoid a multiversal catastrophe and concluded his fight with the villains of Spider-Man: No Way Home, but in the grand scheme of things, it really did affect his personal life much more than it helped overcome his past.

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