Spider-Man: Far From Home is the 23rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and if you are just joining the global phenomenon now then all I can say is good luck jumping in with a decade’s worth of back-story missing from your life. For those who have been playing along at home who haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame yet, firstly, what is wrong with you? Secondly, this goes without saying, spoilers ahead.
We’re back in Queens where thankfully all of Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) friends all blipped away when he did, so they’re all still the same age attending school together. We get our first taste of life in the Universe since the Avengers brought back the victims of Thanos’s Infinity War. Support groups and fundraisers are held for people trying to cope with the extraordinary changes of recent history, and Peter is dealing with the weight of his involvement and the loss of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr). All he wants is a summer vacation with his friends which, let’s face it, he damn well deserves. But if there is one thing consistent with the life of Peter Parker throughout comics and films, he just can’t catch a break.
Avengers: Endgame closed the first major chapter of the MCU, meaning that Spider-Man: Far From Home is the first instalment of the new chapter, making it the new Iron Man, a fact the film points out repeatedly as Peter struggles with the enormity of living up to Stark’s expectations of him. A needlessly pushy and impatient Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) doesn’t help matters, nor does a huge new threat from an alternate dimension, and a new hero to boot. Following the massive events of Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home had a lot to live up to, and in terms of action, comedy and romance, it definitely holds up, and has a great soundtrack to boot (featuring the music of Queens locals The Ramones was a nice touch). As a set up for the direction of the MCU following the retirement of Captain America, the deaths of Iron Man, Black Widow, and Vision, and the disbanding of the Avengers, it’s still anyone’s guess who the new big bad will be, though there are some hints to some fan favourite storylines from the comics playing out, however this remains to be seen.
Tom Holland masterfully heads this film as the awkward teenager with a secret responsibility and a secret crush, MJ, played by Zendaya with that trademark millennial goofy-sincerity. A stand-out performance is from Australian rising star Angourie Rice whose Betty Brant has stepped up from background player to supporting character, helping to drive the plot. Europe also features in a starring role, first in Venice, then Prague, and finally London, taking our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man on the road in a fresh new way.
It’s hard not to want to rank where this sits in the MCU cannon. It is a stand-out film in its own right, but it is so referential to the wider MCU and comparisons would be unfair. The Spider-Man films are some of the most family friendly in the MCU and impossible to categorise alongside some of the darker later instalments, or more outlandish indie features in the cannon. The film is fun, thrilling, and would have to be one of the best sequels in the franchise (it’s going to take a lot to top Captain America: The Winter Soldier which is just one of the best films of all time). This is the most successful reboot of the beloved New-Yorker and I’m sure, just the beginning of what this character has to offer.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is in cinemas from 4th July through Sony Pictures.
