Spider-Man: No Way Home was the titular webhead's third installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It provided resolution to the cliffhanger from Spider-Man: Far From Home and was the most ambitious cross-over since Endgame. As a result, it dominated the winter box office of 2021.
No Way Home primarily revolved around Peter's exploits in the multiverse, attaining and losing allies along the way. By identifying the aspects of No Way Home that don't make sense, fans can better determine whether it was still a cinematic masterpiece - in spite of its many inconsistencies.
10 The Vulture Never Appeared
The Vulture premiered as a villain in the MCU's first Spider-Man movie. He learned Peter's identity through close proximity and the hero's relationship to his daughter. The Vulture survived to the end, making a potential appearance even more likely.
Despite fulfilling all of the requirements to be summoned by Strange's tragically broken spell, the Vulture never appeared. As a result, audiences missed an opportunity to savor the brutal reckoning between Parker and one of his oldest enemies.
9 Electro Took A Liking To The New Universe's Power Despite Coming From The Same Source
Electro was peculiarly power-hungry upon being whisked into the MCU. He claimed that the universe's energy surpassed his own and took every opportunity to supercharge himself. The villain's transformation was so profound that he looked nothing like his original self from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Such a drastic change is difficult to explain since Electro's still being powered through electricity. It also made him unreasonably cantankerous, as he was the second most difficult villain to redeem, surpassed only by the Green Goblin. Unlike Osborn, he didn't suffer from mental illness, he was simply power-hungry.
8 Sandman Had No Incentive To Betray Peter
When first introduced in No Way Home, Sandman was unlike the other villains. He helped Spider-Man defeat Electro under the false impression that he was the Peter Parker of Sandman's universe. Throughout No Way Home, his only desire was to go home and see his daughter.
As a result, his decision to align with the other villains when stealing Strange's box was out of character and irrational. This is especially true since characters like Green Goblin and Electro did not actually want to return to where they came from.
7 Ned's Talents With The Sling Ring Failed When He Needed It Most
After stealing a sling ring from Doctor Strange, Ned realized that he had the ability to use it. As a result, he managed to summon two different Spider-Men in order to support his best friend in the battle to come.
Previously, Ned had no issues with opening or closing his portals. However, he had no idea how to shut it off during the final fight, a fact that Lizard capitalized on. Ned's inability to control his power was a convenient plot device used in order to raise the stakes artificially.
6 Doctor Strange Humored Peter's Request To Absurd Lengths
When Peter came to Doctor Strange for an answer to his identity issues, the sorcerer heard him out. Despite understanding the risks behind making the entire world forget about Spider-Man, Strange endeavored to take them.
Although it was Peter's fault for not asking his college administrators to reconsider, Strange never asked what steps he had taken to fix his problem beforehand. The Doctor also irresponsibly changed his spell six different times while it was being cast, suggesting far less judgment than he displayed in Infinity War.
5 No Professional Heroes Stood Up For Spider-Man Aside From Daredevil
Despite Spider-Man's support for Stark during the civil war, virtually no other heroes were willing to help Peter in his time of need. Heroes who had once aligned with both Iron Man and Captain America both completely ignored him in his darkest hour.
The only person who lent a hand was Daredevil, who had never met Peter. Support for Peter remained scarce even after he was acquitted of Mysterio's murder. It reflected poorly on the universe's other heroes, who often claim to do the right thing no matter the cost.
4 The College Administrator Took The Wrong Message From Peter's Rescue
When Doc Oc attacked a busied street, the MIT administrator who previously denied Peter, Ned and MJ's applications was placed in grave danger. Heroically, Peter swung to her rescue and defeated the villain in a matter of minutes.
The administrator was grateful for Peter's actions. Despite seeing the good Spider-Man did for others firsthand, she told him that she would only reconsider his admission if he stopped working as a hero. How is this her response to barely surviving supervillain attack?
3 Green Goblin Wasted His Opportunity To Kill Maguire's Peter
When Holland's Spider-Man defeated Green Goblin, he was not interested in mercy. The hero repeatedly pummeled his opponent, trying to avenge his Aunt May's death in the process.
Intent on not letting him make a mistake he'd regret, Maguire's Spider-Man interfered on the Goblin's behalf. By doing so, he left his back exposed and Osborn stabbed him through the chest. Despite having a target who could neither see nor dodge his attack, the Goblin still failed to pierce him in a vital area. As a result, he never got the revenge that he voraciously craved.
2 Venom Never Appeared Despite Meeting Strange's Requirements
Despite knowing Peter's identity, Venom only appeared in No Way Home in a post-credit scene, despite the fact that Sandman, a villain who also appeared in Raimi's Spider-Man 3, played a prominent role.
His presence would have been especially interesting. Venom hates Peter Parker and wanted to kill him, even without the corrupting influence of the symbiote. This would have forced Peter to accept that not all of his enemies can be redeemed. It would have also provided Tom Hardy's Eddy Brock with an excuse to enter No Way Home's focal plot since his character has extensive experience fighting symbiotes.
1 Strange's Memory Spell Didn't Scrub Technology & Therefore Shouldn't Have Worked
Even when working as intended, Doctor Strange's spell was only meant to make the world forget about Spider-Man. It did not have any stated applications to technology, which would cause significant and immediate problems for Peter.
His identity had already been broadcast across the world, by Mysterio's message and Jameson's relentless criticisms. Flash Thompson even wrote an entire book about his "friendship" with Spider-Man. Consequently, anyone could easily rediscover who Peter was, thereby rendering the universe-endangering spell entirely pointless.