The new Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer didn't give fans everything, or everyone, they wanted to see. However, it did provide a good look at the multiversal mayhem Doctor Strange's bungled spell will unleash when the film finally hits theaters on Dec. 17. Normally, confirmation of the return of five supervillains from previous Spider-Man movies would be more than enough for one trailer. But No Way Home isn't a normal Spider-Man movie. The use of the multiverse means even more villains from other properties could make their way into the MCU -- and a huge one may have just been teased.
Fans have hoped that actor Vincent D'Onofrio will reprise his role as Kingpin, from Marvel's Daredevil, in No Way Home. Although he's most tied closely associated with Matt Murdock, in the comics and in other media, Wilson Fisk was originally a Spider-Man villain. Although D'Onofrio continues to deny he'll appear in the movie, there's a possible reference to the character in No Way Home's trailer on fans may pin their hopes.
A license plate bearing the number ASM-8183 can be seen during the battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. That might not seem significant, but No Way Home director Jon Watts has a history of hiding license plate-based Easter eggs in his movies that pre-dates his work on the Spider-Man trilogy.
Spider-Man: Homecoming featured a reference to the Vulture's first appearance, in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (SM2-0563). One of Far From Home's plates was more obscure: "Nick Fury's" car referenced an issue of Marvel Team-Up that paired Spider-Man with the S.H.I.E.L.D. director (MTU-83779). Another referenced a huge moment in Spider-Man's love life, his first kiss with Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man #143 (TASM-143), which was echoed in the film by Tom Holland's Peter Parker and Zendaya's M.J.
The potential No Way Home Easter egg doesn't follow the same numbering system as its predecessors. While The Amazing Spider-Man has been published for nearly 60 years, it hasn't reached 8,183 issues, no matter how you count its numbering. The Amazing Spider-Man #81 was published well before 1983. The plate could allude to three issues in Stan Lee and John Romita's classic run on The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Amazing Spider-Man #81 features the first appearance of a villain whose MCU debut hasn't been heavily demanded, the Kangaroo. ASM #82 features Electro, who appears in No Way Home. The most important issue for D'Onofrio fans is The Amazing Spider-Man #83, in which a criminal named the Schemer made a play for the Kingpin's throne.
The Amazing Spider-Man #83 isn't considered a key issue in the Kingpin's history, but it does feature family drama between Fisk, his son Richard (the Schemer's actual identity), and his wife Vanessa. No Way Home wouldn't have room for that kind of subplot, but it might allude to it as a set-up for future MCU appearances by the Kingpin. It's also possible Watts, or someone else on the production, happens to be a big fan of that particular storyline.
It's not even outside the realm of possibility that all three issues alluded to in the license plate could be referenced in No Way Home. Depending on what media it took its cues from, it might turn out to be an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink embrace of fan service. A Kangaroo cameo would fit right in with the menagerie of Spider-Man villains on offer in No Way Home.
Like The Amazing Spider-Man's Andrew Garfield, D'Onofrio has consistently tried to squash rumors he'll appear in No Way Home. He's gone as far as to ask fans to stop grasping at straws that he'll appear in other MCU projects like Hawkeye. The license plate theory might be just that, but it's difficult to fault fans for holding out hope that he'll join the MCU (and bring Charlie Cox's Daredevil with him). Whether it portends the Kingpin's debut or not, it is always worth keeping an eye on the license plates in a Jon Watts movie.