Far From Home - Softonic English

What ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ tells us about Marvel Phase 4

Far From Home opened up a huge can of worms for the MCU that we can’t wait to dive into!

“Avengers: Endgame” was a climactic wrap-up of the story that began 10 (almost 11!) years ago with director Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark forging the first Iron Man suit in a cave with a box of scraps. Fans were dubious, however, to hear that Endgame was not the end of Phase 3, but that that honor instead belonged to “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”

The story is about the young webslinger-turned-Avenger struggling to fill the shoes (or in this case the glasses) that Iron Man left him. The film takes place in the shell-shocked aftermath of “Avengers: Endgame,” and its falling action does a lot to prepare us for the wild ride that’s awaiting us in Phase 4. The clues are in the details:

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" Peter Parker glasses — Get your glasses on, and read the fine print!

(SPOILERS BELOW!)

1. Even in death, he’s still the hero

Audiences felt the heavy loss of Iron Man at the closing of “Endgame” (we love you 3000, RDJ!), and the kid standing at ground zero of the power vacuum is the young webslinger from Queens played by the energetic and engaging Tom Holland. For many of us, the MCU looked to be a darker, sadder place without Iron Man, and “Far From Home” was a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. While Tony Stark may have died, his legacy is ever-present in the MCU. He’s a topic of bittersweet conversation among his friends, a hated name between his rivals, and his image is on graffiti at every other street corner.

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" Spider-Man Tony Stark graffiti — Iron Man’s presence is still felt in the MCU

Moreover, Tony’s awesome tech is still all over the place. E.D.I.T.H (even dead I’m still the hero) is the Jarvis-like AI whose new home is the pair of glasses Tony Stark bequeathed to Peter Parker. From the looks of it – for better or for worse – Stark Tech isn’t going anywhere, either.

2. True love

‘Spidey and MJ’ has been a thing for practically as long as the comic series has been written. Unless you’re a fan of Gwen Stacy, MJ’s always been the gal for Peter. Thankfully the MCU has given Mary Jane (played by Zendaya) a much-appreciated revamp, making her less of a damsel in distress and more of a quirky, eccentric, fun character. She plays well off the quippy and often awkward Peter Parker.

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" MJ Spidey — MJ is super cool

Whether MJ will make appearances outside of Spider-Man’s solo films is unclear, but we’re excited to see more of what the studio has planned for her!

3. Spider-Man’s a menace!

One of the cornerstones of Spider-Man is that he’s the quintessential misunderstood superhero. No good deed goes unpunished, and there’s no one out to get our webslinger like newspaper tycoon, J. Jonah Jameson. In the wake of the destruction Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) left behind, JJ finds the perfect angle to frame Spider-Man and set the stage for a city that not only feeds off hate mail for the wall-crawler but also knows his secret identity.

J.K. Simmons J Jonah Jameson — “I want him strung up by his webs! I want Spider-Mannnnn!”

The best part is a surprise return to the iconic role of fan-favorite J.K. Simmons! That’s a good thing because no one shouts “Spider-Man!!!” quite like the guy.

4. The real sting

The funny thing about J. Jonah Jameson is that he is also the guy who initially hired Mac Gargan to become the Scorpion, one of Spider-Man’s most classic villains. Spidey’s got quite the impressive rogues gallery, but whether it’s from Sam Raimi, Sony, or Marvel Studios we’ve already seen some of the biggest names in it (Venom, Sandman, Doc Ock, Green Goblin (twice), Lizard, Vulture, and Electro). Scorpion’s another big one, and they already set up for it back in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" post-credits Scorpion — He’s on-screen for under a minute and he’s already terrifying

With Jameson introduced to the mix and the post-credits from Homecoming already hinting at the character, we think Scorpion’s likely to make an appearance pretty soon.

5. “People will believe anything”

‘Multiverse’ is a dangerous word to throw around when Marvel is involved, and the studio knows it. The comics have been playing in that ballpark for years and it’s a wonderfully confusing mess that can be daunting and inaccessible to anyone trying to catch up. The MCU has taken a different approach to the phrase and it’s opened up a can of worms that today’s audience has been awaiting. Turns out, that’s the exact thing Mysterio was hoping to hear.

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" Mysterio fight mirror — Which end is up? What is real?! Is anything real??

Mysterio’s a villain that likely wouldn’t have been a threat to the MCU back in 2008. The world back then wasn’t ready to believe in extra-terrestrial shapeshifters, superhero civil wars, gods from another realm, or sorcerers who could stroll through different realms and return in time for tea. Mysterio preyed upon a wounded world, one in which “people will believe anything,” as he said with his dying breath.

We’ve got a sneaking suspicion that this could be the tagline for Phase 4, with madcap adventures like a Doctor Strange sequel, “Thor: Love and Thunder,” Blade, and the Fantastic 4 soon to come. Heck, the Doctor Stranger sequel is even called “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” And that’s without even getting into Marvel’s biggest game of smoke and mirrors …

Who is Mysterio in Spider-Man?

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6. Skrull Invasion

If you loved the baffling illusions and misdirection of “Far From Home,” you ain’t seen nothing yet. If you stayed for the post-credits (which every loyal Marvel fan should have learned to do by now) then you were treated to a bizarre scene. Nick Fury and Maria Hill were not who they appeared to be. Instead, Fury was Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), the Skrull we were first introduced to in “Captain Marvel.”

"Captain Marvel" Skrulls Talos beach — The Skrulls look like they might be the MCU’s take on Fury’s Life-Model Decoys

Talos was keeping an eye on things for Fury back on Earth, while Fury was elsewhere (we’ll get to that in a second)! Contrary to other Marvel media, the Skrulls ended up being the good guys in “Captain Marvel,” so whether the MCU plans to eventually tackle the Skrull Invasion is unclear, but the option is there. It’s also worth pointing out that a lot could have happened since the Skrulls’ introduction back in the ’90s, and alliances can shift …

7. SWORD

If there’s one guy who’s had just about enough of shifting alliances, back-stabbing, murder attempts, and betrayal it’s Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). While Talos was covering for him back planetside, the former Director of the now-defunct SHIELD really was ‘far from home.’ Specifically, he was on a space station with presumably covert intentions. ‘How can a space station be covert?’ you might wonder. Well, Fury thought the same thing before he met the Kree in “Captain Marvel.” It wouldn’t surprise us if he’s taken his paramount paranoia and personal projects to the skies.

SWORD Marvel Comics — SWORD (as opposed to SHIELD) reflects Fury’s more aggressive stance on Earth’s security

In the comics SWORD is the Sentient World Observation and Response Department that deals with the same threats on a galactic level that SHIELD used to deal with on the ground. Now that we’ve been introduced to the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos, Captain Marvel, the Kree, the Skrulls, and all manner of other dimensions (thanks to Doctor Strange) it makes sense that Fury wants to take security to the next level.

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SWORD could also have some pretty exciting tie-ins to several upcoming items on the Phase 4 docket, particularly the “Captain Marvel” sequel, “Guardians of the Galaxy 3,” “What If,” and, perhaps most exciting of all, a great way to introduce the space-faring Fantastic Four.

Wrapping up

Let us know in the comments below what you think the future holds for Marvel’s Phase 4, and we’ll keep you posted as more information is made available. We’ll see you in theaters!

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Who is Mysterio in Spider-Man?

Before you see “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” get to know the man behind the fishbowl!

Don’t let his foreboding presence fool you; most of what makes Mysterio threatening is just smoke and mirrors.

The new MCU film “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is giving fans their first on-screen appearance of Mysterio, a staple villain in the world of Spider-Man

Despite “Spider-Man: Far From Home” being Mysterio’s first major on-screen appearance, he has had a rich history in many incarnations of Spider-Man.

Mysterio’s origin

Mysterio first appearance — Mysterio’s first appearance

Mysterio made his first appearance in 1964 in the comic “The Amazing Spider-Man” Issue #13. He was made by legendary creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

In the comics, Mysterio’s alter-ego is a man named Quentin Beck. Beck is a stuntman and special effects wizard. He had dreams of being a star, but he met with failure at every turn.

Eventually, he came up with a new idea: becoming a superhero. However, Spider-Man was hogging the limelight. As a result, Beck came up with a plan to frame Spider-Man for crimes, and make himself out to be the hero under his new persona, Mysterio. Mysterio claims to be from an alien world, and it is his mission to save the planet (or destroy the plane,t depending on what adaptation you’re checking out).

Spider-Man eventually proved his innocence and defeated Mysterio (as Spidey often does) but that wasn’t the last time we saw him…

Personality

Mysterio is pretty much a total loser.

Daredevil Mysterio — Daredevil just ended this man’s entire career. Source: Daredevil: Guardian Devil

Mysterio is never really taken all that seriously in any adaptation. Sure, he causes some mischief and definitely gets on Spidey’s nerves, but he is simply not much of a threat.

Compared to villains like Green Goblin or Venom, Mysterio is a walk in the park. He has a cool costume, but he often lacks the power or evil genius to back it up.

Most of his plans have been done previously by more qualified bad guys. He basically brings the same bag of tricks to each fight and gets his butt kicked each time.

Mysterio’s motivations constantly lie in him trying to make a positive name for himself. He feels like his work has gone unappreciated and that he has been cheated out of fame, fortune, and recognition.

Mysterio personality — Source: “Daredevil: Guardian Devil”

Mysterio’s powers and abilities

Mysterio has no superpowers. All of his tricks stem from his shrewd mind and homemade gadgets. He’s basically a much less cool Iron Man. His gadgets come from his work in special effects and the movie industry. He often uses smoke and gases to create illusions, disappear, and attack the human mind.

To be completely fair, Mysterio is one of the only people to stop Spider-Man’s Spidey Sense in its tracks.

Spider-Man Spidey Sense — Source: The Amazing Spider-Man #13

The Sinister Six

Eventually, Mysterio becomes one of the founding members of the original Sinister Six. The Sinister Six was a band of villains in the Spider-Verse who made it their goal to defeat Spider-Man. Along with Mysterio, other members included Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Sandman, and Vulture.

However, in their first battle with Spidey, their hubris was their demise. Rather than working together to take him down, the Sinister Six refused to work as a team and instead decided to fight Spider-Man one by one.

Spidey whooped all of them one-by-one while mocking them for not attacking him all at once. Mysterio went on to reappear with the Sinister Six in other comics with pretty much the same results each time.

Plan to defeat Daredevil, and his suicide

Mysterio death — Source: “Daredevil: Guardian Devil”

After being diagnosed with both lung cancer and an inoperable brain tumor, Mysterio decides that he wants to go out with a swan song. Unfortunately, he discovers that Spider-Man is merely a clone of his real self, so he turns his attention toward Daredevil in the series “Daredevil: Guardian Devil.”

To give him credit, Mysterio actually accomplishes some messed up stuff in this series. He artificially inseminates a 15-year-old girl without her knowing, and works to convince Daredevil that the baby is the antichrist. From there, he fakes an HIV diagnosis for Daredevil’s love-interest Karen Page, blaming it on the antichrist. After that, he drugs Daredevil’s friend Foggy Nelson and frames him for murder. Eventually, Bullseye kills Page at Mysterio’s order.

Karen PAge Daredevil — Source: “Daredevil: Guardian Devil”

The rapid downward spiral in Daredevil’s life makes him question his life, morals, and even his Catholic faith.

However, things don’t go well for Mysterio in the end…

In the end, Mysterio tries to get Daredevil to fully succumb to his inner darkness by killing Mysterio in cold blood. However, Daredevil doesn’t kill him. He beats the living crap out of him but doesn’t kill him.

Instead, Daredevil mocks Mysterio, stating how Kingpin had tried to break him before, and it didn’t work. He also mentions how Mysterio tried a similar plan before to J. Jonah Jameson, and that didn’t work either. After coming to the conclusion that his life is a joke, Mysterio turns a gun on himself and commits suicide.

Mysterio loses — Daredevil kills Mysterio without firing a single bullet.

Other people who became Mysterio

Although Beck is the quintessential Mysterio in almost every adaptation, a few others have donned the fishbowl helmet.

Danny Berkhart

After the Quentin Beck’s supposed death in the original Spider-Man comics, a man named Danny Berkhart approached J. Jonah Jameson with a proposal.

Berkhart had the idea to fool Spider-Man into thinking that he was the ghost of Mysterio. He even had the old Mysterio’s gadgets. A thrilled Jameson promptly paid him to do so. As you might have guessed, Spidey figures it out and has Berkhart arrested. Jameson gets Berkhart a lawyer as long as he promises not to mention his name to the police.

Francis Klum

Klum Myterio — Note: He does this to the puny teenager who’s having a conversation with Black Cat, but doesn’t do this to the slew of other villains who actually threatened his loved ones. Source: “Spide-Man/Black Cat: The Evil Men That Do”

Francis Klum is probably the weakest iteration of Mysterio, which explains why we haven’t seen him since the early 2000s.

Klum is a mutant who has been abused throughout his entire life. He has teleportation abilities that have caused him more harm than good in his life. After confiding with Black Cat, Spider-Man’s foe-turned-love-interest, Spidey mistakes the meeting as a threat to Black Cat’s life. He proceeds to beat the snot out of Klum and threatens his life. Klum manages to get away, but only after suffering major injuries.

Klum contacts Kingpin, who gives him the late Mysterio’s old costume. Klum gets the idea to attack Spider-Man while in costume to make Spidey think that he is merely fighting Mysterio. However, Klum would then use his teleportation powers to get the upper hand, and then kill Spider-Man.

Does his plan work?

Nope! Through a series of weird events, Beck actually reappears after somehow surviving shooting himself in “Daredevil: Guardian Devil.” With two Mysterios running amuck, Spider-Man is prepared for anything and has his guard up. Klum proceeds to not even get a few licks in as Miss Arrow stabs him before he can do anything.

Mysterio stabbed — Source: “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Issue #13

The Mysterio we almost got in ‘Spider-Man 4’

As you well know, the original Spider-Man movie trilogy was made by the ever-so-talented Sam Raimi. In all three films, Raimi had Bruce Campbell, his good friend from the “Evil Dead” films, make a small cameo appearance.

In the first film, he was a wrestling announcer.
In the second, he was an annoying usher.
In the third, he was a host at a French restaurant.

Although the film never saw the light of day, Campbell was supposed to have a much bigger part in “Spider-Man 4.”

Bruce Campbell Mysterio — Art by Jeffrey Henderson

What you are looking at above is a piece of art from the official “Spider-Man 4” storyboard. This story was supposed to begin with Spider-Man walking Mysterio into the police station. After the police removed his fishbowl helmet, it was to be revealed that Bruce Campbell was playing Mysterio.

Fans have speculated for years that during the course of the three Raimi Spider-Man films, Campbell had been playing Mysterio the entire time. Furthermore, fans guessed that Mysterio was watching Peter Parker, and was waiting for his moment to strike. Although this has never been confirmed by Raimi, this would have made for Campbell’s funniest cameo yet in the series.

As funny as this would’ve been, we think it would be better to have Campbell’s legendary character Ash make an appearance with the Avengers.

Jake Gyllenhaal in “Spider-Man: Far From Home”

From what we have seen in the trailers, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio looks similar to the classic Mysterio.

Rather than saying he is from a different planet, this Mysterio is claiming to be from an alternate universe.

Yeah, sure.

As cool as a live-action Spider-Verse would be, we’re guessing that Beck is once again full of it. It’s in his character to be a liar who uses his silver-tongue to come off as cooler than he actually is. However, we will just have to see once the movie is released.