Why Mysterio Will Be So Important In No Way Home (Despite His Death)
Quentin Beck may have died in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but Mysterio's presence will play an important role in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Marketing materials reveal that Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) will still play an important role in Spider-Man: No Way Home - why? Introduced in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Quentin Beck introduced himself as an ally to Peter Parker (Tom Holland) who supposedly came from another dimension. But, as comic book readers knew from the get-go, that was a total lie; he was nothing but a disgruntled Stark Industries employee who wanted to steal Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) E.D.I.T.H., which was left under the care of his protégé.
Spider-Man: Far From Home ended with a clear set-up for its follow-up - Spider-Man 3 was expected to deal with the ramifications of the web-slinging hero's real identity being revealed; Peter was also framed for the death of Mysterio who was still perceived as a hero by the public. But this seemed to have changed, with persistent rumors claiming that Spider-Man: No Way Home will instead be a live-action adaptation of a Spider-Verse narrative. Characters from past Spider-Man series will return, though some are still rumored and aren't confirmed - all while the threequel is set to connect to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Between the new premise of Spider-Man: No Way Home and the fact that Mysterio is dead in the MCU, it's interesting that he's still featured in some marketing materials for the movie. But, considering the transition needed from Spider-Man: Far From Home, it makes sense that Beck's presence will loom large in Peter's next adventure. As hinted by the marketing materials, as well as the movie props spotted on set, No Way Home will see Spider-Man deal with the aftermath of his secret identity being revealed. After Mysterio's revelation, further peddled by J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), a trial by publicity will surely ensue as the web-slinging hero is not only a public figure on his own but also technically an Avenger. Naturally, people will have their two cents on the matter, and expectedly, they will be divided into those who believe Beck's lies and those who side with Spider-Man.
Marvel Studios can't simply disregard the cliffhanger ending of Spider-Man: Far From Home, even if, admittedly, its multiverse element poses a far worse threat to the MCU since it's bigger than Peter's personal difficulties. As seen at the end of Loki, countless branches of time are already overlapping each other, risking another multiversal war. Given this, the studios need to find a way to seamlessly meld both narratives in the threequel.
It's curious how much of the Mysterio-motivated plotline could ultimately end up factoring into the upcoming project. Tackling the Spider-Verse in itself is already a big task, but Doctor Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) involvement can integrate the stories together. Peter can reach out to the sorcerer for help in the Sanctum Sanctorum after his alter-ego has been revealed, and from there, the pair could go on a multiversal journey.
Following up on the ending of Spider-Man: Far From Home in Spider-Man: No Way Home doesn't mean that Marvel Studios needs to reverse course and resurrect Mysterio. The villain has already done massive damage by revealing Spider-Man's identity and framing the hero for his death. Peter will continuously be haunted by him even without his physical presence in the film.