It’s been about a week since Spider-Man: Far From Home hit the theatres. If you’re a serious Marvel fan or had nothing to do this weekend you’ve probably seen it by now. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I really must warn you about web-swinging spoilers that are coming up.
The Birth Of Spider-Man
Peter Parker is heading far from home and this time he’s travelling commercial. Meaning he’s going to need a passport. Check out this screencap of his passport listing his birthday as August 10th. According to Marvel.com, the first Spider-Man comic book issue was Amazing Fantasy #15, which was published on August 10th, 1962.
Stark Industries
It’s a two for one Easter Egg right here! That big check that Happy Hogan brings to the homeless benefit contains the logo for Synchrony Bank. It’s an actual bank that also issues a Marvel Mastercard, in real life.
The second Easter Egg is that signature. Okay so this isn’t the best picture of the cheque but you should still be able to see Pepper Pott’s signature. A sign that Pepper is still running Stark Industries. Oh and fun fact Aunt May’s new job is a link to the comics too as she once worked at a homeless shelter called FEAST (Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter and Training).
In-Flight Movies
Peter’s plan to spark romance between him and MJ goes off the rails almost immediately and he’s left to enjoy the in-flight entertainment all by himself. Blink and you’ll miss it as the screen offers only a second to take on the titles of the offerings of movies and documentaries.
The Snap, Finding Wakanda, Hunting Hydra, Heart of Iron: The Tony Stark Story and Nova. The first one is easy enough to figure out, it’s a Thanos documentary with the poster depicting the Infinity Gauntlet. The next couple is pretty self-explanatory as well (RIP Mr Stark). The real gem, however, goes to Nova, a special on Einstein Rosen Bridges, otherwise known as wormholes, with host Dr. Erik Selvig of the Thor series.
Could Nova also be a reference to Nova another Marvel superhero? Nova is a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Nova Corps, for which he gained superhuman abilities including enhanced strength, flight and resistance to injury. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
License Plates
There are serial initials and serial numbers throughout the film, which reference key Spider-Man comic book issues. For example, the boat behind Ned in the photo above has ASM 212 on it. Amazing Spider-Man #212 is the first comic book where Hydrogen Man appears—appropriate, since they are on a boat in Venice, and are later attacked by a massive water monster.
In fact, each time the Elementals attack, there’s a fun nod to the comic origins of Hydro-Man, Molten Man, Sandman and Cyclone. On screen, keep an eye out for licence plates that read 463 (Amazing Spider-Man #4, released in 1963, Sandman’s debut), ASM212 (Amazing Spider-Man #212, Hydro-Man’s debut), ASM28965 (Amazing Spider-Man #28, September 1965, Molten Man’s debut) and TASM143 (The Amazing Spider-Man #143, Cyclone’s debut).
There’s even a license plate for Fury and Maria Hill. They’re driving a car with the plate number MTU83779, almost certainly a reference to Marvel Team Up #83, “Spider-Man and Nick Fury” released in July, 1979.
Morris Bench
Interestingly enough after the water Elemental attacks Venice, Flash Thompson reveals that he read online that the creature was originally Morris Bench, who gained the powers after his exposure to an experimental generator. This is a nod to Morris ‘Morrie’ Bench who became Hydro-Man in the comics, so even though this Elemental isn’t Hydro-Man as its just an illusion, it could be a sign that the real Hydro-Man exists in the MCU. Maybe.
Jennifer Connelly
All the love for the new age of Artificial Intelligence. Spider-Man‘s new suit courtesy of Tony Stark comes equipped with his very own A.I. Karen. If you recognise the voice you’ll know it’s actress Jennifer Connelly, the real-life spouse of Paul Bettany, the voice of Jarvis.
With Great Hunger
After Peter has worked out Mysterio’s true nature, an extended hallucination sequence (that ends with him getting hit by a train) sees Peter come face-to-face with a zombie Iron Man. It bursts out of a grave bearing the name Anthony Edward Stark.
This is a nod to the Marvel Zombies series, written by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. Taking place on Earth-652149 in an alternate reality where the superheroes have been infected with a zombie virus. Established in Ultimate Fantastic Four #22 it spun out into its own series. If you haven’t read it… well I don’t know if you should read it. That shit is dark.
A Mysterio Death
There’s a bit of a departure from comic book Mysterio’s end in this movie. In the comics, his is against a battle against Daredevil. Not by being physically beaten, but from Matt Murdock beating him to the ground, and then lecturing him about what a failure and mockery of imitation his life really was. Pulling a gun, Mysterio shoots himself in the head, claiming he “stole this one, too” from the villain Kraven the Hunter.
While the movie swaps in Spidey for Daredevil and the self-inflicted gunshot isn’t directly a suicide attempt, it’s more similar than it is different, as Mysterio sees everything he built falling apart, and decides death is a better end.
Spidey Selfie
If you’ve played Marvel‘s Spider-Man by Insomniac Games on the PS4 then you’ve probably saved a selfie or two or a hundred in the game’s photo mode. In the game, Spidey gets full into selfie mode allowing you to take touristy photos around New York City. The movie references this at the end of the movie while Spider-Man is triumphantly swinging through Manhattan.
SWORD
The post-credits scene revealed that instead of being on Earth, Nick Fury has actually been chilling up in space with some Skrulls, leaving Talos and Soren to look after things in his absence. We assume that Maria Hill is up there with him, or just enjoying her own holiday, but the Skrull ship could mark the arrival of SWORD – Sentient World Observation and Response Department – in the MCU.
Basically, the organisation is SHIELD in space and since Fury says it’s time to get “back to work”, maybe this is something to do with the “Kree sleeper cells” that Fury (well, Talos) spoke about earlier in the movie. After being shown as villains in Captain Marvel, this could be a sign that Spider-Man sets up a new twist on Secret War. Is the Kree-Skrull War coming in Phase 4? Or even a reversed Secret Invasion?
If you haven’t read the Secret War it’s an arc that focuses on a plan by the Skrulls engaging in a passive takeover of Earth. Over time they slowly take the place of superheroes and mimicking their appearance.
Introducing Phase 4
Located at the base of the fictional Avengers Tower, we can see that the iconic tower is now under new ownership, and undergoing renovations.
Written along the fence encircling the construction zone is an advertisement with the text 1-2-3- and the words “Something big is coming” in the background. This could be another reference to MCU’s Phase 4, but the numbers have a circle around them. The number 4 with a circle around it is the symbol for the Fantastic Four. Could this be referencing the superhero team coming back for the third time, but this time in the MCU?
More on the nose introduction of Phase 4 is when Betty Brant, no J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary (and one of Peter Parker’s love interests before marrying Mary-Jane Watson) mentions that “we’re moving on to a new phase of our lives”. The timing is spot on.
