No Way Home Concept Art Reveals A Shocking, Unused Battle

The final battle of Spider-Man: No Way Home was already massive, but we’re now finding out it could have been even bigger. During the battle, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, MJ, and Ned were all working together to make sure Doctor Strange could attempt to contain the botched spell. So, for the most part, Strange’s role in the battle was floating above the Statue of Liberty as everyone else kicked ass around him. But what if there was one more complication? What if another villain showed up? That’s exactly what the Spider-Man: No Way Home concept art shows us. And if it happened, it would have changed the movie immensely. So, which major Spider-Man villain was Doctor Strange going to have an aerial battle with?

The Concept Art of Spider-Man: No Way Home Reveals the (Unused) Return of Mysterio!

(Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures)

When we last saw Mysterio, he was comic book dead. What does that mean? Sure, he died, but this is a superhero film, and given that Mysterio creates compelling illusions, we could safely assume he’d come back. Yet, despite being a classic member of the Sinister Six, with five other classic members present, he didn’t show up. He’s still dead. But, as we can see in the concept art for Spider-Man: No Way Home, that may not have always been the case.

In fact, this lends credence to an old rumor that Jake Gyllenhaal was returning for the third film. At some point, Mysterio was going to reemerge and join the final battle. However, instead of fighting Spider-Man again, he would go up against Doctor Strange. And by the looks of the No Way Home concept art, Strange was going to further dismantle the Statue of Liberty to fight him. (Unless this is in the Mirror Dimension, of course.)

There’s a lot to unpack with this alternate version of the battle. Why would Mysterio reappear? Is it a Mysterio from another reality? After all, we did see his silhouette in the sky. But regardless of where this Mysterio comes from, things could have ended a bit differently for Spider-Man. Firstly, Peter made sure that everyone knew there would be a fight at the Statue of Liberty. He appeared on the Daily Bugle to announce it. There were definitely cameras pointed at the monument. If the world saw Mysterio in action, very much not dead, it would have cleared Spidey. Peter Paker’s been forgotten at the end of the film, but they still blame Spider-Man for Mysterio’s death. What would his future look like without that hanging over him?

But there’s more to the No Way Home concept art to explore…

Battling Mysterio Would Have Been Personal for Doctor Strange

(Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures)

If Tony Stark was Peter’s father figure, Nick Fury (well, actually Talos the Skrull) and Doctor Strange were his cool uncles. This is even more the case with Strange, though. Like he told Peter, they went through a lot together. So much so that he forgets that Peter is just a kid. Furthermore, when Peter asks him to make the world forget who he is, Strange replies, “Everyone who knows and loves you, we—we’d have no memory of you.” But why did all of this happen in the first place?

That’s why it’s so interesting that we see Mysterio fighting Strange in the No Way Home concept art. Strange wanted to help Peter after everything he went through. He cared for the kid. So, if Mysterio showed up in the final battle, it makes sense that Doctor Strange would fight the guy who ruined his fake nephew’s life. It’s a shame we didn’t see this fight take place. If only because guilt over the death of Mysterio drove Peter to risk everything to find “cures” for the baddies. Not only could it have been an emotional battle that developed Strange’s character more but imagine the visual treat it would have been.

The concept art will likely be in The Art of Spider-Man: No Way Home, but there’s currently no release date. It would be great to see an early draft of the script, but at least we can read the final one online.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is still currently in theaters everywhere.

Would you have wanted Mysterio in the final battle in the last Spidey movie?

(Featured Image: Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures)

Roman Colombo finished his MFA in 2010 and now teaches writing and graphic novel literature at various Philadelphia colleges. His first novel, Trading Saints for Sinners, was published in 2014. He's currently working on his next novel and hoping to find an agent soon.