A new still photo from Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home is prompting a slew of fresh theories about the film.
Headed to theaters on Dec. 17, No Way Home has been the subject of numerous fan theories and rumors since it was announced. Between claims about the appearance of numerous versions of Spider-Man or theories that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil will return for the film, fans have picked apart every new detail about the upcoming movie.
A simple leaked image is ramping up theorists yet again, after it was shared to social media by the OneTakeNews Twitter account. The shared tweet reveals a single picture with no additional context. In the picture, the shattered remains of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin helmet are scattered across the pavement. The image immediately prompted a reaction from fans, many of whom drew parallels between it and an iconic moment from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.
Mid-way through the 2004 action flick, Peter Parker decides that he cannot juggle being Spider-Man alongside his normal life. He decides to leave his superhero identity behind, culminating in a memorable moment in which he tosses his Spider-Man suit in the garbage. The still of his abandoned suit is being shared alongside the Green Goblin’s broken mask as people compare and propose theories about the two on-screen moments.
Other fans immediately dove into theory mode, detailing several possibilities for how the Goblin’s mask ends up in pieces. One fan predicted that the Green Goblin will kill Peter’s Aunt May in the film, sending Peter into a “blind rage” and prompting him to “beat” Goblin “within an inch of his life,” resulting in the broken mask. They pointed to an interview with Tom Holland, who plays Peter Parker in the MCU, in which he discussed the “bad” side of Peter as backing for their argument.
Other fans had similar theories. While not all felt that May would lose her life to Goblin, many predicted that the Goblin’s mask would end up broken after a particularly intense fight with Peter, likely prompted by the injury or death of one of his loved ones.
Other fans felt that the decision had nothing to do with a fight between Spider-man and Green Goblin, and instead was a choice by Marvel Studios. One fan’s note that “you don’t cover Dafoe’s face” was echoed by many, some of whom pointed out that “Willem Dafoe’s unaltered face is scarier and more intimidating than a damn goblin mask.”
Another theory that emerged hinted toward the idea that the mask will be broken at the hands of Green Goblin himself. “In the last tv spot Goblin said he wants to conquer this (new) world,” one person pointed out. “Maybe he wants to become a new Green Goblin… and in order to do so he has to ‘kill’ the old goblin.”
Regardless of which theory, if any, is right, the image achieved exactly what the team behind No Way Home was likely aiming for. People can’t stop talking about the upcoming film, and the new image is prompting even more discussion. The latest chapter in Spider-Man’s story arrives in theaters in less than a week, so fans only have a short wait to find out the real cause behind Goblin’s smashed mask.