All the returning characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home, from the MCU and elsewhere, helped to turn it into the biggest Spider-Man adventure yet. The third MCU Spider-Man movie further opened the door to the multiverse leading to all kinds of fun opportunities for who might appear. From villains to allies, the cast of Spider-Man: No Way Home is impressive, with several characters from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man films coming back to wreak some havoc on Peter Parker’s life. As much as it is still Tom Holland's movie, he is joined by a lot of returning characters in No Way Home.
Set in the aftermath of Mysterio leaking Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man, Spider-Man: No Way Home sees the teenage hero go to Doctor Strange for help fixing his situation. What begins as a simple spell gets out of hand and causes the multiverse to crack open, bringing with it Spider-Man’s nemeses from alternate worlds, including Doctor Octopus and Electro. Spider-Man: No Way Home sees Tom Holland back as the titular superhero and he’s joined by a sprawling cast of characters who have been in every MCU Spider-Man film so far, and several others who are reprising their roles from past Spider-Man projects. It makes for a lot of returning characters in No Way Home.
Tom Holland As Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Tom Holland's latest outing as Spider-Man gives him a full MCU trilogy with a fourth Spider-Man rumored to be on the way. Peter Parker is a 17-year-old high school student who is also the superhero known as Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter is struggling because his identity has been compromised and he’s trying to balance all that with getting into college. Tom Holland has starred in films such as Cherry, The Devil All the Time, Onward, The Lost City of Z, and his latest franchise hopeful Uncharted. Holland has also been in other MCU films, including Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: Civil War, and the two previous Spider-Man movies (Homecoming and Far From Home). Along with Spider-Man 4, Holland will soon be seen in the limited series The Crowded Room and starring in a Fred Astaire biopic.
Zendaya As Michelle “MJ” Jones
MJ is Peter’s girlfriend and fellow classmate who knows about his identity as Spider-Man. She’s caught in the middle of Spider-Man’s public crisis and aids him with the villains from other universes. MJ is played by Zendaya, who is known for her roles in Dune, The Greatest Showman, Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria, Shake It Up, K.C. Undercover, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and the two previous Spider-Man movies in the MCU. She is also a two-time Emmy winner for her role on HBO's Euphoria and will next be seen in Dune: Part 2 and Luca Guadagnino's tennis romance movie Challengers.
Jacob Batalon As Ned Leeds
Ned Leeds is Peter’s best friend and his right-hand man when it comes to Spider-Man’s heroics. While returning in No Way Home, it is also revealed that Ned might have some natural talent for sorcery as he even impresses Doctor Strange. Ned is played by Jacob Batalon, who is known for Netflix’s Let it Snow, 50 States of Fright, The True Don Quixote, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. He recently headlined his own horror-comedy series Reginald the Vampire which will return for a second season and will soon be seen opposite Kevin Hart in the thriller Lift.
Benedict Cumberbatch As Doctor Strange
Dr. Stephen Strange is a sorcerer and a former neurosurgeon who helps Peter with a magic spell in a bid to cause people to forget he’s Spider-Man. Doctor Strange is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, who was previously best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in BBC's Sherlock series. He is an Oscar-nominated actor for his performances in The Power of the Dog and The Imitation Game while he has also appeared in Star Trek Into the Darkness, 12 Years a Slave, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Cumberbatch has also played his MCU character in other films, including Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. He'll soon be seen in Wes Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Jeymes Samuel's The Book of Clarence.
Marisa Tomei As May Parker
May Parker is Peter’s aunt who raised him; she also works for a non-profit organization that helps feed and house those in need. She also takes on an important role as she gets to deliver the iconic Spider-Man line, "With great power, there must also come great responsibility." Aunt May is portrayed by Marisa Tomei, who has starred in My Cousin Vinny, What Women Want, The First Purge, The Big Short, the TV series Empire, Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Lincoln Lawyer, and The King of Staten Island. Among her upcoming projects, Tomei will play Gloria Steinem in the mini-series Ms.
Alfred Molina As Dr. Otto Octavius/Doc Ock
One of the first big reveals about the returning characters in Now Way Home was Doc Ock. Doctor Octopus made his live-action debut in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, becoming Peter Parker’s nemesis. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doc Ock pops in from an alternate universe to battle Holland’s iteration of the superhero. Otto Octavius is played by Alfred Molina, who is best known for Boogie Nights, Frida, Magnolia, Frozen II, Ralph Breaks the Internet, The Front Runner, Angie Tribeca, The Da Vinci Code, Law & Order: LA, and the animated series Maya and the Three. He also starred in the recently canceled crime series Three Pines.
Willem Dafoe As Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
Green Goblin is the most important Spider-Man villain among the returning characters in No Way Home. Norman Osborn was the head of his company, Oscorp. He became Green Goblin after a performance-enhancing formula went awry. Like Doc Ock, Green Goblin returns in Spider-Man: No Way Home after being the primary villain in 2002's Spider-Man. Osborn is played by Willem Dafoe, whose filmography includes Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, The Card Counter, The French Dispatch, Aquaman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Platoon, and John Wick. Dafoe's upcoming projects will see him reuniting with filmmaking collaborators in Wes Anderson's Astroid City and Robert Eggers' Nosferatu as well as appearing in two Yorgos Lanthimos movies, Poor Things and And.
Jamie Foxx As Max Dillon/Electro
One of the returning characters in No Way Home to come from the Amazing Spider-Man universe, Jamie Foxx returns as a different-looking Electro. First introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Max Dillon was an engineer at Oscorp who became Electro after falling into a tank of electric eels. Foxx is an Oscar-winning actor for his performance in Ray while he has also appeared in Dreamgirls, Ray, Django Unchained, Just Mercy, Robin Hood, Baby Driver, Annie, Horrible Bosses, The Kingdom, and Collateral. This summer, he will lend his voice to the R-rated talked animals comedy Strays and will later team with Cameron Diaz for the action comedy Back in Action.
Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Among the returning characters in No Way Home, fans might have been most excited to see the original cinematic Spider-Man make a reappearance. Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man hails from an alternate universe — one where Green Goblin and Doc Ock came from. This version of the web-slinging superhero was introduced in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. No Way Home confirms Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man is still an active webslinger and acts as something of a mentor to his younger counterparts. Aside from playing Spider-Man, Maguire is best known for his roles in Pleasantville, The Great Gatsby, Brothers, Sea Biscuit, and The Cider House Rules. Maguire was recently seen in the Oscar-nominated Babylon and is part of the all-star cast of the series Extrapolations.
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Some of the returning characters in No Way Home were given the opportunity at redemption after their original Spider-Man roles weren't warmly received. Andrew Garfield reprised his role from The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, playing the iteration of Peter from another universe. The movie gives Garfield a chance to give his Spider-Man and his guilt over Gwen Stacy's death a little more closure. Aside from The Amazing Spider-Man films, Garfield is best known for his roles in Tick, Tick… Boom!, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Silence, 99 Homes, Never Let Me Go, and The Social Network. He recently lined up some exciting new projects, including Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein and We Live in Time alongside Florence Pugh.
Thomas Haden Church As Flint Marko/Sandman
Some of the actors playing the returning characters in No Way Home don't actually appear on screen in the sequel, including Thomas Haden Church as Sandman. Flint Marko was an escaped convict who fell into a particle accelerator that turned him into Sandman. The villain first appeared in Spider-Man 3 before returning for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Thomas Haden Church provides the voice for Sadman as he appears in sand form in the movie. Church is an Oscar nominee for his role in Sideways and he has also appeared in Easy A, Tombstone, the TV series Divorce, Hellboy, John Carter, and We Bought a Zoo. He'll next join the cast of Kevin Costner's Western epic Horizon.
Rhys Ifans As Dr. Curt Connors/Lizard
Dr. Curt Connors first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man. He was a scientist tasked with finding a cure for Norman Osborn and uses the formula on himself, transforming into the Spider-Man villain known as Lizard. He is portrayed by Rhys Ifans, who is best known for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Snowden, Notting Hill, The King’s Man, Alice Through the Looking Glass, the TV series Elementary, The Five-Year Engagement, and Anonymous. Ifans currently plays Otto Hightower in the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.
Tom Hardy As Eddie Brock/Venom
Following the tease in the post-credit scene of Venom: Let There be Carnage, Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and his symbiote best friend in No Way Home. 2018's Venom kicked off Sony's separate Spider-Man universe, introducing both Eddie Brock and Venom as they bonded and became an unlikely duo. Tom Hardy reprises his role in this No Way Home cameo. Hardy was nominated for an Oscar for The Revenant and has appeared in Christopher Nolan's Inception, Dunkirk, and The Dark Knight Rises. He took over the role of Max in Mad Max Fury Road and will next be seen in the Netflix action movie Havoc.
Spider-Man: No Way Home's Supporting Cast & Characters
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson - J. Jonah Jameson is the editor-in-chief of The Daily Bugle and is someone who deeply hates Spider-Man. J.K. Simmons first portrayed the character in 2002’s Spider-Man. Simmons has been in a plethora of films and TV shows, including Being the Ricardos, the Amazon animated series Invincible, La La Land, Whiplash, Juno, BoJack Horseman, Zootopia, Ultimate Spider-Man, The Legend of Korra, and The Closer.
Jon Favreau as Harold “Happy” Hogan - Happy is dating Peter’s Aunt May and aids Spider-Man in missions by providing gadgets courtesy of Stark Industries. Jon Favreau has starred in Iron Man, Friends, Chef, Swingers, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Wolf of Wall Street, Entourage, The Break-Up, Something’s Gotta Give, and Couples Retreat.
Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson - Flash Thompson is Peter’s school nemesis who messes with him a lot. Tony Revolori is best known for his roles in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dope, and the Apple TV+ series Servant. He recently joined the cast of Scream 6 and will reteam with Wes Anderson for Astroid City.
Benedict Wong as Wong - Wong is a Master of the Mystic Arts who trusts Doctor Strange not to mess up the spell before leaving to attend to other matters. Benedict Wong has played Wong in the MCU since Doctor Strange and the actor’s other best known films are Annihilation, The Martian, Raya and the Last Dragon, Gemini Man, The Personal History of David Copperfield, Kick-Ass 2, and Prometheus.
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil - Matt Murdock makes a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Charlie Cox reprising his Daredevil role from the Marvel Netflix series. Cox’s other notable projects include Stardust, The Theory of Everything, The Defenders, and Boardwalk Empire. He will continue in the MCU with the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again.
Mary Rivera as Ned’s Lola - Mary Rivera plays Ned’s lola, which is the Filipino word for grandmother. Rivera is only credited for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Paula Newsome as MIT Chancellor - The chancellor of MIT is someone Peter speaks to after applying to the university. Paula Newsome has starred in CSI: Vegas, Chicago Med, the HBO series Barry, and Little Miss Sunshine.
Angourie Rice as Betty Brant - Betty Brant is the host of a school morning segment, a classmate of Peter’s, and the ex-girlfriend of Ned. Angourie Rice has appeared in The Nice Guys, The Beguiled, Mare of Easttown, and in an episode of Black Mirror.
J.B. Smoove as Mr. Dell - Mr. Dell is one of Peter’s teachers at school and who chaperoned the students during their summer trip. J.B. Smoove has been in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Date Night, American Dad!, the animated Harley Quinn series, and Everybody Hates Chris.
Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington - Mr. Harrington is also one of Peter’s teachers at school and who went with the students to Europe in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Martin Starr is known for roles in Silicon Valley, Drunk History, Hawaii Five-0, and the Veronica Mars movie, which was followed up by a short-lived TV revival on Hulu.
Hannibal Buress as Coach Wilson - Wilson is a gym teacher and coach at Peter’s school in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Hannibal Buress has appeared in Broad City, Blockers, Baywatch, The Nice Guys, Neighbors, and The Secret Life of Pets.