[Review] Spider-Man: Far From Home: Entering a New Era
The new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, premiered in Hong Kong last week. As the final movie in the MCU's Infinity Saga, it truly leads the franchise into a new generation!
Since its launch in 2008, the MCU has been divided into three phases, collectively known as the Infinity Saga. While Marvel continuously reminded audiences that Avengers: Endgame concluded the story of 22 movies over a decade, it was actually Spider-Man: Far From Home that served as the final film of the Infinity Saga and MCU Phase 3. Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the long-running Infinity Stones and Thanos (Josh Brolin) storyline, so why did Marvel choose Far From Home as the final chapter? After watching the movie, I believe it acts as an epilogue to the Infinity Saga, viewing the aftermath of Endgame and the impact of these movies through the eyes of Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Among all the Avengers, Peter Parker is arguably the most "grounded" hero: he's still a student living in a small community in Brooklyn, interacting with the most ordinary citizens every day.
The central figure of the MCU, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), died in Avengers: Endgame. His relationship with Peter Parker was particularly close, with Peter viewing him as a mentor and idol. Therefore, Peter was deeply affected by his death, making his perspective the most fitting to explore the consequences of Stark's passing. After Tony's death, citizens in the film—and audiences outside of it—shared the same question: who is the next Iron Man? Who will be the next face of the MCU? Peter, as Tony's protégé, naturally felt this pressure, but he ultimately understood that he didn't need to be defined by it. He realized he didn't have to become the next Iron Man. His background, abilities, and principles are fundamentally different from Tony Stark's. While Stark is a role model, Peter must never forget who he is: Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He needs to be true to himself. Similarly, within the MCU, no one can truly replace Iron Man, just as no one can replace Spider-Man. They don't need to retrace old steps; they need to lead audiences into new territory. This film stays true to Spider-Man's style, maintaining the youthful tone of the previous movie while exploring the aspirations and fears of teenage romance. A montage on a plane perfectly captures this feeling. Peter's personal journey also avoids repeating the themes of the last film; he has evolved from a kid who desperately wanted to be a hero to someone who, now that he is one, sometimes wishes to set that identity aside and be a normal Peter Parker.
Beyond Peter Parker, the film's villain, Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), and supporting character Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), were also deeply influenced by Tony Stark. Mysterio's surprise reveal—pretending to be a hero before unveiling his villainous true colors—will surely remind audiences of a similar twist in Iron Man 3. The plot is riddled with connections to Tony Stark's past, even recreating scenes from previous movies, including his enemies from the first film and his technology from Captain America: Civil War. One of the most memorable moments is when Peter Parker is creating his new suit, perfectly mirroring Tony Stark's creative process from past films.
In my review of Avengers: Endgame, I mentioned that a central theme of Tony Stark's character was how the technology he created could become his greatest enemy. In this film, the villain uses Stark's technology, proving that even after his death, his inventions can still be weaponized against others. All of these plot points and details feel like a final farewell to the character in the last installment of the Infinity Saga. I believe the next phase of the MCU will be a completely new beginning, where Tony Stark's legacy may become less central. This film serves as our final goodbye to him.
Compared to the surprise in Iron Man 3, I felt the twist in this film was a bit over the top, particularly because the technology used by Mysterio and his team to create "illusions" was almost seamless and too powerful. Fortunately, the visual effects and cinematography during these illusion sequences are stunning, even more breathtaking than the dimensional-shifting scenes in Doctor Strange, which helps distract from any plot holes. Michael Giacchino, the composer for Doctor Strange and the previous Spider-Man: Homecoming, returns to create another of the most memorable and excellent scores in the MCU. Jake Gyllenhaal also delivers a compelling performance, flawlessly transitioning from a suave, humble superhero to an arrogant villain. The scene in the bar, while a major twist, is made entirely believable by his performance. The film's two other big surprises happen in the post-credits scenes. The return of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson is exciting, but the future implications of the plot are even more thrilling.
The "new era" I mentioned in this review not only refers to the MCU entering a new phase but also to the post-truth era that the film addresses. In the movie, Mysterio uses technology to create monsters representing elements like fire, water, and earth, and positions himself as a superhero. This technology combines projected images with physical elements, making the monsters' destruction seem real and preventing anyone from questioning his abilities. Mysterio leaves one final move: his team edits a video that blames Spider-Man for controlling these monsters. The conspiratorial online news outlet, DailyBugle.net, and its host, J. Jonah Jameson, then use this video to frame Spider-Man and Peter Parker as a public enemy.
In fact, even without such advanced technology, we are already living in a post-truth era. Governments, political parties, and media create their own "truth" with images, videos, audio, and text to serve their agendas. When watching this film, one might immediately think of the actions of Donald Trump, but this kind of manipulation of "truth" is also very common in Hong Kong, especially in recent months. The film serves as a powerful reminder that "seeing is not always believing." We must be vigilant, question the information we receive, and not take things at face value, or we risk falling into a trap set by unscrupulous authorities, politicians, and media.
Although this theme of "truth" only emerges in the second half of the movie, it is enough to make it one of Marvel's most socially and politically relevant films since last year's Black Panther. I'm very curious to see if this theme will continue in the next Spider-Man film and perhaps even become a central theme of the next MCU phase.