To say Marvel fans are excited about the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home would be an understatement. The movie has become a spring for assumptions for fans ever since rumors, reports, and theories related to the Multiverse broke out. 

 The threequel is Tom Holland’s third Marvel solo film, with Jon Watts as the director. It also includes some of the franchise’s mainstays, like Zendaya and Jacob Batalon. Ever since the movie revealed the news about it involving a Multiverse, various discussions and theories have been discussed mainly because the promotion events have featured villains from the previous Spider-Man films and on a large scale. 

These villains will include Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus. He was first during the original trailer, and that essentially confirmed his return to the Spider-Verse. Next in line is Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. No Way Home’s promotional drive did a great job in teasing the villain’s MCU appearance. In addition, Tom Holland also admitted that Jamie Foxx would reprise his The Amazing Spider-Man 2 role as Electro.

Yet another villain that is supposedly making a significant return with the MCU threequel is Rhys Ifans’ Curt Connors. More popularly known as the Lizard. And today, the long-awaited second trailer of No Way Home confirmed the Lizard’s Marvel comeback.

No Way Home Trailer shows Lizard’s MCU debut.

The latest Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer teases Lizard. Thus confirming him as one of the villains featuring in the threequel. We catch a glimpse of the Lizard at the tail-end of the latest trailer. He is seen teaming up with Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Thomas Hayden Church’s Sandman.

In another appearance in the trailer, the villain’s is seen with his allies, ready to attack Peter Parker at the Statue of Liberty:

The Lizard’s role in The Amazing Spider-Man so far 

Rhys Ifans’ Curt Connors made his big-screen debut with 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. The villain has seen out-facing Andrew Garfield’s iteration of the web-slinger. Conners takes a regeneration formula in the movie. And anchored by Peter Parker’s decay rate algorithm, Conners turns himself into a lizard/human hybrid. 

The two are seen fighting multiple times throughout the movie. And every time, Conners tells Peter how he’s “getting stronger everyday.” This was demonstrated in the film by his claws growing shown while attacking the web-slinger. The villain’s ultimate plan in the movie was to transform all humans into lizard-like creatures. He believed that this would entirely erase humanity’s weaknesses.

As foreseen, Spider-Man succeeds in defeating the Lizard in the final battle at Oscorp tower. In a way, the Marvel hero saves the villain by restoring his human self in the form of Conners with the help of an antidote. At the movie’s end, we see Conners in jail to serve time for his terrible deeds. 

Also Read : Spider-Man: No Way Home,14 Trailer Details You Should Know

How Lizard justifies his return in the MCU with No Way Home

The fact that Lizard gets out alive at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man plays a vital role in warranting his comeback in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Because the last time we see Conners is when he serves time in jail, it is potentially when he is transferred to the main MCU. And it was during that time that he repossessed his Lizard-like form with the spell. 

Despite having been injected with an antidote, there is a possibility that his body still contained a tiny fraction of the regeneration formula. Thus sustaining his transformation into the Lizard again. 

However, considering another theory would make the Lizard appearing in No Way Home a Variant. And that he is likely existing from a whole different universe. In the recent trailer of No Way Home, Doctor Strange explains that the villains featured previously died fighting Spider-Man, which can be taken as a clue to believe that this Lizard killed in an alternate version of The Amazing Spider-Man instead of being saved by an antidote.

The storyline will make much more sense if this is the case. Because right now, the Lizard is dead set on retaliating against the web-slinger. Following this arc would align with the narrative. Because Connors from Andrew Garfield’s Marvel universe still cares for Peter Parker. This is portrayed in the aftermath of their fight when he tells Gustav Fiers to “leave the boy alone.”

But how exactly does Lizard fit into No Way Home’s plot? 

Whichever universe he is returning from, the point remains that the Lizard is back. And the villain is hungry for Spider-Man’s blood. According to all the information we have so far, it appears as if the Lizard will get substantial screen time. But only towards the end of the movie. Specifically during the final battle taking place at the Statue of Liberty. Because this is where The Amazing Spider-Man villain’s narrative arranges in line with the MCU. 

Although, the first trailer teases Lizard inside Doctor Strange’s Multiversal prison. He is going after Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, but eventually, a magical barrier stops him in his tracks. Another likely scenario for his appearance is to join the battle playing out on the bridge with Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. But even then, Doctor Strange will capture the villain.

If this Lizard is not a Variant but the same Lizard from The Amazing Spider-Man universe, then Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin could be seen encouraging him to fight Spider-Man. Osborn could tell him how this Peter Parker is not the same as the one from his universe. Hence, killing the web-slinger is the only definite way to get back home. But if he is a Variant, then it would not be challenging for either villain to get him in their favor and fight against Spider-Man.

Will the fight against Lizard be an easy one? 

Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man has had a track record of getting soft at the idea of killing the bad guys. And if that emotion overpowers him when trying to stop the Lizard, Peter would need to be very careful. And probably come up with some clever tricks. 

The main MCU has revealed close to nothing about Peter’s previous encounters, if any, with a version of the Lizard. Disney+ has already announced an animation series for Spider-Man, which is allegedly a prequel set in a time before the Avengers set foot into the world. And there is a possibility that Lizard has already played a part as one of the villains during Peter’s early adventures as a web-slinger.

If it’s true, then based on his previous battles, Peter already has a strategy planned out to use against the reptile behemoth. But if it isn’t true, this could be where Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man steps in to save the day.

Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man version still hasn’t received a confirmation for appearing in the movie. But his rumored appearance would be most appropriate when it comes to standing in a fight against the Lizard because nobody else could assist Holland’s iteration, as well as Garfield, would, given his experience. 

To watch Garfield’s Marvel hero and Rhys Ifans’ Lizard share the screen at the same time again would be a delight as it would add on to the long list of fantastic encounters to their storied rivalry from the Marc Webb-directed franchise.