Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts has revealed that Reddit leaks and fan art completely changed how Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were introduced in the blockbuster Marvel film. The shift, he says, was made mid-production to avoid giving fans exactly what they expected.
Speaking about the behind-the-scenes process, Watts admitted the original plan was to reveal the two legacy Spider-Men during an emotional rooftop scene just after Aunt May’s death. But once he saw fans accurately predicting the moment online — complete with detailed fan art on Reddit — he knew the team had to pivot.
“It was sad. Two Doctor Strange portals open on a rooftop, and Tobey and Andrew walk out,” Watts explained. “Then I saw someone on Reddit post that exact scenario as fan art. I thought, ‘We can’t do that. If Reddit already guessed it, we have to change it.’”
Watts, inspired by a quote from silent film legend Buster Keaton, decided to double-cross fan expectations and surprise viewers instead.
“I like the audience to think they’ve outguessed me — then I double-cross them,” he quoted.
That insight led to the now-iconic, offbeat scene where Ned accidentally opens a portal inside his Filipino grandmother’s apartment, summoning Garfield’s Spider-Man — followed moments later by Maguire’s. The unexpected setting added humor, warmth, and cultural flavor that fans instantly embraced.
“No one was doing fan art of that,” Watts said. “It made perfect sense in the story. And it surprised everyone.”
The move highlights how online fan culture — especially on platforms like Reddit — is actively influencing modern blockbusters. Rather than fighting leaks and speculation, Watts embraced it as part of the creative process, using it to push the story in a more surprising direction.
