Bhubaneswar: The long-awaited third installation of Spiderman, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, promises to be a wonderful end-of-the-year gift for Marvel fans and moviegoers in general. Earlier set to release on July 16, 2021, it was pushed back twice, before the final release date was set in December 2021. The movie premiers on December 16 all over India, one day before the US release. It will be released in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.
The seats are filling up fast for opening shows all over Bhubaneswar, with the audience in eager anticipation for the return of familiar faces, friends and foes alike from the Spiderman cinematic universe.
Preeti Padma Dash, studying at Odisha University of Technology and Research, is an avid Marvel fan and says this is the biggest movie yet to be released from the franchise. “This is a way bigger deal than Endgame and Infinity War. I am a Tom Holland fangirl but seeing the older versions of Spidey on screen, all of them together, is going to be amazing. I think I might have been among the very first to get my tickets booked.”
It should be noted that the appearance of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the movie is yet to be confirmed, with both actors staying very tight-lipped about their involvement.
Arya Ketan Mishra, a student at Utkal University, admits his nostalgia has not helped in the enjoyment of some of the MCU Spiderman movies, but admits that Marvel is on a roll with Shang Chi and The Eternals. “I went and watched them both. They were the first films I watched in a movie theatre after a long break due to COVID-19, and I enjoyed the experiences a lot, but now things are about to go up a notch with No Way Home. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this movie,” he says. Mishra plans to watch the movie with his girlfriend, and is hopeful of acquiring tickets within the next few days.
Film theatres across the city understand the hype behind the event, and have planned accordingly. “All movie tickets are available online, with very few tickets left for offline admission on the opening day. This movie is garnering more attention than any other recent releases, and we expect all the seats to be filled in the upcoming three days. The first show is starting at 5.30 am in different states and 5.40 am in Odisha. This is an experiment of sorts for us, never been done before,” Lingaraj Panda, manager of Maharaja Picture Palace, was quoted as saying. He added, “We have taken special measures for this occasion, having installed six air purifiers inside the movie hall, along with strictly following all other government guidelines. We want fans to have the best experience possible.”
Other moviegoers, who have not been following the Marvel universe as closely, also have their interest piqued. Aditya Bismya Pani, working from home for TCS, is looking forward to the release as a much-needed break from work, having planned a trip with a large group of friends. “It’s a blockbuster and promises to be a good time when you add in lots and lots of popcorn. I don’t think people really care about the quality of these movies. We had 10 tickets booked for a bunch of us. Unfortunately, one of my friend’s mother contracted the Coronavirus. He is now in isolation with his family. Rest of us don’t have any of the symptoms, and are still excited about the event, but it’s a reminder for us to remain vigilant while having fun.”
