Want to stream "Spider-Man: No Way Home" on Disney Plus without going to the theater? You could say you're not alone in that (and some of us on the TG staff think so), but that would do no one any good. What's more important is to make an educated guess as to when it's going to hit.

The wait to get "Spider-Man No Way Home" on Disney Plus is going to be longer than any Marvel movie released recently. In fact, it is not even certain when the film will appear on Disney Plus. The earliest it could take is mid-2023, possibly longer. As awful as it sounds, there is also good news about another major service that could bring the film sooner. There are two reasons behind this.

First, because "No Way Home" will be released by Sony Pictures, which co-produced "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with Marvel Studios. Therefore, it will not arrive two months after its theatrical release, as "Shang - CHI" and "Eternals" did. Disney Plus Premiere Access is a way for Disney to release films on Disney Plus on the same day as their theatrical release. This program appears to be on hiatus.

Shared ownership is the biggest stumbling block and the reason why "No Way Home" will not be available on Disney Plus anytime soon. Homecoming is streaming for Spectrum members, while Far From Home is VOD only. Homecoming is streaming for Spectrum members, while Far From Home is VOD only. However, Sony and Disney Plus (and Netflix) are actually beginning to work together.

The second major problem is that Sony has not one, but two streaming agreements (although neither applies to "Spider-Man: No Way Home"); Sony films released between 2022 and 2027 have a theatrical run (often 45 days) and video-on-demand (purchase or rental) services, then first streamed on Netflix.

Assuming "No Way Home" follows the format of this agreement, the mid-2023 window would look like this: Netflix would hold the Sony film for a period known as the Pay 1 window of 18 months after its theatrical release.

After that, those films will be available to Disney Plus, per the deal Sony and Disney signed in April. However, this also does not apply to Spider-Man: No Way Home, which will be released in 2021. This means there is one more streaming platform to consider.

The contract tape narrative indicates that Sony's film first went to premium cable service Starz. This is based on a contract that has been in place for a number of years, the most recent contract term being from 2017 to 2021. If Sony sticks to that contract, it would not be surprising if a Starz deal is needed to stream "No Way Home" without buying it on demand.

Why Sony's contract with Starz ended Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch reportedly said at the MoffettNathanon 8th Annual Media Communications Summit that Sony's hits were too few and not compelling enough.

In any case, the company's successes were not enough to convince the public.

In any case, while we wait to see the film, here are the full rankings of Spider-Man films, including No Way Home We break down the post-credits scene from "Spider-Man: No Way Home.