Spider-Man: Far From Home Is The Most London-y Superhero Film Ever

Harry Rosehill
By Harry Rosehill Last edited 61 months ago

Last Updated 20 November 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home Is The Most London-y Superhero Film Ever
Spider Man on the Millennium Eye with Big Ben in the background

SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Superheroes in London aren't a new concept. It seems like every month another blockbuster hits the silver screen, determined to blow one of our landmarks to smithereens. But none of them quite match the new Marvel film, Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The film takes a whistlestop tour of a few European cities as Peter Parker and his class travel on a supposedly educational trip. First they hit up Venice, then Prague, before making their way to London — via St Pancras station — where most of the third act is set.

The big final battle includes three London landmarks: Tower Bridge, The Shard and The Tower of London. That first location is introduced with a knowing gag about American tourists confusing Tower Bridge with London Bridge, earning some Brucie bonus points from us.

Spider Man heading towards Tower Bridge

Nick Fury hanging out in The Shard. Happy Hogan and a bunch of teenagers hiding from deadly drones in the Tower of London. And Spider-Man taking on Mysterio in the Tower's upper walkways. Only one thing could have made it better. The sightseeing bus jumping the rising bridge, a la Albert Gunter.

Even without that it's pretty thrilling stuff. And none of the London landmarks get reduced to a pile of rubble, as usually happens when Hollywood comes to London — Tower Bridge's damage is all superficial, created by holograms. AND the geography is all reasonably accurate, which is a lot better than Thor: The Dark World managed. (Yes, we know, the interior of the White Tower was completely fake, but that's small fry as far as these films usually go.)

Nick Fury chilling out in the Shard

So that's all the London locations right? Well... maybe. We don't have any info to back it up, but the scene when Mysterio and his goons are testing out new holograms got our Londonist-sense tingling. The abandoned stage looks an awful lot like the recently reopened Alexandra Palace Theatre. And keep an eye out for the oft-used Millennium Mills in the Royal Docks.

Marvel movies do have prior form with using seemingly random locations in London. Like a scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron that was set in Johannesburg, but filmed inside the Brent Civic Centre.

Hulk and Iron Man fighting outside the Brent Civic Centre
Marvel films do have prior when it comes to filming in random parts of London — like the Brent Civic Centre.

And if you think you've spotted any other London locations in the film, let us know in the comments below.