Should I have seen it without being caught up on the Marvel MCU? Maybe not. I haven't seen an outing with Spider-Man since Avengers: Endgame, and I haven't seen a Spider-Man film since Homecoming. Despite not being able to appreciate the aftermath of whatever happened in No Way Home or Multiverse of Madness, I found a lot to love. I was able to fill in some of the gaps, I found the surprise villain a nice turn, and the themes of loneliness & exile may be as good as Spider-Man 2. Fun & endearing.