Charlie Cox says he and Andrew Garfield had to eat lunch together secretly so they wouldn't spoil No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire as Spider-Men, making it the perfect opportunity for them to recreate the Spider-Man pointing meme. But, in addition their triumphant return, there was another actor who got a surprising comeback into the Marvel universe.

Before Disney+ became home to the MCU-related TV shows, Netflix had its own share of Marvel shows which included Daredevil. The show only lasted three seasons, but Spider-Man: No Way Home allowed Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, to return to the screen. Cox made his official MCU debut.

It was a moment in the movie that felt completely unexpected. And while Cox didn’t have it quite as bad as Garfield, he repeatedly did his best at lying about not being in No Way Home, he still had to take extremes to hide the surprise.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cox says he had to do his best at hiding his involvement in the movie, even while having lunch breaks with Garfield. “While we were sitting down [for lunch], it occurred to both of us, ‘Oh, shit. If we’re filmed here together, that’s not a good sign.’ So we ended up sitting, facing the wall, both of us,” he recalls.

He also notes that his return to Marvel was as shocking for him as it was for fans. He says he couldn’t believe his chat on the phone with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was real.

“It was a pretty surreal moment, I’m not going to lie,” admits Cox. “Bear in mind that it’s been a few years. And I was pretty convinced it was over. Kevin said, ‘We’ve got some ideas, but I wanted to make sure that you, in principle, are interested.’ And I was like, ‘I’m very interested.’ And then I didn’t hear from anyone for two months. And I got to the point where I wondered if I dreamt it.”

In No Way Home, Matt Murdock (a.k.a. Daredevil) meets with Peter Parker and offers some advice on how to deal with the mess of being accused of killing Mysterio. “I felt pretty comfortable being able to fit into that scene,” says Cox. “I played the character almost every day for four years. I feel like his essence is deep within me now. I didn’t worry too much about it, but I was still pretty nervous on the day, which I haven’t been for a while.”

“It’s a big moment, not just for me, but for the character. I felt a real sense of responsibility,” he adds. “f that scene works, if it’s cool, if it seems in place, then the sky’s the limit where this could go. And it would be great for me, naturally, but it would be great for Matt. I feel attached to him, even though that sounds a bit strange.”

Cox also discusses how No Way Home director Jon Watts choreographed the scene in a way that there would be silence for a bit, to allow a moment for the audience to react to his surprise return. “I was a bit embarrassed, like, ‘Are you sure?’ I was going with the flow, but thinking, ‘I hope it’s not a letdown,’” he admits. “But I got a lot of texts from friends who were at the premiere or saw it opening weekend, who told me there was a cool vocal reaction when that scene came on. It’s a strange feeling, but I am so grateful.”