In a sorrowful announcement, actress Mary Rivera has passed away.
Rivera, who captured hearts with her portrayal of Ned Leeds’ Filipino grandmother in the 2021 blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” succumbed to complications following a stroke. She was 82.
A family member shared with TMZ on Monday that Rivera had been in a coma, leading the family to face the difficult decision of removing her from life support. This decision came after doctors warned them that her condition would remain dire even if she regained consciousness.
Her final moments were spent in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she passed and was subsequently cremated.
The family fondly remembers Rivera’s pride in her Marvel film role. Her character spoke Tagalog and interacted alongside iconic actors such as Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Zendaya (MJ), and Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds). Andrew Garfield also delighted audiences with a cameo, reprising his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
In a memorable scene from the film, she asks Garfield to remove cobwebs on the ceiling in Tagalog. After Ned translates, he obliges her.
Ned asks him, “My lola [grandmother in Tagalog] is asking if you could just get the cobweb there, since you’re like, up there?”
Her role in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is her only role listed on her IMDB page.
Rivera is survived by her husband, Alejandro, her children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, according to her obituary.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” was critically acclaimed as well as a huge box office success — it grossed $1.9 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2021.
The film’s follow-up, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — also starring Holland, Zendaya and Batalon — was released on Friday. It’s already smashed box office records, earning $360 million in its domestic debut.
It’s now officially ranked as the biggest debut in box office history.
As of now, there are no deals in place for another Spider-Man movie after “Brand New Day.” A Sony source recently told Page Six Hollywood that all of the “Spider-Man” film deals are done on a movie-by-movie basis — though it’s widely believed that Holland will appear in “Avengers: Doomsday” (out Dec. 18) or its 2027 sequel, “Avengers: Secret Wars.”