(Updated 07/28/2023)
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made — maybe the greatest. The sequel is in theatres now, and we've got the final trailer.
The latest look at the movie tells us a lot about the plot. The animated Miles Morales is struggling to reconcile his "normal" life with his heroic pursuits even as a bizarre bad guy who calls himself The Spot shows up in New York. Miles ultimately reunites with Gwen Stacy and learns about a nexus universe where hundreds of different Spider-People congregate — and that's where his troubles really begin. Here's everything we know about SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE.
When Does Across the Spider-Verse Come Out?
Sony released SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE exclusively in movie theatres on June 2.
Watch The Final Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Trailer
This trailer for ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE lays out quite a lot of the opening beats of the story. In addition to the basic points mentioned above, there's the fact that Peter Parker is now a dad, and his daughter seems to be a Spider as well. We see a lot more of Miquel O'Hara than ever before, and this trailer also emphasizes what seems to be the central question of the movie's story — can anyone be Spider-Man without making some kind of personal sacrifice?
The full ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE trailer emphasizes the emotional connections between the movie's characters, which is great. While we're excited to see more action, the truth is that INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE became a hit because the movie created great versions of the characters — and that looks set to continue in this sequel.
What Is Across the Spider-Verse About?
One big theme of the original movie was that anyone could be Spider-Man. Following on that idea, the conflict between different Spiders in this new trailer suggests that ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE will explore how all the various incarnations of Spider-hood put their powers and responsibility into action.
More specifically the story seems to hinge on Miles's determination to live his life differently than other Spiders. Can he save people close to him and also protect the big picture, no matter how big it really is? Does extreme personal sacrifice necessarily come with living as a superhero?
The trailer also shows a lot of Spider-Man 2099, aka Miguel O'Hara, whose first movie appearance was in the post-credits scene from INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. He's voiced by Oscar Isaac. The first trailer suggests that, in true comic book style, he might straddle the line between hero and antagonist.
The Real Villain Of Across The Spider-Verse
That said, while Miguel O'Hara and many other Spider-People seem to have issues with Miles Morales, the true villain of ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is a different character. The villain is (drum roll, please) The Spot.
If you're thinking "uh… who?" you're probably not alone. The character, voiced by Jason Schwartzman, was introduced to comics in 1984. He's been around off and on since then, with appearances in animation and also Marvel's "Ultimates" line of comics — in which Miles Morales was also introduced. In short, The Spot is a science whiz who can create interdimensional portals. So the potential for him to counter Miles and Gwen is pretty evident. In fact, The Spot will drive the story for both upcoming movies.
Co-director Kemp Powers told Total Film, "The Spot is an interesting villain because he seems like a joke, but when you really look at his powers, there's incredible potential. His ability to open portals across dimensions sets him up perfectly for the Spider-Verse ... He's the villain of the next two films ... and let's just say that the Spot and Miles are connected in surprising ways."
Will Across the Spider-Verse Cross Into the MCU?
Sony's live-action Spider-Man movies are technically MCU movies but the spin-offs such as VENOM mostly aren't — even though Eddie Brock's cameo at the end of NO WAY HOME began to link them together in an explicit way.
But is the multiverse in the SPIDER-VERSE movies the same one that contains the MCU? The new trailer suggests that it is. Miguel O'Hara says ""Don't even get me started on Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999." He's talking about Tom Holland's Spider-Man and the ramifications of NO WAY HOME and DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. The line could be just a teasing in-joke, or it could mean that there are more significant bridges to cross between fictional universes in this sequel.
The Cast of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
In addition to the actors already mentioned — Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, and Jason Schwartzman — there is one more returning actor from the original movie. Jake Johnson is back to voice Peter B. Parker, the older and (at one point) sadder version of Spider-Man who teamed up with Miles Morales. In the sequel, he has become a father.
Issa Rae joins the cast to voice Jessica Drew, who was the original Spider-Woman created by Marvel Comics in the late 1970s. (She's the one in the trailer with the motorcycle.) There have been a few versions of both Jessica Drew and the general Spider-Woman character but it seems like the ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE version could be a unique depiction.
Additionally, Daniel Kaluuya voices Spider-Punk. There will certainly be many more cast additions and reveals, but we do not have any information about who they are at this point.
The Movie Debut of Indian Spider-Man
One of the cooler things about the early ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE teaser is that we see a couple of different worlds. One is Earth 928, where Miguel O'Hara lives in Nueva York.
Then there's the pastel yellow, green and blue of Earth 50101. That's where Pavitr Prabhakar, a boy who lives in Mumbai, becomes the Spider-Man of India. The trailer briefly shows a sign reading "Mumbattan," which seems like a portmanteau of Mumbai and Manhattan. Even better, sound effects in this footage are in Hindi and Tamil languages!
The Creative Team Behind Across the Spider-Verse
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the original co-creators of INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, return as producers and co-writers, along with David Callaham. So there's a good chance that the wild feel of the original movie will be in this sequel, too.
Because development and production on this movie began even before the previous movie was finished, the directorial team is different here. Joaquim Dos Santos ("The Legend of Korra"), Kemp Powers (SOUL), and Justin K. Thompson (INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE production designer) are co-directors this time out.
There Will Be a Third Spider-Verse Movie
Quite a while back, ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE PART TWO was announced for release on March 29, 2024. Two things have changed. One is the title, as the movie is now called SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE.
The second thing is the release date. As work on the movie was ongoing when both the writers and actors guilds went on strike, there's no way to know at this point when the third SPIDER-VERSE movie will be completed. So we're waiting for a new release date.
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is in theatres now.
All images courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation.