The genesis of Miles Morales can be traced to a fan casting suggestion that called for Donald Glover to be the next Spider-Man on the big screen. While Andrew Garfield was ultimately cast as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis was inspired by the fan-driven Glover campaign to make a new Spider-Man. In 2011, Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli created Miles Morales, a biracial teenager who was both African American and Puerto Rican. Although Miles was created for Marvel’s Ultimate line, his popularity led to his inclusion alongside Peter Parker in Marvel’s regular comics. And after a starring role in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles became a true pop culture sensation.
This summer, Miles is back on the big screen with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Almost every Spider-Hero from the first film is also returning, alongside an astonishing group of Spider-Men and Spider-Women from all over the multiverse. Even comic book fans can be overwhelmed when there are so many variations to keep track of in a single movie. Not to worry, though. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
When does Across the Spider-Verse come out?
Sony Pictures Animation has set a release date of June 2. 2023. But fans who simply can’t wait that long can always go to the preview screenings on June 1.
What is Across the Spider-Verse about?
As seen at the end of Into the Spider-Verse, Gwen Stacy, the Spider-Woman from an alternate Earth, found a way to make contact with Miles Morales in his bedroom. But this isn’t a social call. Since the last time Miles saw Gwen, she’s joined a group of Spider-Heroes from across the multiverse who call themselves the Spider Society.
At Gwen’s behest, Miles has joined the Spider Society to help them take on The Spot, a new villain whose portal powers may bring down the multiverse itself. But when Miles clashes with the leader of the Spider Society, Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (pictured above), he suddenly finds himself battling his fellow heroes as well as The Spot.
Who has been cast in Across the Spider-Verse?
Most of the cast members from Into the Spider-Verse are reprising their roles for the sequel, including Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, and Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, in addition to Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Vélez as Miles’ parents, Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales, respectively. Oscar Isaac briefly lent his voice to Miguel O’Hara in a post-credits scene, and he has returned with a much larger role in the sequel.
New additions to the cast include Issa Rae as a variant of Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman from Marvel’s comic book universe. This particular version of Jessica is also several months pregnant. Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya is portraying Spider-Punk, aka Hobart “Hobbie” Brown, who has become one of Gwen’s closest friends and a potential romantic rival to Miles. Deadpool‘s Karan Soni will voice Pavitr Prabhakar, an Indian version of Peter who is more commonly known as Spider-Man India.
Jason Schwartzman landed a big role as Jonathan Ohnn/The Spot, a man whose body is now covered with portals that allow him to go almost anywhere in the multiverse. Jorma Taccone also has a villainous role to play as The Vulture. But this incarnation of The Vulture hails from a Renaissance-inspired world. Boardwalk Empire‘s Shea Whigham is also in the cast as Gwen’s father, Captain George Stacy.
Who wrote and directed Across the Spider-Verse?
Across the Spider-Verse executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller co-wrote the script with David Callaham. And this time, a trio of directors was required to bring the Spider-Verse back to the big screen: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.
Is there a trailer for Across the Spider-Verse?
So far, there are three trailers for Across the Spider-Verse. The first trailer, which you can see below, is more of a primer for the film, with a look at the scene where Miles and Gwen reunite.
The video below is a more conventional trailer with teases for the entire film.
And finally, the third trailer is more heavy on action and Spider-Hero cameos.
Is there a poster for Across the Spider-Verse?
There are a few variations of this poster, but this is the best view to see the wild assortment of Spider-Heroes behind Miles. If you want to see the more conventionally shaped poster, we have that too.
Which characters are in Across the Spider-Verse?
Aside from the previously mentioned heroes and villains, there’s a ridiculous amount of Spider-Man incarnations from comics, video games, and even the Japanese Spider-Man, Takuya Yamashiro, from the 1978 TV series that only aired in Japan. The ones that have really stood out are Spider-Girl/May “Mayday” Parker, the teenage daughter of Peter and Mary Jane Parker, as well as a version of Mary Jane who goes into action alongside Peter as Spinneret. Note that MJ’s powers come from her Spinneret costume, and not from any radioactive spider bite. This incarnation of Spider-Man and MJ are accompanied by their young daughter, Anna May-Parker, who has her own heroic persona, Spiderling.
Other notable Spider-Men among the background characters are Peter Parker from The Spectacular Spider-Man TV series, Peter from the PlayStation 4 game Marvel’s Spider-Man, Peter from the Spider-Man Unlimited TV series, Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider, the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus in Peter’s body), and Julia Carpenter (the second Spider-Woman).
That’s far too many to keep track of in a single movie. The only ones you really need to pay attention to are Miles, Gwen, Peter, Miguel, Hobbie, Jessica, Pavitr, and The Spot. Miles’ parents, Jefferson and Rio, play supporting roles, as does Gwen’s dad, George.
How long is Across the Spider-Verse?
At this moment, Sony has not announced the length of the movie.
Are tickets on sale for Across the Spider-Verse?
Not yet. But given that most films start presales a month out from release, expect that to change on or around May 2.
What if I can’t remember what happened in Into the Spider-Verse?
Because Sony doesn’t have a streaming service of its own, your viewing options are somewhat limited if you don’t want to buy the DVD or Blu-ray of Into the Spider-Verse. At the moment, FuboTV is the only service that streams the film. Other digital outlets like YouTube and Prime Video only have the option to rent or buy digitally.
If you need a brief primer on the first movie, Miles Morales was an ordinary teenager before he was bitten by a radioactive spider. After witnessing the death of the Peter Parker in his world, Miles felt the need to carry on his legacy as the new Spider-Man. Alongside Gwen and an older Peter from another world, as well as additional Spider-Heroes, Miles successfully embraced his inner hero and lived up to his potential. The film was beloved by fans and critics alike, and it went on to the win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Are there any more pictures from Across the Spider-Verse?
There are indeed a handful of images that have been released by Sony, including that picture of Spider-Man 2099 that you see above. In the next picture, Gwen meets Miles’ parents for the first time.
Multiple Spider-Men are glimpsed below, but the guy in the foreground is the Amazing Bag-Man. In the comics, it was a one-off appearance made by Peter when he literally had no clothes after parting with the Venom symbiote. So the Fantastic Four’s Johnny Storm sent him home with a paper bag over his head as a joke, and the gimmick must have caught on in at least one world of the multiverse.
Below, Peter B. Parker carries a younger version of Mayday.
The next two pics feature Gwen in costume as Spider-Woman.
And finally, below is a pic of Miles and Gwen taking on The Spot. You should be able to see why he’s giving them trouble.
Will there be a sequel for Across the Spider-Verse?
Yes. The original title of this movie was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Part 1. However, the “Part 1” was dropped from the title when the sequel was renamed Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Little is known about the plot of that film, but Sony has it slated to hit theaters on March 29, 2024.
