Cinema has seen multiple iterations of Marvel Comics’ webslinger in several Spider-Man movies, but many fans have expressed favoritism toward the 2018 animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature, while not a huge box office success, proved to be so beloved that Sony would later try the same multiversal concept in live-action with the MCU hit Spider-Man: No Way Home in late 2021. By then, however, a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 had already been in the works.
So, who will join Miles Morales on his next journey, who is running the show this time, and what more can we confirm in this expansive web of information? Let us break down for you everything that we know so far about one of the most highly anticipated upcoming superhero movies, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, starting with when you can expect to finally see it.
What Is The Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Release Date?
Swinging into theaters on Friday, June 2, 2023 is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Talk of a sequel (and spin-off) to Sony Animation’s hit multidimensional comic book flick has been widely discussed since even before the December 2018 theatrical release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Yet, it would take nearly another year for the film’s official Twitter account to announce a release date for the then-untitled follow-up, which was April 8, 2022, at the time.
However, in response to the spread of Covid-19, the release date for what would initially be called Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) – more on that later – was delayed for the following October. That was until April 2022 rolled around and, after the (Part One) was dropped from the title – more on that later, too – the film was delayed once again before receiving its current release date.
Shameik Moore And Hailee Steinfeld Reprise Their Roles In The Spider-Man: Across The Universe Cast
An epic ensemble of webslingers made up the original film’s voice cast, many of whom will also return in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse voice cast, according to Sony – including Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, and Peter B. Parker actor Jake Johnson. According to Variety, Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Velez are coming back as Miles’ parents, as well as Moon Knight cast member Oscar Isaac as a version of Spidey circa 2099 named Miguel O’Hara, who appeared in a funny post-credits cameo in the last film, alongside Greta Lee as his A.I. assistant, Lyla.
New webslingers appearing include Jessica Drew (better known as Spider-Woman), who is voiced by Issa Rae, Black Panther’s Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk (according to THR), and Takuya Yamashiro – the protagonist of a live-action Japanese series about Spider-Man from the 1970s – whose voice actor has yet to be revealed. Also new to the franchise are former SNL star Rachel Dratch as Miles’ school counselor, Shea Whigham (of both Agent Carter and Joker fame) as Gwen’s father, George Stacy (according to Collider), and EW reports that The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone and Jason Schwartzman are voicing Spidey villains The Vulture and The Spot, respectively.
The Trailer Is A Motherly Lesson Intercut With Out-Of-This-World Action
The most recent official trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse opens with a conversation between Miles Morales and his mother, Rio, whose advice to her son narrates a collection of clips from the previous film and the sequel that trace his journey from an average teen to a hero. From there, we get another montage that hints at a conflict that’s brewing, as another webslinger enters the mix. Check it out for yourself below.
Another trailer that was released about a year earlier sees Miles – while listening to Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” — reuniting with Gwen Stacy via an interdimensional portal that appears in his bedroom. Her question, “Wanna get outta here?” is what sets them forth on their new adventure that is also teased with an intense montage in the sneak peek.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Will Explore Miles And Gwen’s Romantic Potential
What made Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse such a winning hit was its inventive storyline that cleverly incorporated multiple iterations of the superhero that span several realities throughout the Marvel Multiverse. With the inclusion of more Spider-like heroes, it seems that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is expanding on that idea, in addition to plot points we have already been fed more explicitly.
In an interview with Phil Lord and then-Sony chief Amy Pascal for Vanity Fair in 2018, it was revealed that the sequel would focus heavily on a romance between Miles Morales and interdimensional fellow webslinger, Gwen Stacy, referred to as Spider-Gwen by her solo comic book series’ title. The concept of this romance, which is canon to their Marvel comics storylines, was included in Lord’s original draft of the first film’s screenplay, until it was cut to ensure the additional Spider-characters could share equal time in the spotlight.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Is Helmed By Three Directors
The honor of directing the Spider-Verse sequel has, once again, been given to three people: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. This will be the first feature-length directing gig for Dos Santos and Thompson – who each boast an impressive career in animation otherwise – while Powers recently co-helmed the Oscar-winning Pixar film, Soul.
Into the Spider-Verse also had a trio of directors at the helm, made up of animation veterans Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey joined by Rodney Rothman, whose comedy career ranges from producing Forgetting Sarah Marshall to writing for David Letterman in the ‘90s. Yet, the movie is often thought of as a Lord and Miller movie, because Phil Lord has a screenwriting credit and also shares a producing credit with Christopher Miller, among others.
Phil Lord And Christopher Miller Penned Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse With A Veteran Superhero Movie Scribe
Returning to write Miles Morales and co.’s latest adventure is the formidable duo collectively known as Lord and Miller. However – just like the predecessor, on which Lord shared screenwriting credit with Rothman – they are not alone. Their co-writer for Across the Spider-Verse is David Calllaham.
Callaham may not be a household name, but you have surely heard of many of his most notable credits, which include additional superhero movies like 2020’s DC sequel Wonder Woman 1984, and the MCU’s action-packed spectacle, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in 2021. Lord, of course, co-wrote Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and produced it with Chrisopher Miller - both of whom are also behind other recent, instant animated classics like The LEGO Movie and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Lord And Miller Also Return To Produce Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Lord and Miller have also retained producing credits for the upcoming sequel. When they are not directing instant movie classics – such as live-action comedies 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street – the duo are known for producing some of Hollywood’s most inventive projects – including the acclaimed Apple TV+ series, The After Party and Oscar-nominated Netflix original, The Mitchells vs. the Machines.
Also on the list of people producing are former Sony chairperson Amy Pascal, Christina Steinberg (also known for producing movies like National Treasure and the animated Netflix series, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia), and Avi Arad, who produced the animated Spider-Man series in the ‘90s and several non-MCU Marvel movies since. Credited as a co-producer is animation and visual effects veteran Alonzo Ruvalcaba, and executive producing the film are Aditya Sood of the Deadpool movies, and the aforementioned Peter Ramsey.
A Third Spider-Verse Movie Is Also Already In The Works
As previously mentioned, when the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was first given an original title, it was referred to as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One), indicating that a Part Two was also to be expected. Well that seems to be the plan, but a couple of slight details have changed as of April 2022.
Similar to how Avengers: Endgame was originally referred to as Avengers: Infinity War, Part II while in development, (Part One) was dropped from this sequel’s title and the official name for the third film was revealed as Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. That installment is currently set to come out less than a year after its predecessor, on March 29, 2024.
I guess my only remaining question is, considering the fact that we know the Marvel Multiverse exists, could we ever see Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in another upcoming Marvel movie? Amy Pascal has said she is open to the possibility of the Spider-Verse canon crossing over with the MCU at some point. It certainly sounds like a tangled web worth weaving to me.
