Spoiler Alert: Spoilers Ahead for Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Versemight have been a great sequel, but it was an even greater setup for the next movie in the Spider-Verse series.Across the Spider-Verseintroduced audiences to tons of new characters and concepts in the growing web of these animated Spider-Man movies. 280 Spider-People graced the screen ofAcross the Spider-Verse, and we learned things about the Web of Life and Destiny that set up incredible possibilities for the next movie:Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Across the Spider-Verseis a crowd-pleasing hit that did everything from reference memes to display the absurdity of the multiverse. It even brought back some of our favorite characters fromInto the Spider-Versethat the movie implies we’ll be seeing next time. Out of all that stuff, there’s a lot that we want to see next time. You might be a big fan of something you didn’t notice because the movie was just going too fast.
Beyond the Spider-Versehas been set up to have everything we want from these movies, plus a little more that hasn’t been revealed yet. So come with us as we point out all the things fromAcross the Spider-Versewe hope to seein the sequel, plus a few extra things that might show up as well.
All the Easter Eggs
Aside from having an amazing plot and a wonderful cast of characters, some things aboutAcross the Spider-Versethat we hope to see more of are all the little jokes and references to Spider-culture. The comic book world knows we can’t get enough of these hidden jokes, and they love to give them to us again and again. For example, one of the biggest jokes was when Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099) called throughout the Spider-Verse for everyone to get Spider-Man, and all the different Spider-People pointed at each other, copying the famous meme.
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There were plenty of little jokes to enjoy. Even though the Daily Bugle didn’t have a part in the movie, J.K. Simmons still made an appearance as J. Jonah Jameson, demanding pictures of Spider-Man. In fact, there were tons of great cameos. Ziggy Marley voiced the Jamaican shop owner trying to beat up the Spot.Donald Glover showed upas an extra-dimensional version of Uncle Aaron after we all said how cool it would be for him to be the Prowler. And Metro Boomin even got his own role as Metro Spider-Man.
This is one thing about the Spider-Verse series that makes it so unique and enjoyable. Marvel movies are known for occasionally teasing at fourth-wall breaks, but the fact that this movie is animated gives it a little more room to push that boundary.Across the Spider-Versemakes references to Batman, the original Spider-Man comic, and the MCU – which it technically isn’t a part of.
Some More Significant Things
Across the Spider-Verseintroduced us to some concepts that have big implications for its sequel. Even though the Spider-Verse movies are a part of Sony’s Spider-Man universe and thus not technically a part of the MCU, the film still managed to latch on to Marvel’s Multiverse saga. They referencedLoki’s branching timeline in one scene with the blue tree of multiverse connections. And they even brought in a concept from the Spider-Man comics that allowed them to create their own multiverse.
The Web of Life and Destinylinks all Spider-People everywhere, including Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, who we saw in their little call-back moments. It’s a method of explaining the multiverse in the same way thatThoruses Yggdrasil or the Tree of Life.
But this Web in Spider-Man brings with it the powerful villain Madame Web who is said to manipulate this web in an attempt to control the multiverse. There’s already a movie with her name for the title coming out next year as part of the Sony-verse. Whether or not it will be connected toAcross the Spider-Verseremains to be seen. But there’s a possibility we might see her as an added villain in the sequel.
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Call-Backs to the Other Movies
As ourfandom for the Spider-Verse moviesgrows, the references we see to the original film have a greater impact, and beyond that, the references they put into the original Spider-Man.Across the Spider-Verseopened showing an iconic comic book stamp used in the 60s to tell parents that the books weren’t promoting criminality and were safe for their children to read. It’s a deep cut to old-school comic book culture most people won’t recognize.
The film had good references toInto the Spider-Verseas well. Even though not all the stars came back for the sequel, we saw at the end of the movie that Gwen would reassemble the old team to go and help Miles. That means there might be a chance inBeyond the Spider-Versefor Nicolas Cage to return as Spider-Noir and John Mulaney as Spider-Ham. We already had a lovely cameo from Kimiko Glenn as the anime-styled Peni Parker. Just asInto the Spider-Versehad Miles Moralestell his story in the first-person,Beyond the Spider-Versemight see every Spider-Person tell us their stories together.
