2018’s Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the coolest thing to happen to animation in a generation. Now, Spider-Verse 2 blows our minds with a Multiverse-hopping adventure featuring six universes, 240 characters and a fistful of celebrity cameo rumours.
From the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse plot to the villain, voice cast and quotes from the creators, here’s everything you need to know.
Director: Joaquim dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Writer: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, David Calahan
based on Marvel Comics
Stars: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karen Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali, Oscar Isaac.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes: Based on Comic, Marvel Comics, Superhero
Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.
The sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Similar to its predecessor, the film has garnered universal acclaim from critics for its groundbreaking animation, action sequences, heartfelt story, ambitious scope, vocal performances, visual style, musical score, and dark tone.
A third film, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2024, while a female-focused spin-off film is in development.
In Cinemas Now
MIX UP REVIEWS:
Jan (Age 12) - ★★★★1/2
"This movie was amazing, but in comparison to the first one was just not as good. The animation was brilliant!!!! But the story and some of the characters were kinda strange. Miles Morales was awesome, Gwen was okay, Peter wasn't used enough in this film (he was still really good), Miguel was not the best, Spider-Punk was just weird, and Spider-Ham was barely used throughout the film😭. Gwen's universe had weird animation, in some of the scenes the background (of what should be the inside of a flat) kept changing colour and style of animation. I think the cliff-hanger ending was great, I can't wait to see 'Spider-Man beyond the Spider-Verse'!!!
Overall, I enjoyed this film a lot, but I am kind of disappointed about the storyline, otherwise I think it was a nice movie."
Stewart - ★★★★★
"The Spider-Man movies do it again! This is another epic, bonkers thrilling piece of cinema. Fantastic characters and vocal cast, the animation is outstanding (sometimes stunningly beautiful - see Gwen's emotional reconnection with her father).
There's still a lot of comedy in there, including a dopey villain on the verge of becoming super powerful and there's fun to be had when all the multiple Spider-Man's arrive - but the tone is ultimately a bit darker here which really grounds the film with some emotional gravitas. Don't miss it! And I'm rooting for Miles in part 3!"
Have you seen it yet?
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse buzz - Why is everyone talking about the new Spider-Man movie?
When did cartoons get so cool? Sure, you could point to the rise of Pixar in the mid-nineties. But you could also make a case for the 2018 release of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) said they wanted that first film to feel like audiences had “walked into a comic book”, and Sony’s Imageworks animation team knocked it out of the park.
With its fusion of a muted urban palette and explosions of psychedelic colour, the original Oscar-winning Spider-Verse was like a graphic novel scribbled in front of your eyes, luring a generation of teenagers who thought they were done with ’toons back to the cinema. It didn’t hurt, either, that the whipsmart story found streetwise New York webslinger Miles Morales on an interdimensional dash that proved the then-unfamiliar Multiverse concept had legs.
No wonder there’s a buzz surrounding Spider-Verse 2, which sends Morales onto another identity-crisis adventure while setting up next year’s Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse. “The expectation for this film is it has to be as groundbreaking and special and wonderful as the first one was,” Lord and Miller told Deadline. “So we thought, ‘Let's make it great’.”
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse story - What happens in the new Spider-Man animation?
You thought the first Spider-Verse movie busted open the Multiverse? That was just a toe in the water compared to Miles and Gwen Stacy’s epic journey through the gamut of alternative realities in Spider-Verse 2.
We’ve already seen in the Spider-Verse 2 trailer that we’ll meet a sprawling lineup of skewed Spideys, including a rock ‘n’ roll webslinger from Camden Town (voiced by Daniel Kaluuya - Black Panther) and the destructive wallcrawler dubbed Spider-Man 2099 (that’s Star Wars’ Oscar Isaac - Dune, who describes the character as “the one Spider-Man that doesn’t have a sense of humour”).
But just because these webslingers share the same spandex, they’re not all on the same side. According to the official synopsis, the Spider-Folk are split over how to deal with a “new threat” – that’s The Spot, voiced by Jason Schwartzman (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Moonrise Kingdom) – and it might get ugly. At one point in the trailer, Morales is pursued by a pack of Spideys led by 2099 while Gwen protests: “We’re supposed to be the good guys!”
As for The Spot, Lord says the dalmatian-looking bad guy is the evil counterpoint to Spidey. “I like the villains best when they reflect the journey of the hero, sort of a dark mirror of the protagonist,” he told EW. “Spot wants to be seen as legitimate. He's a character that has a silly costume and is not always seen as the top tier of Spider-Man foes, but like all of us, he wants to be taken seriously.”
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse characters - Which Spider-Man variants will we meet in Spider-Man 2?
The Multiverse is a big place and the perfect excuse for Sony’s movie-makers to get creative with a motley crew of leftfield Spideys. Check out the official Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse movie poster for some of the lesser-known faces from comic lore.
Pavitr Prabhakar, aka the Spider-Man of Earth-50101, who first appeared in 2005’s mini-series Spider-Man: India.
Hobie Brown, aka the aforementioned Spider-Punk. You can’t miss this guy, he’s the one with the foot-high mohawk.
Ben Reilly, aka Scarlet Spider, a hoodie-wearing villainous wallcrawler from the Clone Saga.
Margo, aka Spider-Byte, a virtual vigilante from 2018 Vault Of Spiders mini-series, renowned for taking down cyber-crims.
And that’s just the start. The final film will feature a total of 240 characters spread across six universes. How many more can you spot?
Cast of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Who stars in the new Spider-Man animation?
Across The Spider-Verse boasts old faces and new. Shameik Moore (Samaritan) returns as the voice of Miles, while Hailee Steinfeld (Ender's Game) kills it for a second time as Gwen. “I didn't think that it could get any better than the first film, but I was absolutely wrong,” she told Elite Daily. “The rest of the cast makes up for more than half of my favourite actors, so it’s very exciting to be part of it.”
No kidding. Just check out the rest of the talent in the Spider-Verse 2 vocal booth, including stars from Nope, and Star Wars
Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099
Jake Johnson (Jurassic World) as Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man
Issa Rae (The Hate U Give, Little) as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman
Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart 'Hobie' Brown/Spider-Punk
Jason Schwartzmann as Johanthan Ohnn/The Spot
Bryan Tyree Henry (Eternals) as Jefferson Davis
Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales
Shea Wigham (Fast & Furious 6, Kong: Skull Island) as Captain George Stacey
Jorma Taccone as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture
Greta Lee (St. Vincent) as Lyla, Spider-Man 2099's AI assistant
Rachel Dratch (Click, Just Go With It) as Miles' school counsellor
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack - Who made the music for the new Spider-Man animation?
Don’t forget, smash-hit Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee started life as the theme song to the first Spider-Verse film. Now, just when you thought this animation series couldn’t get any cooler, it’s confirmed that hip-hop and trap star Metro Boomin has written original tunes for the Spider-Verse 2 soundtrack. “This is true,” tweeted producer Christopher Miller as the rumours buzzed on social media.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse animation - What are the visual influences for this new Spidey movie?
Under the supervision of lead animator Nick Kondo, the Spider-Verse 2 artists have pushed the moving image further than seems feasible. It’s the kind of movie you’ll want to watch at least twice – first for the front-and-centre action, then again for the subtleties and easter eggs in the background.
Meanwhile, each of the six universes is its own animal, inspired by everything from impressionist watercolours to the Mumbai skyline. “Every dimension looks and feels radically different from all the others," Lord and Miller told Entertainment Weekly. "They all look like they were drawn by a different artist."
Your teenage kids will start bugging you for tickets any day now. You already know that resistance is futile, so give in, and prepare to meet the Spider-Clan.
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