When dealing with multiple realities, it is hard to determine what is actually possible within the infinite combinations of characters available. In a story as big as the one coming in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the limit of where Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) can actually go is difficult to define. In one of the trailers for the highly-anticipated sequel, Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) makes a direct reference to the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, causing fans to wonder how the new movie is directly tied to Tom Holland's latest adventure. In a recent interview with ComicBook, one of the film's co-directors, Kemp Powers, cleared the air:
"The world of Miles Morales and Spider-Verse, it's not tied into the Marvel Cinematic Universe or anything like that. But this is a Lord and Miller film. We like to have a little bit of fun, we like to be a little bit meta and to acknowledge the world in which we are creating these stories. That's the best way to explain it.
This isn't something where we did anything in conjunction with Marvel. Miles's universe, trust me, there's plenty to work with. That gag is one of many, and my favorite gag is one that people don't know about yet. But I think when they see it, they're going to be pretty stunned. It's a serious film, but it's also a film with a lot of fun in it."
While Miguel O'Hara teases Tom Holland's wall-crawler being a part of the multiverse where the animated movies take place was an exciting prospect, it has now been confirmed that the two studios are not actually collaborating, leaving the mention as an amusing nod to a huge blockbuster. Miles will have plenty to deal with this time around, so perhaps a direct connection to the other Spider-Men of the big screen should be saved for later. Maybe the older Peter (Jake Johnson), Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), and others helped him to defeat the Kingpin (Liv Schreiber), but nothing has prepared him for what he is about to face next.
In the Marvel comics, The Spot is not a very powerful threat, even if the use of his powers is remarkably creative. However, the version voiced by Jason Schwartzman scheduled to appear in the upcoming sequel looks like the real deal, capable of turning Mile's world upside down at a moment's notice. The villain can open portals around and within himself, making it virtually impossible to hit him directly. Miles will have to use every bit of his intellect to get rid of the new antagonist before he can hurt anyone. Additionally, there's a larger, mysterious threat about to destroy the multiverse, complicating things for Brooklyn's hero.
Over Two Hours of Multiversal Fun
As proven by the first movie, the animated Spider-Verse franchise always looks to redefine what can be done with comic book storytelling on the big screen, and the project is leaving quite a mark on history before it is even released. At two hours and twenty minutes, the movie will be the longest animated feature of all time, running almost half an hour more than its predecessor. Featuring all sorts of guest stars, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is ready to electrify movie theatres this summer, as Miles tries to save multiple realities yet again.
You can check out the official trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse below, before the movie swings into theatres on June 2: