I’ve long talked about the confusing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse multiverse Easter eggs which feature characters from the MCU and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). These are exciting connections, but one co-director claims Spider-Verse 2 is part of a different multiverse than the MCU. And since the MCU is tied to the SSU thanks to No Way Home, Spider-Verse 2 isn’t part of the SSU either.
While I’m not the biggest Spider-Man fan, and I’ve often criticized Sony’s decisions regarding the MCU and its own Spider-Man universe, I do think there’s plenty of value in ensuring the Spider-Verse characters can interact with the MCU down the road, even if it doesn’t end up happening. And some comments from people who saw Across the Spider-Verse give me hope.
Spider-Verse 2 spoilers will follow below.
The Spider-Verse is something else
When Into the Spider-Verse premiered in 2018, I thought it was too much from Sony. I had already seen all the Spider-Man movies, and they generally told the same story. Teenage Peter Parker has to deal with tremendous personal loss while getting incredible powers that turn him into an excellent vigilante and falling in love. I know the story.
After the Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland versions, I didn’t need another Spider-Man. Whether he was Peter Parker or Miles Morales. So I skipped the movie, and that was a mistake.
I watched it the first chance I got well after its theatrical run, as people kept saying how good it was. And Into the Spider-Verse turned out to be the best Spider-Man movie. Until No Way Home, that is. The MCU’s Spider-Man 3 is hardly a perfect movie, but it’s easily the best live-action movie for me.
Across the Spider-Verse is playing in theaters, and many people are praising Sony’s new animation. Some are calling it the best Spider-Man movie so far, and that’s exciting. I plan to see it in theaters and expect it to be amazing, even though reading the Spider-Verse 2 plot makes it sound too similar to what I’ve already seen in the MCU.
Miles Morales’s Spider-Man in the MCU?
On the same note, I expect Beyond the Spider-Verse to top Into and Across next March. And hopefully, Sony can deliver.
But once the story is completed, the Spider-Verse 2 characters will essentially be gone. And that is why I want the Spider-Verse to be connected to the MCU in a way that makes sense for all parties involved, especially the audience.
I want characters like Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) to go forward once this trilogy ends. The same goes for other Spider-Verse characters that might appear in future MCU or SSU crossovers. The alternative is losing them forever and waiting for Sony to reboot Spider-Man again.
Rumors do say that Miles Morales will show up in Spider-Man 4. It’d be amazing if this were a Miles Morales we already know, so their character arc can evolve in new adventures.
Why I want a connection between the Spider-Verse and the MCU’s Spider-Man
While I agree that superhero movies should be great standalone stories before being used as building blocks for a massive universe, I will remind you how hard Sony has been working on connecting the SSU to the MCU. Leaving the Spider-Verse out of that is a wasted opportunity.
The reason I remain hopeful that Sony will connect its Spider-Man universes is a tweet from Alex Perez. The Cosmic Circus writer praised Spider-Verse 2, highlighting the “multiverse science and concept.”
Answering a fan about the Earth-616/Earth-199999 confusion, Perez hinted that there’s a fix in the film for that.
The Spider-Verse 2 plot leak that dropped online, and which is genuine considering all the spoiler and no-spoiler reviews out there, makes no mention of exciting cameos, Easter eggs, or explanations that would make the Spider-Verse-MCU connection possible. But that doesn’t make me give up hope.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is out in theaters right now, and you should probably get your tickets as fast as possible.
