Summary

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse introduces a wide range of characters from the Spider-Man multiverse, offering unique glimpses into the comic sphere on the big screen.
• Miles Morales continues his journey as Spider-Man, struggling to balance school life, home life, and hero life while being introduced to the Spider-Society and facing a group of enemies.
• The third movie will involve Miles' attempts to return to his family in another universe to save his dad, with the help of a squad of other characters, including Gwen Stacy, Spider-Punk, and Peter B. Parker.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse released on June 2nd, 2023 to massive acclaim, doing justice to its also-praised predecessor Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and raising further hype for the series' third movie, now titled Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the point at which the franchise truly opens up its world to show the magnitude of the Spider-Man multiverse, providing some unique glimpses into a corner of the comic sphere that has otherwise never been adapted onto the big screen. This also naturally means a wide range of characters appear in the movie - including a huge number of Spider-Man variants - with both familiar and new faces appearing throughout Across the Spider-Verse's run.

Miles Morales / Spider-Man

Voiced By Shameik Moore

Miles Morales was one of the best characters of Into the Spider-Verse, and as its lead character, naturally appears in the sequels to continue his story and journey after becoming Spider-Man. Across the Spider-Verse shows how Miles is still adapting to the consistently challenging task of balancing being an incognito superhero with being a person with other priorities, as he struggles to balance school life, home life, and hero life. This gets yet more complicated when he's introduced to the Spider-Society and told his dad needs to die as a "canon event" - which prompts him to try and return home, gaining a whole group of enemies as a result.

The movie closes with Miles stuck in another universe, suggesting the third movie will comprise Miles' attempts to get back to his family in time to save his dad. Luckily, it seems he'll have a whole squad of other characters to help him do so, based on the team that assembles to find him in the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse ending.

Miles G. Morales/ The Prowler

Voiced By Jharrel Jerome

In a fitting move given its multiversal plot, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse also introduces another Miles variant at its very end in a twist reveal. Upon Miles discovering he was sent not to his own dimension, but rather Earth-42, the universe where the original Miles' radioactive spider came from, he quickly also learns his variant in this world had a very different upbringing to him, as he'd become the Prowler, presumably as a result of a combination of the dystopian setting, the lack of Spider-Man in this universe, and the fact his father had died instead of Uncle Aaron.

While the meeting between the two Miles variants doesn't exactly have a friendly atmosphere, the repeated reference of Miles G. Morales and his Uncle Aaron being vigilantes in concept art and material related to the movie strongly suggests they won't be further antagonists for Spider-Man. Instead, they're likely to offer some form of assistance to him - though this may be more focused around fighting Spot, in order to protect the world they seem to have already been fighting for.

Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman / Spider-Gwen

Voiced By Hailee Steinfeld

Gwen Stacy's appearance in the first Spider-Verse movie was this iteration of the character's cinematic debut. Gwen is also the center of a female hero-led Spider-Verse spinoff (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter) featuring Jessica Drew's Spider-Woman and Cindy Moon, who is also known as the hero Silk.

Across The Spider-Verse sees Gwen and Miles reunite under awkward circumstances - with her eventually turning on the Spider-Society after being a key member in order to help her friend. However, the movie also takes its time to show her own unique character arc, showing the tragic story of her universe's Peter Parker and her doomed friendship with him, as well as detailing the complicated relationship between Gwen and her father.

The Spot

Voiced By Oliver Muirhead

The supervillain known as the Spot debuted in Marvel Comics in the 1980s, and has since become a recognizable enemy not only of Spider-Man, but of fellow NYC hero Daredevil too. The Spot appears as the primary antagonist of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and also appears set to be the third movie's major villain as well, making him one of the most important figures in the overall movie trilogy.

The Spot was first introduced via his original identity, research scientist Dr. Jonathan Ohnn, who is seen in the background of Into The Spider-Verse. As the sequel reveals, the plot of the original movie led to Spot's origin story, as the explosion of the collider would transform him into the faceless entity he becomes - setting up both his motivation for trying to get revenge on Spider-Man, and also allowing the sequel movie to show his steady amassing of power.

Hobie Brown / Spider-Punk

Voiced By Daniel Kaluuya

Spider-Punk is a relatively new hero in Marvel Comics who first appeared on the page in 2015, but the character quickly became a fan favorite on-screen in Across the Spider-Verse. Hobie's anti-authoritarian perspectives mean he roots for Miles seemingly immediately over the Spider-Society, leading him to quit the organization and aid Gwen by giving her a custom version of the watch used to travel dimensions. As part of Gwen's team set to try and rescue Miles in the third movie, Spider-Punk will definitely once again prove a beloved character in the final film - and a valuable ally, given he has both fighting prowess and technological know-how.

Miguel O'Hara / Spider-Man 2099

Voiced By Oscar Isaac

One of the most exciting reveals from the Across the Spider-Verse teaser trailer showed Miguel O'Hara, or Spider-Man 2099, in full web-slinging mode for the very first time. This is capitalized on in full definition within the movie itself, as Spider-Man 2099 is the secondary villain of the film, and plays a major role within the events that take place within it.

Across the Spider-Verse takes care to allude to Miguel's own tragic backstory - wherein he seemingly doomed an entire universe because he lived in one that was not his own so that he could raise his daughter - in order to make sure that Spider-Man 2099's animosity for Miles appears more reflective of the antagonist's own grief and desire to protect the multiverse, rather than a personal vendetta like Spot. This places the character in an interesting position, as while Miguel has formed his own team to stop Miles, there's also a chance he will aid him and Gwen's team in a prospective fight against Spot, given his main goal is protecting the Spider-Verse itself.

Peter B. Parker / Spider-Man

Voiced By Jake Johnson

Peter B. Parker's voice actor Jake Johnson confirmed the character's return (via The Movie Dweeb) for the Spider-Verse sequel well before the movie released, setting fans up early for another chance to see this older and somewhat worn-out version of the classic Spider-Man character. After the events of Into the Spider-Verse gave Peter B. Parker a renewed sense of purpose and a more positive outlook on life — last leaving him to visit Mary Jane and make the first steps needed to repair their relationship. This is suggested to have gone quite well, given Peter is shown throughout the movie with Mayday Parker, who is their child.

Peter's loyalties are initially divided in the movie, as he clearly holds the Spider-Society in high esteem, and wishes for a peaceful multiverse in order for his newfound family to be at their safest. However, the ending of Across The Spider-Verse shows he does hold his care for Miles in a higher regard, as he and Mayday can be glimpsed in Gwen's team - a detail likely owed to the revelation that he decided to have a child after mentoring Miles, hoping his own kid could be like his protege.

Pavitr Prabhaka / Spider-Man India

Voiced By Karan Soni

Pavitr Prabhakar's home of Mumbathan (a combination of Manhattan and Mumbai) is one of the first multiversal worlds audiences are welcomed to in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, providing an exciting look into the kind of care the movie would take in its other universes and also its other Spider-People. Spider-Man India quickly proves one of the most endearing characters in the film with his high-energy and quick wit - a move likely done intentionally so that audiences would fear for the fate of his universe as much as possible, given Miles prevented a canon event by saving Police Inspector Singh.

Margo Kess / Spider-Byte

Voiced By Amandla Stenberg

Spider-Byte deals with the complicated technological inner workings of the Spider-Society - which makes a lot of sense, since she comes from a universe wherein virtual reality has become a huge component of life, which Margo has used to become a superhero in her own right. Spider-Byte serves a key role in the movie by helping Miles escape from the Spider-Society, and a romance between the pair is hinted at, which may be made reality in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, especially since she's shown having ed Gwen's team at the end of the sequel, suggesting she may get a far larger role in the final film.