Sony's award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, directed by Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, and Rodney Rothman, took viewers' hearts captive when it was released back in December 2018. It offers unique visuals, charming characters, and a coming-of-age tale about making your own path in a world that expects the most from you. With that, it's only natural that a sequel was greenlit (multiple sequels, including a Spider-Woman spin-off!) and that fans are eagerly looking forward to more.
We've only recently gotten our first proper taste of what Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) has in store for us, with the "first look" trailer released in December 2021. So, let's look at everything we know so far about the plot, casting, and when we can see our favorite Spider heroes back in theaters.
Plot: What Can We Expect?
There is currently little known in the way of plot details for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One), as everybody involved in the movie's production has kept details and potential spoilers close to their chests. This means that most of what we can discuss will be left up to speculation until more is revealed.
The most we have seen of the film so far comes from the aforementioned first look trailer, which shows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) having a conversation in Miles's bedroom. The scene itself looks to be a continuation of the first film's ending. We can already reasonably surmise that we will see a significant continuation of Miles and Gwen's relationship, perhaps even delving further into the romantic side of things, similar to the comics.
That same trailer also shows Miles careening through the fractured space of the multiverse, with Miguel O'Hara / Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) chasing after and grappling with him. The last we saw of O'Hara was in that short but humorous post-credits scene of Into the Spider-Verse, and he will no doubt have a more prominent part to play in this new film. It looks as if he'll be on opposing sides with Miles, at least for a time.
IMDb's plot synopsis for the movie explains that Miles and Gwen, alongside a new team of spider-themed heroes, will be adventuring across the multiverse to face an enemy more powerful than any of them have encountered before. Whether this means O'Hara or something we have yet to see is unknown, but it definitely makes for an exciting concept.
Beyond these scant details, we cannot say what Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will have in store for us until the people behind it decide it's time to share more.
Casting, Faces Old and New
Formerly mentioned cast members Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, and Oscar Isaac have been set to return since the get-go. Jake Johnson is also reprising his role as the exhausted yet charming Peter B. Parker, Miles's de-facto mentor. As for the other Spidey heroes present from 2018's Into the Spider-Verse – Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), and Peter Porker (John Mulaney) – it is unknown at this time whether they will have a part to play in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One).
For newcomers, we have actress and author Issa Rae (The Hate U Give, The Photograph), set to appear as Jessica Drew, another iteration of Spider-Woman. According to screenplay writer Phil Lord, there may be plans to include Takuya Yamashiro in the film. For those who don't know, Yamashiro is Spider-Man's civilian name from the 1978 Japanese Spider-Man television series. At present, it is unknown who will play the role of Yamashiro or what weight his character will have in the film.
Also of note is the fact that during the filming of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Verse producer Amy Pascal approached Tom Holland, who plays the MCU iteration of Peter Parker, about making an appearance in the film, presumably for a cameo. Holland has expressed interest in lending his voice to Across the Spider-Verse as well as his fellow MCU co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon (who play MJ Ned, respectively).
Release Date
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) was initially set to release on April 8, 2022, but has since been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can now expect to see the film released on October 7, 2022, in the United States. Looking at it now, this does feel like quite a ways away. However, if the sequel carries even a thimble's worth of the charm and character that Into the Spider-Verse showcased – and that first look trailer certainly gives hope that it will – the wait will no doubt be worth it.