Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2022, starring Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man and Hawkeye's Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen. Set in a shared universe inspired by the 2014 Marvel Comics storyline known as "Spider-Verse," the animated film is the first in a two-part sequel to 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In a recent interview with Collider on Friday, January 14, producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller revealed that each dimension in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will have its own animation style.
Across the Spider-Verse will be produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations in association with Marvel, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, who previously worked on Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra, Kemp Powers, whose past projects include Star Trek: Discovery and Pixar's Soul, and Justin K. Thompson. The screenplay is written by producers Lord and Miller, with the help of David Callaham, who worked on a production re-write for 2014's Ant-Man.
Moore and Steinfeld are not the only voice actors returning for the ambitious sequel. It was rumored in July 2021 that Jake Johnson was in contract negotiations for his return for Across the Spider-Verse to reprise his role as Peter B. Parker. Starring alongside the returning Spideys, are newcomers Oscar Isaac as Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman. Lord and Miller’s comments come just a few weeks after a trailer for the film was released giving fans their first look at Isaac's Spider-Man 2099.
Each Dimension Will Have Its Own Animated Style
Across the Spider-Verse writer-producer Miller told Collider:
It is... a very ambitious sequel, because we didn’t want to just sort of do the same thing again. And so the idea that we’d be going to different dimensions really opened up an opportunity artistically to have each world have its own art style, and to be able to push the folks at ImageWorks to develop a way to have each dimension feel like it was drawn by a different artist’s hand. Seeing the development of that stuff is breathtaking, and really, it’s the reason we keep doing it, because it’s so hard to get it right.
One of the most iconic parts of Into the Spider-Verse is the film's animation style, which broke many animation conventions like elimination motion blur to capture the spirit of comic book storytelling. In 2018, Lord explained to The New York Times that "telling stories in sequential art is all about the key pose and going from pose to pose and frame to frame," which was a feeling he tried to replicate in the first film. And once again, by using different art styles for alternate dimensions, Lord and Miller are honoring the Marvel Comics history.
However, as to if Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland and Zendaya will make an appearance in Across the Spider-Verse after expressing interest in a cameo, Lord and Miller’s lips were sealed.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will hit theaters on October 7th, 2022.