Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse established itself as a pivotal piece of cinema for the superhero and comic book subgenres while championing the creativity behind animated media. It challenged the ideas of how far animation could go, and how the limits of storytelling across universes could be pushed. After this pop-art phenomenon took the silver screen, it was confirmed that additional chapters of the Spider-Verse would arrive.
Writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have confirmed their return to the now-budding franchise, and have additionally announced that the sequel would be followed by a third leg of the series, completing a trilogy. The first trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was recently released; here are some things that might have been missed in the excitement of the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One).
The Gadget on Spider-Gwen’s Wrist
Her trademark pink-and-teal accented suit still remains, but Gwen Stacy's latest look has been given an upgraded, sleeker look. The pops of color that usually detail her upper inner arms now sit upon her forearms, and appear as if they may be half-sleeve gloves. The new suit still rings true to the original design and continues to honor the Ghost-Spider appearance that has been featured throughout the Spider-Man comics. Stacy, however, swaps her pointe ballet shoes for a more casual footwear style of choice: sneakers. These shoes are in the same shade of teal as the ballet pointe shoes and match the webbing detail over the pink accents.
A more curious addition to Stacy's costume in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is the unidentified wristlet that rests on her left wrist. While unconfirmed as to exactly what this is and how it works, it's implied that the new device allows Stacy to successfully make her way through timelines via the orange hexagonal portals featured in the teaser trailer. There is immediately a connection drawn to a similar piece of technology worn by Miguel O'Hara (Oscar Isaac) in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. What's more, is the conclusion that the possible time travel device is an invention of his own.
The Spider-Mobile is Back
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took pleasure in including nods to its inspirations throughout Spider-Man lore. Primarily, the first film served as a love letter to the more obscure aspects of the web-slinging hero's history, sinking into the more lesser-known tidbits that acknowledge the depths of fan dedication. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) seemingly promises to pepper itself with similar content, including Spider-Mobile making a return.
The Spider-Mobile is an arachnid-like car driven by Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man Volume #4 and is a reoccurring vehicle throughout the Spider-Man comics. This more-obvious Easter Egg is briefly seen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse amongst other Spider-Man vehicles that are collected in Aunt May's garage. In the teaser, the Spider-Mobile is seen only fleetingly, though there's the likelihood of it playing a larger role in the film's entirety. Its current cameo can be seen at the 0:55 minute mark.
Spider-Man 2099’s Universe
O'Hara has been introduced as of the post-credit scene following the events of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, though there has yet to be more context provided for the character. From what the teaser trailer provides, it is now assumed that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will find viewers spending time in O'Hara's world. Indeed, there is a hint, here, that the movie will explore Earth-928. In this particular version of Earth, a war between humans and mutants has broken out, and humans are the ultimate victors by the war's end.
O'Hara, as his story is told through his comic series, becomes the next version of Spider-Man after injecting himself with the Spider-Man formula. Consequently, he is granted the same abilities as Peter Park's Spider-Man: spider-like ability, super strength, endurance, speed, other enhanced natural abilities, and the ability to organically spin webs. Unlike past Spider-Men, however, O'Hara develops retractable talons on his fingers and on his toes, as well as venom fangs, all of which make him all the more dangerous.
Miguel O’Hara’s Orange Webs
The Spider-Verse saga has been keen on honoring comic accuracies, but their diligence to pay attention to detail doesn't deter any creative liberties from being taken as these characters are brought to life. Much like Stacy's new suit for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) share some similarities to her canonical attire, O'Hara's appearance is almost completely accurate to his in-book published design.
The key difference between O'Hara's look in the comics and his animated interpretation is as subtle as the color of the webs that he creates. In the comics, O'Hara's webs were either white or colorless, much like the webs of other past Spider-Folk seen throughout the extend of the Marvel Universe. Shown in the trailer, O'Hara's webs distinctly stand out and have an orange tinge to them. It's not an earth-shattering difference and does not impair O'Hara's ability to keep up with his peers. It could supposedly be an upgrade that comes along with his suit, or it could reflect the "glitching" that occurs when new characters are birthed into the Spider-Verse.
The Possible Introduction of Other Spider-People
It's evident that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will reunite the Spider-People who established the Spider-Verse in the first film. It's also inevitable that the Spider-Verse is bound to expand as Sony Pictures Animation continues to grow their Spider-Verse cast of characters through new installations. In fact, the teaser promises that new, never-before-seen characters will be joining the ensemble.
There is a moment in the trailer where a word written in Hindi - assumed to be translated into "thwip" - flashes across the scene for a fleeting second. There is only one character in the Spider-Man universe that speaks Hindi, and this could be a direct lead in to the introduction of Spider-Man India. Logos that flicker across the screen in the trailer's closing moments could point in the direction of Cindy "Silk" Moon or Spider-Punk. Jessica Drew, voiced by Issa Rae, has been added to the roster, meaning that Spider-Woman is bound to appear in the Spider-Verse. In response to popular demand, Lord has teased about the possibility of Japanese Spider-Man making his way into the picture. The Spider-Verse saga is full of surprises, and there's the full potential for more Spider-Folk to find their way into the Spider-Verse moving forward.
There is No Clear Villain (Yet)
Interestingly, the trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) failed to include the film's central antagonist. There has been heavy speculation as to who the mysterious big-bad may be, though the trailer refuses to give too much of the film away. That isn't to say that there won't be a villain that'll cause chaos to some degree throughout; rather, it's a matter of awaiting the reveal when Sony Pictures Animation deems the timing to be right.
Ahead of an official confirmation, rumors have swelled around The Spot being the villain of choice for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) . Johnathan Ohm, otherwise known as The Spot, was a scientist who worked for Kingpin. After being tasked with attempting to recreate the radiation levels of the vigilante Cloak, Ohm creates a portal to alternative dimensions. With Kingpin being the main antagonist in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and having such a significant direct connection to Ohm, it's almost assumed that Ohm will be seen next. His ability to travel between worlds and dimensions allows him to be the prime candidate as a Spider-Verse villain. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part One swings into theaters in October 2022.