When “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” arrived in theaters in 2018, few expected it to become one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. But with its innovative animation design and imaginative storytelling, that’s precisely what happened. “Spider-Verse” went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and is reputedly one of the best superhero films of all time.
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But its success has created a boatload of pressure on the follow-up, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” to deliver on the monumental expectations set by its groundbreaking predecessor. Luckily, the latest trailer offers plenty of encouragement that fans of the original won’t be disappointed. According to the sequel’s official synopsis, “an epic adventure” will find Miles Morales “[joining] forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.” According to producer Amy Pascal, the film will also serve as a “launching pad” for an untitled “Spider-Woman” spin-off movie already in development.
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Shameik Moore and Jake Johnson will return to voice Miles Morales and Peter B. Parker, respectively. Also reprising their roles are Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy and Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Vélez as Miles’ parents. The cast also features a few exciting additions, including Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya as Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, and Jason Schwartzman as The Spot, the main villain of the film. Seen briefly in the last film in the post-credits, Oscar Isaac returns as Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, a version of Spider-Man from the future that Isaac described as “the one Spider-Man that doesn’t have a sense of humor.”
Phil Lord is again credited with the screenplay, this time in collaboration with David Callaham and longtime writing partner Christopher Miller. Directing duties were handled by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson; the trio is also slated to direct the third film in the franchise “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.”
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” swings into theaters on June 2, 2023. Sneak a peek at the trailer below: