Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a film quite like no other when it was released in December of 2018. The film created its own unique style by combining 3D computer animation with traditional hand-drawn comics. Additionally, it moved the needle forward in superhero representation, with its introduction of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a Spider-Man who hails from Brooklyn and is the son of a Puerto Rican mother and African-American father.
The film is a perfect balance of humor and seriousness as it sees Morales, a typical teenager, become his world’s Spider-Man—with some help from the exhausted and jaded Spider-Man from another dimension, Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson). As a mentor/student duo, they meet up with more Spider-Men as the nefarious Kingpin opens up portals to pull Spider-Men counterparts from other dimensions. The film introduces Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Mary Jane Watson (Zoë Kravitz), Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage), and even Peter Porker (John Mulaney).
Responding to the high positive reception of Into the Spider-Verse, Sony announced a sequel in November of 2019. The film will see Morales team up with Stacy and a whole new Spider crew on an adventure across the multiverse. Oscar Isaac has joined the cast as Spider-Man 2099, as well as Issa Rae as Spider-Woman. Moore, Steinfeld, and Johnson will all be reprising their original roles. By December of 2021, Sony confirmed that the sequel would be split into two parts. Returning writers and producers, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, revealed that they simply had too much content to fit into one film. And part one of the sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, will be coming later than first expected.
Is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse delayed?
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been delayed for 8 months. The film was originally scheduled to release on October 7, 2022, but will now release on June 2, 2023, instead. This marks the second time Across the Spider-Verse has been delayed. When the film was first confirmed, Sony was anticipating an April 2022 release. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sony pushed the release date back to October 2022.
In addition to the delay, Sony has also changed the title of the sequel. The film was originally titled Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Part One), but the (Part One) has now been dropped. Despite this title change, the sequel will still be in two parts, with the second film being titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part II. As of now, Sony has not given much of an explanation for the delay and name change. They simply explained it as a shift in the multi-verse.
Once Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse drops, though, we will get Part II within less than a year. That is, if it doesn’t experience any delays. The delay is disappointing, but it likely points to the large scale of this project. Animation is vastly different from live-action, and these types of films typically take years to develop. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse alone had 177 animators on staff at one point. The Spider-Verse films have great potential to become a successful animated franchise, and it is encouraging to see that Sony is taking their time for the next film, even though it requires much patience on our part.
(featured image: Sony Pictures)
