Learn the reason behind Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider Verse’s major delay.
When 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ended on a shocking cliffhanger with Miles Morales trapped in a world not his own, the clamor for the follow-up, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, began.
Spider-Verse 3’s Lack of Release Date Explained
On July 28, 2023, shortly into the historic SAG-AFTRA strike that ground Hollywood to a halt, Variety reported that Sony Pictures removed Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse from its March 29, 2024 release date and scrubbed it from its slate entirely.
Reportedly, the reason behind the Spider-Verse threequel becoming undated was that the cast was unable to record their lines during the strike.
But once a new deal between the studios and the actors’ union was reached last November, the train could get rolling again, and voice acting work on Beyond the Spider-Verse was allowed to resume (via Deadline).
Despite production gearing back up in earnest in late 2023, the film still lacks an actual release date. So what’s the official, studio-side stance on when Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will hit theaters?
Well, the answer to that question might disappoint some fans. Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (via Digital Spy) offered the cryptic, somewhat ominous response, “When it’s ready.”
Lord expanded on that remark by reassuring that those involved will “take the time it takes to make it great:”
“Those conversations are thankfully above our paygrade, but I can tell you we’re already hard at work on it, and we’ll take the time it takes to make it great,”
[ Spider-Verse 3 Gets Exciting Update: When Will It Release? ]
Further complicating the matter of Spider-Verse 3's release are accusations of toxic working conditions made by its staff. Vulture highlighted complaints from Spider-Verse artists, and one individual associated with the franchise even noted that work had barely begun on the third film as of June 2023:
“But as far as the production side goes, the only progress that’s been made on the third one is any exploration or tests that were done before the movie was split into two parts. Everyone’s been fully focused on Across the Spider-Verse and barely crossing the finish line. And now it’s like, Oh, yeah, now we have to do the other one.”
These allegations of toxicity could have prompted Sony to internally reassess how to approach development on Spider-Verse 3, which might have contributed to the movie’s delay. However, this has not been confirmed by Sony Pictures or anyone associated with the Spider-Verse films.
Michelle Grady, Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Executive Vice-President and General Manager, responded to claims that production on the second movie in the trilogy, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, sat idle for up to six months.
A period of inactivity like that would surely have a direct impact on the progress made on Beyond the Spider-Verse. Grady indicated that “we did have more time than we would normally have” but called that time “a remarkable gift:”
“We did have more time than we would normally have on a film waiting for things, maybe to get feedback. And we did have time when the pipeline wasn’t chockablock full. But I got to say, from my perspective, that was a remarkable gift. We are often so back to back with work, we never get the time to stop and let a film breathe and let it develop into what it needed to be.”
When Will Spider-Verse 3 Release?
Looking at the five-year gap between the theatrical debuts of the original 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its 2023 sequel, these films take considerable time to make. The COVID-19 pandemic may also have contributed to this.
It’s possible that, given all available information on where Beyond the Spider-Verse currently sits, it could see a 2025 premiere, but that feels optimistic.
Fans will, in all likelihood, need to exercise patience and wait until 2026 for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to swing into theaters.
It’s an unfortunate postponement for audience members who desperately want to witness how Gwen Stacy and company mount their rescue mission for Miles. Devotees will recall that the young hero is stuck on the unfriendly Earth-42.
If the third film is anything like the crowd-pleasing first two installments, though, it’ll be worth the wait.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse has no designated streaming home. Its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, is streaming now on Netflix.
Read more about the Spider-Verse on The Direct:
Beyond the Spider-Verse: Release Date, Cast, and Everything We Know
Spider-Verse 3 Producer Just Spoiled 1 Big Miles Morales Plot Point
Spider-Verse 3 Producer Confirms the Main Goal of the Trilogy
11 Rejected Designs for Spider-Verse 2's Spider-Punk (Photos)
