Sony's long-awaited threequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, has finally unveiled its first story details as anticipation builds for Miles Morales' next chapter. Originally slated for March 2024 (less than a year after Across the Spider-Verse), the film was delayed to more than three years to June 18, 2027. Now, co-writers and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have shed light on the sequel’s narrative direction and explained why the extended timeline was not only necessary, but creatively essential.
After years of silence regarding the narrative direction of the trilogy's conclusion, Lord and Miller have finally pulled back the curtain on the emotional core of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Following the cliffhanger ending of the previous installment, which left Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) stranded in the wrong universe, the creative duo revealed that the production delay was largely due to a restructuring of the film's story.
Lord explained (via Gizmodo) that the heart of the reconstructed narrative will focus on the deteriorating relationship between Miles and his parents. He revealed that this is part of the "middle" of the story, focusing on what happens "when your family is broken" because of your abilities:
"We know where it's headed, but we need to understand better what’s happening in the middle...And we came upon a really wonderful notion, which is when your family is broken apart by your calling, your talents, how do you put them back together? How do you have it all?"
This new revelation suggests the true "battle" of the film may be Miles' internal struggle to reconcile his duties as Spider-Man. This suggests that Miles returns home to Earth-1610, escaping Earth-42 and his Prowler doppelganger.
A family-fueled story shouldn't be too surprising, when considering Miles' new motivation is to save his died, who is pre-destined to die as a canon event of his universe.
Despite the mounting expectations, the filmmakers are leaning into a high-pressure environment to ensure the finale surpasses its predecessors. Miller emphasized that "there's no one that puts more pressure on us than ourselves," as they strive to deliver a satisfying finale for fans.
To achieve this, the team is encouraged to experiment and innovate, with Lord reporting that "the main trick is to play free" and that the animation crew is currently "going hard" to bring this ambitious family-centric story to life.
Although the wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse feels immense, Sony is doubling down on the franchise's success with two new animated spin-offs currently in active development, focusing on fan-favorites Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld).
That could mean the third Spider-Verse film isn't just a conclusion, but sets up more in the future. Considering the incredible track record two films in, fans are likely fine waiting, especially considering the detail that goes into the stunning animation.
If anything, fans may prefer they take even longer if needed, especially considering this could be the end of Miles' journey for now. If or when he ever gets a live-action adaptation remains to be seen, so Beyond the Spider-verse could be the end of this Spider-Man's definitive story for a generation.
Beyond the Spider-Verse Story Explained
In addition to the emotional core of Miles trying to keep his family together, the narrative of Beyond is expected to pick up immediately following Across.
Some theories suggest that rather than remaining enemies, Miles may eventually join forces with this darker version of himself to find a way back home before his father's time runs out.
As he navigates this desperate race against the clock, he will be pursued by both Oscar Isaac's Spider-Man 2099 and an increasingly powerful version of The Spot.
The Spot's transformation into a sentient singularity makes him the catalyst for the canon event Miles is desperate to prevent, making a confrontation inevitable.
Gwen is getting the Into the Spider-Verse band back together, scouring the multiverse to find Miles first. Ultimately, this finale is set to deliver a definitive resolution to the conflict between personal choice and the multiverse's rigid laws.
