Beyond the Spider-Verse just got an extremely disappointing update in regards to its eventual release date.
The second film in the franchise, Across the Spider-Verse, ended with one of the biggest cliffhangers in recent pop culture. Just before the credits started rolling, Miles Morales was stranded in the wrong dimension, captured by his own twisted Variant.
What made this twist easier to swallow for many was that the wait for its resolution wasn't so far away—March 29, 2024, to be precise. Sadly, it looks like fans should buckle up for a longer wait than expected.
Beyond the Spider-Verse Might Be Delayed
A new report from The Hollywood Reporter revealed a disappointing update for Beyond the Spider-Verse: the highly anticipated animated conclusion to the critically acclaimed series is likely to be delayed.
Within a segment giving a brief update on projects due to be released in 2024, the outlet noted that Beyond "was already likely to shift, even before the strike:"
“Animated features aiming for 2024 release, however, might be more likely to be at a point in the production where actors would be needed to record final dialogue. Movies slated for a 2024 release include Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 8), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse on June 3, (though that was already likely to shift, even before the strike), Despicable Me 4 (July 3) and Transformers One (Sept. 13).”
This isn't the first time the world heard rumblings about the movie's progress.
Hailee Steinfeld, who voices Gwen Stacy, previously confirmed how she hadn't done any voice work for Beyond.
An anonymous source spoke to Vulture and revealed that the only work done on the third installment is "any exploration or tests that were done before the movie was split into two parts:"
“They’ve announced that Beyond the Spider-Verse will be released in March of next year. I’ve seen people say, ‘Oh, they probably worked on it at the same time.’ There’s no way that movie’s coming out then... There’s been progress on the pre-production side of things. 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.”
A Longer Wait for Miles Morales
It's incredibly discouraging to hear that so little progress on the movie has been made thus far.
If that's true, the wait for the third and final film could be much longer than anyone expected. It took five years for the creatives to complete Across the Spider-Verse—is that the same amount it'll take to finish Beyond?
One would think that Sony Pictures would've been smart enough to know it was going to take much longer to complete when they first announced the second movie splitting into two parts.
Despite this disappointing update, Peter B. Parker voice actor Jake Johnson did go on record to say that the creative team "are not going to stop until it's excellent... [even] if that means it takes a little bit longer."
Given the quality of the first two films, fans shouldn't find it too hard to put their faith in everyone involved. Though, there's no denying that the expectations being placed on the franchise's conclusion are larger than life.
Beyond the Spider-Verse is currently set to release on March 29, 2024.
