Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse featured many Spider-Men, and it appears that one of them was inspired by The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal.
Spider-Verse 2 not only highlighted the return of Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen, but it also introduced a plethora of web-slinging Variants. From Oscar Isaac's Spider-Man 2099 to Daniel Kaluuya's rebellious Spider-Punk, the sequel had no shortage of Spider-Men.
Spider-Verse 2 Highlights Pedro Pascal
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse character designer Kristafer Anka confirmed that Web-Slinger Peter Parker's face underneath the mask was inspired by Pedro Pascal.
In the sequel, Web-Slinger Peter Parker is the cowboy version of Spider-Man from the Wild Wild West Universe.
In his tweet, Anka pointed out that he managed to add "a little Pedro Pascal" to Web-Slinger's model:
"This is honestly kind of a good time to mention that a lot of my time was spent doing drawing overs, or that designs are just based on tweaking previous models.
But regarding Webslinger, I added a little Pedro Pascal to a Peter model."
Interestingly, in a previous interview with GQ Magazine, Oscar Isaac campaigned for Pedro Pascal to become a "cranky, old Spider-Person" in Spider-Verse 3:
GQ: "This film, of course, adds so many new characters and voices into the mix. For the next movie, is there anyone you’d love to see join the fold?"
Isaac: "I don’t know. They’re so brilliant at finding the right person for the right character, but maybe Pedro Pascal. Let’s find something for him. He should be a Spider-Person, like a cranky, old Spider-Person."
Meanwhile, Anka continued by pointing out that Web-Slinger was "one of the most fun assignments" that he worked on for Spider-Verse 2:
"Web-Slinger was one of the most fun assignments I had. Spent months exploring all kinds of different cowboys and cowgirls until we settled on something a bit more classic."
Anka also said that he "spent a lot of time" getting the character's details right:
"This is one of the characters I spent a lot of time getting the details right."
Anka unveiled new looks at Web-Slinger and his horse, Widow:
Alternate designs for Web-Slinger were then highlighted:
The Marvel visual artist reiterated that he spoke with "several friends who had been riding [horses] for their whole lives" to understand Widow's design, specifically her saddle:
"With Widow the details were really important. I spent a ton of time doing research and asking several friends who had been riding for their whole lives so I could understand everything I could about saddle construction. A lot of jobs is highlighting details so it translates."
A closer look at Widow's saddle can be seen below:
Widow's saddle design features a stirrup reference, a back billet, and a metal leap:
Will Pedro Pascal Ever Join Marvel?
Spider-Verse 2's hidden Pedro Pascal connection is a promising reveal, mainly because it could serve as the beacon for the actor to finally join the Marvel universe in a future project.
In fact, Pascal already expressed interest to portray a Marvel superhero. In an interview with Wired in January 2023, the actor mentioned his enthusiasm for a “traditional Marvel role.”
It is unknown if Web-Slinger will have a larger role in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, but if the character ends up having a significant part, Sony Pictures could potentially cast Pedro Pascal as the voice of the Spider-Man Variant.
Whatever the case, given the expansive nature of the MCU due to the arrival of the Multiverse, The Last of Us star's potential arrival could do wonders for the Marvel brand.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is playing in theaters worldwide.
