UPDATE: Spider-Verse composer Daniel Pemberton has responded to these reports that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has been delayed.
A new report revealed that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse might not release until 2027, despite an original release date in summer 2024 — a date which has already passed.
Following Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, there were reports of animators being overworked during production. As such, it came as little surprise when the fast turnaround of one year between it and its follow-up, Beyond the Spider-Verse, was extended.
What may have been more surprising, though, is the currently indefinite hiatus between the two films, with the third Spider-Verse movie not set to release "when it is ready," according to an interview from August 2023.
Spider-Verse 3 Delay (Report)
According to a report from industry insider Jeff Sneider, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse could see a release date in as late as 2027, keeping in mind the latest Spider-Man 4 news.
On Sept. 9, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Daniel Destin Cretton (director of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings) was in talks to helm Tom Holland's fourth MCU Spider-Man movie, which reportedly could shoot next year.
Assuming this (and therefore a likely 2026 Spider-Man 4 release — corroborated by a rumor from Daniel Richtman) is the case, Sneider explained it would be unlikely that Beyond the Spider-Verse would debut in 2026 as well. He also said that if it were to be released in 2025, fans likely would already know this for sure.
So, with 2025 likely out of the picture and 2026 potentially barred too, that would make 2027 the earliest likely release date for the third Into the Spider-Verse movie.
On top of this, Sneider reported that allegedly, "Sony scrapped most of Beyond the Spider-Verse for creative reasons."
With the lengthy animation process that would be needed for these alleged creative adjustments (adjustments the creative team is allegedly "relieved" to be given time to make), it would make 2027 a likely release date as well.
UPDATE: Across The Spider-Verse and Beyond The Spider-Verse composer Daniel Pemberton has seemingly debunked Sneider's report.
Responding to the reports of Sony scrapping most of Beyond The Spider-Verse on X, Pemberton says:
Don’t really ever want to weigh in on this sort of stuff BUT would you ever believe there could sometimes be stuff on the internet that might not always be particularly accurate? Hmmmm…
A couple hours later, writer/producer Christopher Miller also posted to X (formerly Twitter) that "Nothing has been scrapped," adding that "The reels are coming along nicely:"
Sony has yet to officially respond to these rumors.
Why Is Beyond The Spider-Verse Taking So Long?
As writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller shared with Digital Spy, they are willing to give Beyond the Spider-Verse as much time as is needed to ensure it is as strong as it can possibly be.
Specifically, Lord said, "we'll take the time it takes to make it great."
Animation is a time-consuming medium on its own, and the Spider-Verse movies are known for pushing that medium to its limits.
The franchise has utilized differing frame rates, animation styles, and even mediums (incorporating live-action into the otherwise animated Across the Spider-Verse), which is all possible thanks to the hard work of its animators.
As such, if the third film wants to deliver without overworking these creatives, as was alleged to be the case for Across the Spider-Verse, it will take some time before release.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is available to stream on Netflix.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
