Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is on the way, but it could be quite some time before the movie ever releases.
Coming off the uber-successful Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, Beyond is set to close out the Sony Pictures' animated Spider-Verse trilogy.
Originally titled Across the Spider-Verse Part 2, the upcoming third film has been described as the Avengers: Endgame of this animated world, following up directly from Across the Spider-Verse's shocking cliffhanger ending.
Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse Release Date: When Will It Come Out
While originally slated to come to theaters on March 29, 2024, Beyond the Spider-Verse has since been delayed indefinitely.
The film remains off the Sony Pictures slate for 2024, with no indication of when it will come to theaters.
According to the Spider-Verse creative team, the movie's delay had to do with job action in Hollywood with the writers' strike having now come to a close and the actors still on the picket lines.
Spider-Verse 3 writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller told Digital Spy in August 2023 that the upcoming animated epic will be released "when it is ready:"
"[It will come] when it's ready. 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."
They added the team is trying to craft the most "satisfying conclusion to the story than it can be," so if it takes time, then it takes time:
"What we're trying to accomplish with the film is have it be the most satisfying conclusion to the story than it can be, and take it to places that you haven’t been before. And make you laugh and cry, and cheer and think."
Last fans heard - following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, producer Miller told press he was "knee-deep" in production on the threequel, being the first hints at where the movie stood following the 2023 Hollywood strikes:
"We’re in production…we’re really excited about where the story is going, I think it’s a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and it’s as emotional as the other ones…we’re knee-deep in it."
There is no telling yet when the movie will eventually be released, but it is good to know progress is actively being made on the title.
If work can continue unimpeded throughout 2024, there is a chance the movie will be ready sometime in 2025.
Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse Cast: Who Will Return?
Seeing as Beyond the Spider-Verse is expected to serve as a second part of the Across the Spider-Verse story, fans can expect much of that prior film's cast to return for the trilogy-closer.
Of course, headlining the film will be the stars of the first two movies Shamiek Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy.
Joining them will likely be other Spider-Heroes from across the web-slinging multiverse, including Oscar Isaac's Miguel O'Hara, Daniel Kaluuya's Spider-Punk, John Mulaney's Spider-Ham, and Karan Soni's Spider-Man India.
Other characters/actors expected to return include:
- Jason Schwartzman as The Spot
- Andy Samberg as Ben Reilly
- Issa Rae as Spider-Woman
- Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis
- Lunas Lauren Velez as Rio Morales
- Greta Lee as Lyla
- Jharrel Jerome as Miles G. Morales
There also has been much speculation about the potential inclusion of live-action Spider-Men joining the Beyond the Spider-Verse cast.
Rumors have pointed to the MCU's Tom Holland popping up in Beyond the Spider-Verse, but creatives have offered a simple "no comment" when asked about a potential cameo.
Who Is the Main Villain in Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse?
After making his debut in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Jason Schwartzman's The Spot has already been confirmed to be the primary villain for Beyond the Spider-Verse.
In a conversation with Collider, alongside his Astriod City co-star Scarlett Johansson, Schwartzman teased his big bad would be back for the third movie and will be"bigger, badder, [and] holier":
Jason Scwartzman: "There’s not much I really can say, but I’m just excited about it. It was a great experience, I loved working with them. We started doing that before this movie."
Scarlett Johansson: "You can’t say one single thing? What single thing can you say?"
Schwartzman: "Well I can say a few things. Bigger, badder, holier."
This is in line with what Kemp Powers, the director of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, has said about the future of The Spot.
Before the second Spider-Verse movie, Powers revealed that "[Spot is] the villain of the next two films:"
“He’s the villain of the next two films… and let’s just say that the Spot and Miles are connected in surprising ways. The Spot is an interesting villain because he seems like a joke, but when you really look at his powers, there’s incredible potential. His ability to open portals across dimensions sets him up perfectly for the Spider-Verse.”
The Spider-Man filmmaker added that The Spot's arc "really does complement the journey of Miles," which is part of the reason why he is the main villain of the upcoming third movie as well:
“And similarly is Spot. From the very beginning he just seemed like endless potential, both visually and arc of the character. Because you know by the way that’s not a costume, that’s his skin. By the way that he’s wearing it you know it’s not a guy in a polka dot suit. That’s actually his skin. So you know, the arc of Dr. Ohnn Spot is one that does really complement, without giving away the story, it really does complement the journey of Miles in this film really well.”
What Will Happen in Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse?
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is going to have plenty to tackle when it does eventually come to theaters.
In February 2024, Shamiek Moore told Screenrant that fans can expect "action" and for this next movie to be a "continuation" of the Across the Spider-Verse story:
"Action...you can expect Miles and Gwen. You can expect everything [laughs] you're expecting the continuation from the second one. You can expect to see The Spot; you can expect some action-packed energy and some dilemmas and problems to solve."
This continuation will likely be most present in Moore's Miles Morales trying to get back to his universe after being stranded in a dark and brooding alternative reality at the end of Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Verse 2 saw the young hero get stuck in a work where the "Sinister Six have been able to flourish and take over the world" and "criminality runs rampant:"
"Criminality runs rampant. We wanted to create a world where it felt like Aaron and Miles G. Morales of Earth-42 (this reality’s counterpart to Miles Morales) are the only heroes."
And, as a part of this alternate universe, the Miles fans know and love came face to face with a version of the character who - instead of becoming New York's web-slinging hero - took a villainous turn, donning the Prowler moniker just like his Uncle Aaron seen in the first movie.
The end of Across the Spider-Verse also saw a team being put together by Hailee Steinfeld's Spider-Gwen to hopefully get Miles back to his home universe.
Beyond will also seemingly further explore the idea of Canon Events (happenings that - no matter how tragic they may be - have to happen to make a Spider-Person a Spider-Person).
Oscar Isaac's Miguel O'Hara revealed to Miles that because he is now on the wall-crawling path, certain Canon Events are going to have to happen. This would include the death of someone close to him, like his father Jefferson Davis.
All that will come alongside the ongoing conflict between Miles and The Spot, along with his continual evasion of Miguel and the Spider-Society.
Will Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Be the Final Movie?
As it stands, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will likely be the last in the animated franchise.
According to Phil Lord (via FandomWire), "[Beyond] is the end of Miles Morales’ trilogy:"
“It is the end of Miles Morales’ trilogy and so this whole thing is like working towards that but this obviously has its own complete film with a beginning, middle, and end and Miles starts in one place and ends in another and all the characters have their arc in this film but that’s it for us. We’re so tired.”
While that leaves the door open for potentially more movies centered on different Spider-Verse characters, the filmmakers have made it clear this is Miles' story and Beyond will bring that to a close.
However, this could also be where Sony introduces the long-rumored live-action Miles Morales, a character the studio has seemingly been prepping for quite some time.
After years of whispers about a live-action Miles movie, Sony Pictures producer Amy Pascal was asked about a few projects including a Miles movie. Pascal remained cagey on the subject but let slip, "I cannot tell you yet, but it’s coming."
This came a short time after Pascal teased that fans would likely "have to wait a couple of years" for a live-action Miles, it could be quite some time after Beyond the Spider-Verse before fans see this character on-screen in any form again.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse currently has no announced release date.
Read more about Beyond the Spider-Verse:
Spider-Verse 3 Producer Confirms the Main Goal of the Trilogy
Spider-Verse 3 Star Explains His Big Worry About the Next Movie
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