The Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Trailer Reminds Us How Much We Love These Characters
The trailer for the highly-anticipated sequel, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," is finally here. For the most part, despite all the hype about the film's attempts to "push the medium of animation even further" and introduce a stacked cast of characters, the rhythm of the trailer's first half is pleasantly subdued. When "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" released in 2018 and captured the hearts of superhero and animation fans alike, it was able to do so because it had a specific focus on telling a singular, character-driven, coming-of-age story.
Despite utilizing the infinite scale of the multiverse and introducing us to so many different kinds of Spider-People, the story at its core has always centered Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and his journey from an anxious kid with imposter syndrome to a strong hero that embraces his unique qualities. Sometimes, Spider-Man is a Jewish man from Queens with a troubled love life. In another reality, she's a punk rock girl dealing with grief. Sometimes, Spider-Man is an Afro-Latino kid from Brooklyn finding his way through the universe, and all of them are powerful in their own unique ways.
Utilizing a brilliantly-performed monologue from Luna Lauren Velez as Miles's mother, Rio Morales, the new trailer for "Across the Spider-Verse" takes us back to some of the most important beats from the first film, and serves as a powerful reminder of how much we love these characters. Our characters might be older, and the scale of the film might be larger than before, but this trailer reassures us that the emotional center of this story is not going away.
Rio's words are the beating heart of the trailer
The opening scene of the "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" trailer becomes its main framing device. Rio and Miles are overlooking a view of Brooklyn at sunset, with shades that recall those from the first movie's color palette. Rio shares her concerns about her son growing up too fast, and her words form the beating heart at the center of the trailer:
"For years, I've been taking care of this little boy, making sure he is loved, that he feels like he belongs wherever he wants to be. He wants to go out into the world and do great, big things..."
While Rio monologues, we're shown quick flashes of essential moments from "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:" Miles purchasing his first Spider-Man suit from a familiar face, learning to swing with Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and flirting with Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) on a bus headed to Queens. We're also shown his rite of passage moments, from the dazzling leap of faith to taking down the super-collider with Peter B. and hugging his father Jefferson Davis (Brian Tyree Henry).
If you get a little teary eyed, we don't blame you. "Into the Spider-Verse" more than earns its moment of nostalgia. In 2023, the animated film turns five years old, and its impact has surely been felt. Many mainstream animated films have been playing with the 2D + 3D blend that "Into the Spider-Verse" popularized, and the personal touch that Miles's story offered has inspired other creators to imbue their own superhero work with cultural flair.
By reiterating the original film's most potent moments and contextualizing them through Rio's words, the trailer successfully reminds us how exciting it will be to return to these characters and see how they will continue to grow.
Like Miles, the sequel isn't forgetting its roots
From this point on, new footage starts to make its way into the montage. The trailer starts picking up where the very first teaser started — Gwen inviting Miles on another inter-dimensional journey. We get new glimpses at Spider-Woman (Issa Rae) and Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), and a majestic shot of dozens of new Spider-People casually hanging out in one complex, triangularly structured web. Rio's monologue makes an important shift from reflecting on the past to making Miles promise he never loses his values in the future:
"Wherever you go from here, you must promise to take care of that little boy for me, make sure he never forgets where he came from. And never doubts that he is loved, and he never lets anyone tell him that he doesn't belong there. You gotta promise, Miles."
After Miles makes his promise, the trailer takes an explosive turn for its remaining 30 seconds. The action theme kicks in, we watch Miles run from a horde of Spider-People, and it all climaxes in a confrontation between Gwen, Miles, and 2099. It's a lot to take in, even with the official synopsis that was released with the trailer.
What we do know is that "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" will be an even more ambitious movie than the original film, experimenting with six distinct art styles. Our glimpses at those styles here are minimal and we're sure the film's animators aren't quite ready to show them all off just yet — but in the meantime, Rio's monologue and the use of clips from the first film serve as a reassurance that the sequel's creative haven't forgotten what made the original film special in all their experimentation.
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" hits U.S. theaters on June 2, 2023.