Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Features Scarlet Spider, But The Voice Actor Is A Secret
The makers of upcoming animated sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" understand the myriad Spider-Men that have appeared in the character's history, and out of the 240 character models created for the film, many are Spider-People. With each new trailer, Spider-Fans have been keeping their eyes peeled, looking for the parallel Spider-Man they like best.
Most Spider-Fans will likely shake their heads in dismay, however, when you bring up the infamous Clone Saga. In mid-1990s Spider-Man comics, it was revealed that a supervillain called the Jackal had cloned Spider-Man in an effort to, I dunno, sow discord. One of the clones, going by the name Ben Reilly, continued to fight crime as a hero called the Scarlet Spider, a fellow who sported a ripped hoodie.
Natch: It would eventually be revealed that there was a mix-up, and Ben Reilly was actually the original Peter Parker. For a spell, Ben Reilly was the "main" Spider-Man. Fans hated it. The Clone Saga is notorious. But then, as with all comic book lore, affection eventually emerged.
The film's co-director, Joaquim Dos Santos, told Total Film magazine that he is one of the Scarlet Spider's fans and that he's thrilled to have included the character in his film. He also teased that a notable celebrity will be playing Ben Reilly ... but refuses to say whom; he wants it to be a surprise.
"I can't wait for people to hear who voices him. [...] It still hasn't been released, but I love our Scarlet Spider actor. [...] Not even the actors know! Everyone is sworn to secrecy, and they record alone, so most of them are discovering with the public who is in the film they've been making. Their reactions have been pretty hilarious."
The Scarlet Spider
It should be noted that the Scarlet Spider is a very, very 1990s creation. After Ben Reilly took over as Spider-Man, he bleached his hair blonde and got a job as a barista, right during the initial Starbucks Coffee boom. His new costume also incorporated a lot of wristbands, straps, and pouches, features that were common in 1990s comics. In addition to Spider-Man's swinging webs, Ben Reilly could also fire small darts made of the same material, as well as web-like "sticky balls" that could strike a foe and tangle up their legs.
It's hard to conceive of a Spider-Man that was, at least upon his introduction, more hated than Ben Reilly. Ironically, sales of Spider-Man comics went up during the Clone Saga, encouraging Marvel Comics to make more. With the character properly entrenched in a small corner of the consciousness, the Scarlet Spider was a part of Spider-lore in perpetuity. Hence his appearance in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
The many Spiders-Man
Part of the pleasure of the 2018 film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was seeing what bizarre versions of Spider-Man the filmmakers would include. The main character was the teenage Miles Morales, but he was paired with a sad sack version of Peter Parker, Spider-Gwen, the cartoon pig Spider-Ham, the black-and-white Spider-Man Noir, and a strange young girl who had befriended a Spider-robot.
"Across the Spider-Verse," judging by the trailers, will include any number of deep cut Spider-Man references to keep even the most stringent fans salivating. One of the film's antagonists will be Miguel O'Hara (Oscar Isaac), a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099. Jessica Drew, a.k.a. Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), will appear in the film, as will Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Sonu), the Indian version of Spider-Man who lives in "Mumbattan."
"Across" was co-directed by Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. Total Film asked Powers which Spider-cameo was his favorite (clearly a fishing exercise, hoping to glean more information about what Spider-Folk are going to be in the movie), but Powers didn't fall for the prompt, saying:
"My favorite cameo is..? A secret! But I promise it's gonna blow your eyeballs out the backside of your head."
The lesson then, is this: if you're a Spider-Fan, think of the strangest, most obscure version of the character you can. Are you a fan of the old Spider-Man newspaper strips? Did you like Kaine from the Clone Saga? Are you an appreciator of the Hostess Fruit Pie ads featuring everyone's favorite arachnid? Do you like the Hornet? Or Prodigy? It seems that any one of these will appear in "Across the Spider-Verse." Keep an eye out.