Nice: Andy Samberg Voices Scarlet Spider In Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
It was confirmed a little over a month ago that Scarlet Spider would be appearing in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," but his voice had been kept a secret until now. The character was first introduced in 1975 but was prominently featured during the Clone Saga of Spider-Man comics in the mid-1990s. This might sound radical on paper but received mixed-results in execution. The clone of Peter Parker went by the name Ben Reilly, donning a shredded Spidey hoodie over his super-suit while on the case.
As if Ben couldn't get any more painfully '90s, he also bleached his hair and had plenty of gnar-bro fashion accessories to try and capture the look of the time. Unfortunately, the storyline led to the reveal that Ben Reilly was the "original" Peter Parker, and I'm sure you can guess how fans reacted to the news. Spoiler Alert: they hated it. To be fair, there are plenty who have since reclaimed the story as unappreciated brilliance, especially after the character's creator, Tom Lyle passed away in 2019.
It's no surprise that the character would appear in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," as the films love to call on various incarnations of the web-slinger, like Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, Ghost-Spider, and various versions of Peter Parker. But who would voice the character in the new film? Whoever was to bring Ben Reilly to life needed to find that balance of beloved superhero and totally fly '90s energy, and we've learned today that the man for the job is none other than "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star and The Lonely Island founder, Andy Samberg.
Quite honestly? I can't think of anyone better in the role
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Andy Samberg is one of the most distinct voices in comedy working today, and also the kind of guy who will throw himself into whatever the role requires. He recently lent his voice to the shockingly awesome "Chip 'N' Dale: Rescue Rangers" film, but has also popped up with voiceover roles in "Hotel Transylvania," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," and "Storks." Samberg is known for playing borderline absurdist characters, which makes Ben Reilly a surprisingly grounded role for him. Samberg more than has the goods to deliver some stellar one-liners, but can he pull off the seriousness required of a role like this?
Yes, yes he can.
As hilariously ridiculous as a film like "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" is, there are also a handful of moments where Samberg really lets his character Connor get vulnerable. If you still need convincing, might I recommend the 2012 dramedy "Celeste & Jesse Forever," where he and Rashida Jones play a couple going through a divorce? Sure, there are plenty of funny moments considering Samberg and Jones are both comedy mainstays, but he performs an impressive balancing act throughout the film that might as well serve as his audition tape to play Scarlet Spider. Samberg's casting also means that we're essentially getting a Jewish Spider-Man, which also rules.
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" swings into theaters on June 2, 2023.