What Could Happen In Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse? An Investigation
This post contains major spoilers for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
The long wait for "Across the Spider-Verse" is now over. Now, the wait for the trilogy-capper, "Beyond the Spider-Verse," begins. You may have heard that the Miles Morales-starring sequel ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which means fans will have to remain patient if they want to see this grand, multiverse-spanning story through to its conclusion. We saw our young hero (voiced by Shameik Moore) reunite with his old pals Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), make a few new ones, and even cross paths with a couple of villains in Jason Schwartzman's The Spot and Oscar Isaac's Miguel O'Hara. His adventures brought him across several dimensions before finally dumping him in a very different one, in which Spider-Man never existed at all. And now, at the mercy of his still-alive Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali) and another version of himself who has embraced the identity of the villainous Prowler, the only ones who can save Miles are Gwen and her new super-team of Spider-People.
And that's where "Across the Spider-Verse" leaves us hanging, incredibly enough.
Despite everything Miles encounters in this epic-sized middle chapter of a new trilogy, the film somehow leaves fans wanting more. Whether you feel that's a strength or a flaw is up to you (and, in fact, stay tuned to /Film on Monday to read both sides of this argument), but there's one aspect we can all agree on: There's no shortage of places the planned threequel can take the story. "Beyond the Spider-Verse" sure has its work cut out for it, but we think we have a handle on where those loose threads could go next.
Seeing spots
We love an ineffectual villain with delusions of grandeur, don't we folks?
It's kind of incredible to sit back and think about how there's a mainstream superhero movie out there with an antagonist named The Spot, but "Across the Spider-Verse" does even better than that. We first meet the bumbling, would-be robber when he's trying (and failing) to carry out an ATM theft at a local bodega. The recurring gag that he's only ever referred to as a "villain of the week" actually rings true, as this is pretty much exactly how all sorts of minor C-listers are typically introduced in countless superhero movies and shows.
But because this is a "Spider-Verse" movie, things are slightly more interesting than that. The poor guy quietly nurses his grudges, focusing entirely on Miles for causing his deformity back during the climax of "Into the Spider-Verse" when he shut down the super collider machine and inadvertently got the former scientist caught in the dimensional chaos. That leaves him with the unique power set he displays in "Across the Spider-Verse" and his vengeful motivation, which dogs Miles every step of the way until the villain vows to destroy everything Spider-Man holds dear. As the main, surprisingly meta theme of the sequel comes into focus, we realize The Spot is hellbent on destroying Miles' entire dimension, known as Earth-1610.
When the film ends, The Spot remains on the loose without anyone to stop him. Given the emphasis on saving the life of Miles' dad, Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry), "Beyond the Spider-Verse" will have to deal with that inevitable confrontation. But remember, he's only the physical threat and should be simple enough to dispatch. The movie also poses a much trickier ethical quandary, represented by another antagonist who'll be much harder to handle.
I got 2099 problems, but a Spider-Man ain't one
Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, may be voiced by everyone's favorite dreamboat Oscar Isaac, but the character's descent into villainy in "Across the Spider-Verse" was both horrifying and thrilling to watch unfold. Beginning the movie as the ringleader of an elite force of interdimensional cops known as the Spider-Society, Miguel takes on a mission ensuring that, in the wake of Miles' encounter with the multiverse back in the first movie, nobody else tampers with the fragile timeline. By the end, his tragic past and all-consuming need to sacrifice lives for the needs of the many drives him into outright villain territory.
Much of the final act of "Across the Spider-Verse" takes place in Nueva York, following Miguel's efforts to hunt Miles down after our hero made the mistake of refusing to play by Miguel's rules. Chased all across the dimension, Miles is mistakenly sent to the nightmarish Earth-42 world where his father is already dead and Spider-Man doesn't exist. But back on Earth-1610, O'Hara has arrived to wait for Miles and finish the job ... by any means necessary, chillingly enough.
So where does this plot line go from here? It seems abundantly clear that Spider-Man 2099 has been set up as the final big bad of the story, posing the most existential threat to the very concept of what being Spider-Man actually means. With sidekick Jessica Drew (Issa Rae) still by his side but seemingly starting to question her allegiances, one would have to expect a dramatic reversal in her future. Will this be the impetus to Miguel wrangling in some extra help with the Sinister Six? Or could there still be redemption in the cards for this fallen hero? The possibilities are endless.
Miles ahead
Talk about a sticky situation. Upon arriving in the world he thought was his own, Miles instead discovers that his frantic escape from O'Hara has actually led him to the dimension where the radioactive spider that bit him originated – Earth-42. Stymied by his realization that Spider-Man doesn't exist in this world, Miles stumbles onto Uncle Aaron (who in his own dimension had become the villainous Prowler and ultimately perished) and another version of himself, who has become this dimension's Prowler. And neither are too happy to see him.
How might our Miles possibly get out of this corner, tied up and left entirely to the troublesome whims of these two bad guys? In one quick shot, he seems to be ready to use his newfound superpower to potentially free himself from the chains that bind him. And luckily, we know that Gwen and her new team are on the way to rescue their dear friend from the wrong dimension. It sure seems like he'll need the backup, given the formidable challenge that a team-up between both Aaron and Earth-42's Miles will likely pose. But is that enough?
This closely-guarded reveal sets up any number of complications for our hero. However, something tells me the last-minute inclusion of this alternate Miles and Aaron won't end up with even more villains added to the mix in "Beyond the Spider-Verse." (For those counting at home, that potentially includes The Spot, Miguel, Jessica Drew, most of the Spider-Society, and now Earth-42 Miles and Aaron!) Instead, what if they're the secret weapons Gwen and her team need to fight Miguel? What better way to bring this trilogy to a close than by having Miles face the darkest possible version of himself ... and team up with him? For movies that seem to be interrogating what it means to be Spider-Man, this feels like the perfect way to answer that.
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is currently playing in theaters.