Every Main Spider-Man Variant In Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, Ranked
If your Spider-Sense is tingling, look out! A multiverse of spoilers ahead for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
Believe the hype. This sequel is incredible. It doubles down on the action, heart, humor, and artistry of "Into The Spider-Verse," and thwips onto the big screen to deliver a game-changing animated masterpiece. Even though the story focuses on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), a slew of other Spider-People get more than just a moment to shine. The first movie featured a roster that seemed tough to beat, with Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), but we promise the new line-up is just as good, if not better.
"Across the Spider-Verse" overflows with an evident love for the comics that inspires every frame. It boasts compelling storytelling and genuinely emotional moments and manages to add several spectacular new characters. Where a character like Spider-Ham seemed a little whacky (yet still worked), here, all the main added heroes are more grounded (comparatively) and directly affect the plot and Miles' arc. Fan favorites Gwen Stacy and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) return and play significant roles in Miles' multiversal mishaps, but some pretty rocking newcomers nearly steal the show. What are we waiting for? Let's jump into this ranking of Spider-Man variants. Or, as the late great Stan Lee would say, "Nuff said."
9. Honorable mentions -- so many Spider-People
If we listed every Spider-Man variant in this movie, you'd be reading this until "Beyond the Spider-Verse" comes out in 2024. Several of the hundreds of Spideys onscreen stand out and deserve honorable mentions. There are surprise cameos by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Peter Parkers in live-action form (via archival footage). See? It's all connected, right? A Lego Dimension represents a fun nod to co-writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's "The Lego Movie," but we also learn that J.K. Simmons plays J. Jonah Jameson in every dimension. Probably because he's perfect in that role, or maybe he's a cross-dimensional being whipping up anti-Spider-Man propaganda across multiple universes? Hang on. We're weaving some tangled webs here.
The animal kingdom variants don't stop with Spider-Ham. Here we get Spider-Cat and Spider-Rex, a literal Tyrannosaurus Rex, donning a Spider-Man costume. Can we please get the origin story of this prehistoric superhero? Andy Samberg voices Ben Reilly, a Peter Parker clone who goes by Scarlet Spider in the comics. Samberg is hilarious and mopey, like an emo variant, and chances are he'll be swinging through more Spider-Verse adventures in the trilogy's finale. There's a mech Spider-Man, a Cowboy Webslinger, Bombastic Bag-Man, Peter Parkedcar (a sentient Spider-Car), and so many more. Countless Marvel movies talked about the limitless realities of the multiverse, but this feels like the first time we've seen just how unlimited the possibilities are.
8. Margo Kess/Spider-Byte
We meet Margo Kess, aka Spider-Byte (Amandla Stenberg), in the control room of the Spider-Society's headquarters. She's the only one on the team not physically present, as her teenage self sits in her world with an advanced VR headset that allows her avatar to interact across dimensions. She bears responsibility for sending the anomalies they catch back to the worlds they belong to. Despite limited screen time, her choice not to reboot the system and allow Miles to escape has enormous repercussions. The final shot of Gwen's new rebel Spider-Team includes Spider-Byte. She's officially gone rogue and no longer follows Miguel O'Hara's (Oscar Isaac) bleak and controlling worldview.
The concept and abilities of Spider-Byte are unique. She can project a holographic image of herself across dimensions and serves as more of a cyber vigilante Spider-hero. We don't learn much about her backstory or the full extent of her powers, but with Margo joining Team Gwen, we have a feeling more of her story will be explored in "Beyond the Spider-Verse." There's little doubt she'll move higher up in the ranks by the time Spider-Trilogy ends.
7. Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk
What could be cooler than being Spider-Man? How about being a guitar-wielding, web-slinging, Cockney slang-flinging Spider-Punk named Hobie Brown? Miles already seems jealous of the idea of Hobie when he hears murmurs about his adventures with Gwen. However, the reality proves even more intimidating than Miles imagined. He's a walking punk cliche, leading to some amusing banter about the inconsistencies in his defiance. Still, we find out later that Spider-Punk actually practices what he preaches in his anti-establishment manifestos. The first of the Spider-Society to recognize Miguel has gone too far, he unceremoniously quits. He later leaves Gwen a Spider-Verse-jumping wristband to help her form a team to stop Miguel and save Miles. Miles' heart inspires the group to choose their fate, while Hobie's defiance inspires them to launch the rebellion.
Hobie's animation design is anarchy in motion, comprised of ever-changing colors and artwork that look like a Sid Vicious fever dream. It's safe to say you've never seen a character like Hobie on the big screen. He made his comic book debut in 2015, as Hobie became Spider-Punk after being bitten by a mutated spider created by toxic waste that President Norman Osborn dumped. While his backstory in the movie doesn't go this deep, expect a rocking Spider-Punk encore in the next film.
6. Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman
Earth-404's Spider-Woman, aka Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), blasts onto the screen through a portal and slams into a Renaissance version of the Vulture, sending this winged baddie crashing to the ground. We quickly see that she is an expert on her trusty motorcycle, both driving and wielding it as a two-wheeled weapon to pummel her enemies. Jessica zips through city streets and multiversal portals like it's second nature, all while pregnant. She's the very definition of one badass mother. Issa Rae described the experience of playing this incarnation of Spider-Woman to The Direct: "She is the true essence of a superhero in the fact that she is this mom fighting crime, and also, she's superhuman in that way. So I love playing her, and I hope other moms appreciate her too."
The comics spun a complicated origin story for Jessica involving a childhood illness from uranium poisoning and experimentation by the High Evolutionary that saved her life but also gave her powers. "Across the Spider-Verse" streamlines this, mentioning that a radioactive spider bit her too, and then letting her fighting skills do the rest of the talking. Jessica operates as Miguel O'Hara's second-in-command, working with him to track down and stop anomalies in the Spider-Verse. She faces a crisis of belief when she meets Miles, but we'll have to wait until the final installment to see what side of the battle Jessica ultimately takes.
5. Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man
Gwen and Miles chase the Spot through assorted realities and end up in Mumbattan, where we meet the Indian variant of Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), who steals every scene he's in. Pavitr gives Miles a quick rundown of his city and life. He's hilarious, quippy, self-assured, optimistic, and proficient in battle, wielding webs and yo-yo-like armbands in a visually dazzling action sequence. In one of the funniest bits, Miles interrupts Pavitr's intro, saying, "I love chai tea," only to be called out by Pavitr, who says: "Chai means tea, bro. You're saying tea tea. Would I ask you for a coffee coffee, with room for cream cream?" Pavitr also comments on Gwen and Miles' "will-they-won't-they" tension in a meta way that embarrasses Miles.
His appearance in "Across the Spider-Verse" rates as more than just a fun Easter Egg. The Hollywood Reporter points out that when the comic book "Spider-Man: India" came out in 2004, Pavitr "was heralded as the first 'transcreation,' where instead of doing a translation of the original material for a foreign market, they chose to 'trans-create' the character of Peter Parker into an Indian boy named Pavitr Prabhakar who lived in Mumbai." We later discover that Miles disrupted a Canon event (see Miguel O'Hara below for more) during the Mumbattan battle when he saved the local police captain's life. This single heroic act could dismantle Pavitr's entire universe, the devastating outcome Miguel's interdimensional Spider-Society aims to stop.
4. Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man
Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) served as Miles' mentor in "Into the Spider-Verse." Later in this film, he appears at Miguel's Spider-Headquarters with his new baby girl, Mayday. We find out that in the past year, he made things right with Mary Jane, and they started a family. Peter's reintroduction shows him in full dad mode, over-sharing photos of his baby even though she's physically in the room (such a parent thing, by the way). But this reunion of Spider-Buds quickly turns when Miguel reveals the true nature of the Spider-Society's mission. Miles makes a break for it, and Peter swings into action, with his daughter along for the ride, giggling in her BabyBjorn and sporting a knitted baby Spider-hat.
Peter B. Parker brought so much heart to the first movie, showing a broken, out-of-shape, sad version of the hero kids everywhere worship. He was the perfect foil to Earth 1610's Spider-Man (Chris Pine), who Miles knew and looked up to. Showing Peter grappling with his failures and depression made him a more relatable and flawed character. Here we see a new happier, carefree, and joyful Peter, thanks to his adventures with Miles. He even says he was excited to have a kid because he hopes she grows up to be as cool as Miles. He's reluctantly part of Miguel's plan but quickly joins up with Team Gwen. We knew he would because Peter B. Parker, like Miles, always leads with his heart.
3. Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099
Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, created the Spider-Society and leads the thousands of anomaly-catching Spider-People. Much to Miles' dismay, Miguel's team also ensures that all "canon events" remain intact– which Miguel explains as a near-identical life-altering event in every Spider-Person's story. Every Spider-Man has an uncle and a police captain who dies. It's a gut punch when the audience connects what this means for Miles' dad, Jeff Morales (Brian Tyree Henry), and his upcoming promotion to captain. He tries to trap Miles because if Miles saves his father, he'll risk the lives of millions. That's a really cold anti-hero move there, bub.
Miguel's methods may seem extreme (because they are), but we get a glimpse into what formed his dire worldview and why Peter B. Parker refers to him as the only Spider-Man that isn't funny. Through his universe-hopping, Miguel found an Earth where he had a family. After a random criminal killed that Earth's Miguel variant, he decided to replace him and raise his daughter. His presence in a universe where he didn't belong caused the entire world to fall apart and kill millions ... his daughter included. He's carried that burden ever since and became a "Timecop" of sorts to stop other worlds from experiencing a similar fate. He's a multi-layered anti-hero, one the audience empathizes with while harboring justifiable fears over what he's willing to do to complete his mission.
2. Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman
"Across the Spider-Verse" begins from Gwen's perspective as she recaps the first movie and delves more into her backstory. We learn that in her world, Earth-65, Peter Parker was her best friend and, wanting to be special like her, turned himself into the Lizard. Gwen only discovers his secret after a battle between the two, leaving Peter mortally wounded. Her dad, Captain Stacy, tries to arrest Gwen when she reveals her true identity, believing Spider-Woman is a criminal. She teams up with Miguel's crew, and while tracking a possible anomaly in Earth-1610, she visits Miles. By going off-mission, Gwen misses the Spot's experiments that escalate his powers and transform him into a multiverse-hopping supervillain. Throughout the story, Gwen struggles with deciding whether to follow her mission or save her friend.
Gwen's coming-of-age arc sparks so much emotional conflict. She tries to figure out who she wants to become while feeling immense pressure to make her dad proud. For Earth-65, the filmmakers chose an art style that expressed Gwen's feelings instead of a more realistic approach. Co-writer Phil Lord told the Los Angeles Times they based the design of Earth-65 on specific "Spider-Gwen" covers drawn by Robbi Rodriguez, saying they "are really painterly and they're really subjective ... They're really idiosyncratic, so they don't necessarily follow a logic of light. They follow a logic of feeling." The result? Some of the film's most beautiful emotional moments, as the audience can't help but empathize with Gwen as her heart pours out onto the screen.
1. Miles Morales - Spider-Man
There'd be no Spider-Verse without Miles Morales. Miles is the beating heart of this franchise, the kid from Brooklyn juggling crime-fighting, school, family expectations, and figuring out what he wants his story to be. After defeating Kingpin, forming a bond with Peter and Gwen, then saying goodbye, Miles feels even more alone in a world where he's the only Spider-Man. Just like in the first movie, Miles comes across as a real person with real problems... who also happens to turn invisible, electrocute his foes, climb up walls, and shoot webs.
Miles unknowingly created the Spot when he blew up Kingpin's Super Collider. He adds insult to injury by not taking the Spot seriously during their first showdown, turning a villain-of-the-week into a universe-altering supervillain. Miles follows Gwen to help stop the Spot and eventually discovers the Spider-Society formed because of him. Miguel tells Miles he was never supposed to be Earth 1610's Spider-Man. The spider that bit Miles was supposed to create a Spider-Man on Earth-42. Because of this, Earth-1610's Peter Parker died saving Miles, and now every reality is at risk. Miles makes a daring escape but ends up on Earth-42 face-to-face with Miles G. Morales (Jharrel Jerome), who has taken on the mantle of the supervillain, the Prowler. After learning all this, Miles' defiance is what makes him a true hero. He tells Miguel, "Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go ... Nah, I'm gonna do my own thing." We can't wait to see Miles prove he can break the cycle of tragedy in the Spider-Man canon, but with a cliffhanger like this, 2024 seems worlds away.