Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) arrives in theaters this October, and after the Oscar-winning first instalment, fans couldn't be any more excited to be reunited with Miles Morales.
Very little has been revealed about the movie, though we know Oscar Isaac will return as Spider-Man 2099 for an adventure that seemingly pulls Miles through time. We're also getting more Spider-Gwen, and the teaser trailer hinted that Spider-Man India, Pavitr Prabhakar, will make his debut. However, you have to believe a whole host of other Spidey "Variants" will show up.
The first movie threw everyone from Spider-Ham to Spider-Man Noir into the mix, and there are still plenty of heroes in the Spider-Verse who we need to see in action. With that in mind, we've rounded up 10 amazing and spectacular suggestions, exploring what makes these characters unique and why we think the spider-themed heroes could bring a lot to the animated Spider-Verse.
To take a look through this list of alternate reality Spider-Men (and women!), hit the "Next" button!
10. Spider-Man 2211
As noted, we'll meet Spider-Man 2099 in Across the Spider-Verse, but why not take us even further into the future? Dr. Max Borne was a TimeSpinner in the year 2211, and that organisation is tasked with preventing disruptions to the time field (so, pretty much exactly like the TVA).
This web-slinger's costume boasts four extra mechanized arms and he teamed up with both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099 to defeat the villainous Hobgoblin from his era.
It would make perfect sense for Borne to make his presence felt in the next movie, particularly with the madness that's bound to ensue when Miguel O'Hara pulls Miles Morales into the future. Marvel actually just released a Funko Pop featuring this obscure Spider-Man, leaving us to wonder whether he's getting a push in time for an eventual big screen debut later this year.
9. Last Stand Spider-Man
This Spider-Man ended up heading down a dark path and is just one of many possible futures for the Marvel Universe's comic book Peter Parker. The wall-crawler watched this doppelgänger from afar as he was confronted by the police, ultimately falling in battle after being branded a murderer.
It turns out those accusations weren't off the mark as Marvel Comics would later retcon the "Last Stand" Spider-Man to be the version of Peter who killed Kraven the Hunter and proceeded to murder all his greatest foes. While we don't anticipate Across the Spider-Verse getting too dark, it would be no bad thing for the sequel to introduce a Peter who isn't quite as happy go lucky as Miles expects.
Peter B. Parker is expected to return, and given how the events of the first move inspired him to turn his life around, showing him the dark path that might lie ahead would be quite the story arc.
8. Cyborg Spider-Man
Spider-Man first got some cybernetic upgrades decades ago during a team-up with Deathlok, but Marvel Comics would later introduce an alternate reality version of Peter Parker who was more machine than man. We didn't learn much more than that, giving this movie the chance to take things down a crazier route by having the robotic Spidey unleash all manner of weaponry.
Due to the franchise's unique animation style, we're sure you won't struggle to picture how cool that could look, and we have a pretty bonkers theory for how Cyborg Spider-Man could be used.
As you'll no doubt remember, Into the Spider-Verse introduced a Peter played by Chris Pine. This blonde haired Spider-Man was killed by The Kingpin, but was revealed to have a whole armoury of suits and weaponry to help him fight crime. Well, what if he also had a contingency plan in place to be resurrected or restored through the use of cybernetic implants, transforming him into this cyborg?
7. PlayStation Spider-Man
An Easter Egg in Into the Spider-Verse paid homage to the PlayStation version of Peter Parker, but we think it's about damn time Yuri Lowenthal is given the chance to swing into this animated franchise.
Given his unique dynamic with his own world's Miles Morales, we probably wouldn't bother pairing him up with this Miles because it would feel too much like retreading familiar ground. There are other ways he could be used, though, and the Spider-Geddon comic book event has already established that he has a knowledge of the Spider-Verse and is no stranger to hanging out with Variants.
We'd rather follow Peter's journey in Spider-Man 2, but a brief cameo here could be a fun way to remind us that's coming and drive home the fact the game is also part of the Multiverse. Plus, how cool would it be to see video game graphics used alongside those other animation styles?
6. Spider-Punk
Many fans are already convinced Spider-Punk will be an integral part of Across the Spider-Verse, and we certainly hope they're right. Spider-Punk (a.k.a. the Anarchic Spider-Man) is an African-American punk rocker named Hobart Brown who has become a major fan-favourite since his introduction.
On his world, he helped lead a populist revolution against the corrupt President Norman Osborn and his Venom-enhanced police force, and that sure sounds like somewhere we'd like to visit here.
It would be great to see Miles' reaction to learning he's not the only non-white teenager to become Spider-Man. The mind also boggles at the sort of soundtrack and animated moments that could accompany this Spidey as he leaps into battle, guitar in hand. One of the most exciting Variants mentioned here, Spider-Punk deserves to appear in live-action, but animation would be a good start.
5. Spider-UK
Billy Braddock, a.k.a. Spider-UK, is a British Spider-Man who is also a member of the Captain Britain Corps. While that's a concept we anticipate Marvel Studios exploring somewhere down the line, this Spider-Man's ties to the Multiverse are likely to make him a compelling addition to this movie.
Spider-UK has become a recurring character in various Spider-Verse team-ups, with his knowledge of alternate realities proving key. Even if Sony Pictures drops the Captain Britain Corps concept (which seems likely), Billy could still be the leader of a team of international wall-crawlers who swing into action here as a way of helping Miles Morales during his latest big screen adventure.
We're not sure who should lend their voice to Spider-UK, but how much fun would it be for Tom Holland or Andrew Garfield to do so, using their natural British accents as Spider-Man for a change?
4. Spider-Girl ("Mayday" Parker)
While we're still anticipating seeing a live-action Spider-Woman on the big screen in the next few years, it's worth remembering that Jessica Drew actually has nothing to do with Spider-Man. She’s an entirely separate character with totally different powers and an unrelated origin story.
"Mayday" Parker has a more direct link to Peter Parker because she's his daughter. In her reality, Spider-Man lost a leg during a battle with the Green Goblin, so retired to bring up May with his wife Mary Jane. When she reached her teens, the youngster started developing powers of her own and soon donned a costume to follow in her father's footsteps, coming across some great villains and the descendants or older versions of many familiar Marvel heroes in the process.
With so much of Into the Spider-Verse devoted to addressing Peter's failed relationship with Mary Jane, why not take us to his future and reveal that their eventual daughter becomes Spider-Girl?
1./2./3. The Live-Action Spider-Men
Sony Pictures should probably hold off on having these three meet again until they can make it a reality in live-action, but there's no reason at all Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men couldn't show up in Across the Spider-Verse. It's about time, anyway, and some hints could even be dropped here about how they'll factor into the wider Spider-Verse moving forward.
That's assuming Sony has a long-term plan, of course (we're not going to put money on it), but it would still be amazing for Miles to cross paths with this trio, even if it's just a cameo.
As tempting as it no doubt is to have Miles team up with one of these Peter Parkers, we'd hate to see him potentially overshadowed. Instead, him visiting their respective realities during another trip through the Multiverse as a way of referencing the game-changing events of Spider-Man: No Way Home would definitely be welcomed. If we can only choose one, it would be Andrew.