The Spider-Verse is about to get even bigger via the small screen. It is also about to get a lot darker, mysterious, and funny. And, let’s be honest, a lot weirder. Prime Video has officially done what Spidey fans have been waiting to hear. The studio has formally ordered a new live-action series starring Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir, the character he originally voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Now joining Cage in the series, as per Deadline, is Fargo and New Girl star Lamorne Morris.

Amazon used its inaugural upfront presentation in New York City to announce it has finally ordered Noir to series. The Spider-Man Noir show will see Nicolas Cage playing the live-action version of his character from Sony’s animated 2018 Oscar winner. Morris has been cast as Robbie Robertson, the nice editor of The Daily Bugle who traditionally works under the surly publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Variety also reported The Banshees of Inisherin star Brendan Gleeson has been cast as well, though in an undisclosed role. The series, based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, will air on Prime Video and MGM+.

Also announced to appear as a series regular is Wu Assassins star Li Jun Li. According to Deadline, Li will play a “singer at the premier nightclub in New York.”

Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) will direct and executive produce the Spider-Man Noir‘s first two episodes. Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel’s The Punisher, Shantaram) will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. They developed the show with the Spider-Verse‘s Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal. All three are also on board as executive producers.

For those who have (for some absurd reason) not yet seen Into the Spider-Verse or are unfamiliar with the character’s comic history, Amazon also shared a brief synopsis for the Spider-Man Noir series.

Noir tells the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator (Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.

Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, explained why the studio wants to make this series in a release. (As though we need an explanation.) “Expanding the Marvel universe with Noir is a uniquely special opportunity, and we are honored to bring this series to our global Prime Video customers,” he said. “The extremely talented Nicolas Cage is an ideal choice for our new superhero, and the accomplished producing team with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and the incredible team at Sony is dedicated to expanding this franchise in the most authentic way.” 

We’re ready to dedicate our time to watching when it debuts. The Spider-Verse is an infinite place of possibilities and heroes. But we very much want to spend more time with this version of the character. And obviously, more time with Nicolas Cage.

Originally Published May 14, 2024

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The argument over the use of generative AI, in which a program aggregates from sources across the globe to create something like text, videos, images, etc., is hot these days. Should production companies use it to cut some corners? Is the product actually inferior? (Yes, it is.) And why do CEOs seem intent on using it, no matter what? Well the final question has been a big one, and producer Chris Miller has responded. Beyond the Spider-Verse will not employ any generative AI.

IndieWire reported on May 30 that Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra told investors that the studio was “looking at ways to produce both films for theaters and television in a more efficient way, using AI primarily.” Obviously, this made people scared, especially for movies like the third Spider-Verse. Those movies, which have gorgeous visuals, are difficult to make. Would this mean Sony would push to use generative AI for “efficiency” sake? Chris Miller had something to say about this, which we first saw on Gamespot.

Miller responded on Twitter: “There is no generative AI in Beyond the Spider-Verse and there never will be. One of the main goals of the films is to create new visual styles that have never been seen in a studio CG film, not steal the generic plagiarized average of other artists’ work.”

It’s worth noting that the Spider-Verse movies have used AI programs, but not generative AI. They instead incorporated ethical and smart-use machine learning to eliminate repetitive tasks and help the artists better adhere to 3D geometry.

Per the effects supervisor Pav Grochola, “We determined that in order to speed up artists’ productivity over the course of the project, we would utilize machine learning to help our animators get an initial predicted result that would give them a reasonable first pass of creating ink lines on the characters.”

We’re not going to see an end to the AI debate in film and TV for some time. As a tool, machine learning can help artists achieve the desired result more quickly. But generative AI undermines the work of hundreds of real humans, not to mention all the people whose work the machine samples. And so far at least, people can tell the difference.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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We are patiently waiting for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to make its way to theaters. The conclusion of the previous film left us in one hell of a lurch with Miles stuck in the wrong universe and Gwen rounding up a crew to go save him. We still don’t have a date for that yet, but we do have something great to tide us over. The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story is an official short film that shows Miles grappling with anxiety and the pressures of being a teenager—which is hard, tbh—alongside his role as Brooklyn’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. This Spider-Verse short will tug at the heartstrings and also make you want to donate to a good cause. 

The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story short clocks in at just over five minutes, but it indeed shows us an important part of Miles Morales’ journey. The Spider Within appears to take place before the events of Across the Spider-Verse. We see Miles walking home with a million thoughts racing through his mind. Not only does he have school work on his mind, he’s also grappling with the pressures of meeting his parents’ expectations. Oh, and let’s not forget that he is literally Spider-Man. There’s a lot of anxiety and unsavory moments that come with that title.

After briefly talking to his dad in the Spider-Verse short, Miles retreats to his room. He tries to listen to music, but it doesn’t help ease his thoughts. He confronts a yellow-eyed and shadowy version of himself, which becomes bigger and more frightening as he tries to fight it. Poor Miles goes through a scary bit where he feels like spiders are consuming him before he comes back to a stasis point. He decides to confide in his father, admitting that there’s a lot on his mind. It’s a nice conclusion for The Spider Within.

This Spider-Verse short film tackles mental health in a way that is both in line with this fantasy world but also extremely relatable to many of us. And, it is meant to support a good cause. Sony Pictures Animation teamed up with the Kevin Love Fund and its “The Hero Within” initiative for The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story. The Kevin Love Fun was established by NBA player Kevin Love after he revealed his own mental health challenges to the world. Here’s a quick description of the organization:

Kevin established the Kevin Love Fund (KLF) to inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing tools for both mental and physical health. Through a unique combination of education, research, grantmaking, and advocacy, KLF is breaking the stigma around mental health and ensuring people who are suffering have the support needed to thrive.

The Spider-Verse short film will be incorporated into the latter organization’s new mental health-focused lesson plan, called “The Hero Within.” This lesson plan “invites students to tell their own story through the lens of mental health awareness via an interactive curriculum including a creative storyboard activity.”

To learn more about the Kevin Love Fund’s initiatives and programs, visit its website. And if you need to reach out for a conversation or seek professional help, don’t hesitate to do so. We are all experiencing something, whether we are superheroes or ordinary people.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264).

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse blew everyone away in 2018, introducing mainstream audiences to Spider-Man Miles Morales, as well as a host of multiversal variants of everyone’s favorite wall-crawler. The film was a hit at the box office, and won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Now, after several delays, the first of two sequels has finally arrived in theaters, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. A third film, Beyond the Spider-Verse, arrives in 2024.

And for fans heading to theaters, the multiverse is that much more real. A few eagle-eyed viewers have spotted slight differences in scenes across theatrical viewings. And recently, Spider-Verse editor Andy Leviton confirmed that there are at least two versions of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swinging through our reality. Neat!

Although we don’t know with certainty how many differences or even versions exist, you can take a look at the above video for a rundown of the differences that exist.

Keep your eyes out for more! Here is everything we know about the first, long-awaited continuation of Miles Morales’ adventures across the multiverse.

Title

The title for the first sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s Plot

In this movie, Miles Morales will reunite with his friends Spider-Gwen and Peter B. Parker, and also team up with Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Punk, and the original Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew. Whatever multi-dimensional shenanigans the story entails will see multiple animation styles at play. The villain is an often mocked villain from the comics, called the Spot. But for the film, they have given the Spot a power upgrade. Now he has abilities that allow for him to create portals to other realms of the multiverse. Early toy reveals for also show that Ben Reilly, the so-called “Spider-Clone” from the ’90s, as well as a Cyborg Spider-Woman also feature in the plot.

Of course, we will also see many new Spider-Man variants in Across the Spider-Verse and per a recent article on Empire, five new worlds in total. According to the article, there’s Spider-Gwen’s Earth-65, which is done in watercolors. Additionally, we’ll visit Mumbattan, an India-inspired world, Nueva York where Spider-Man 2099 lives, and New London, the world of Spider-Punk. There’s one more universe besides all of those, but that’s a secret for now. Or is it the mysterious LEGO world?

Jake Johnson, who voices Peter B. Parker, added one more to the pile. He teased a LEGO universe would be a part of the movie. Johnson offered, “Everything in this movie, the animation is so wild. It’s pushing so many boundaries that at times I’m like, ‘what are they doing now?’ Like the Lego world was really neat, remember where it jumps into a LEGO universe for a little bit? And I’m like, ‘man, what is happening?'” Will this LEGO Spider-Verse location be central to the movie or just a passing place we’ll visit? Only time will tell.

At CinemaCon 2023, we learned that Across the Spider-Verse begins more than a year after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It seems like Gwen and Miles have been apart for that time. And, according to Slash Film, Gwen has been involved in some multiversal adventures, having joined a society comprised of Spider-People. Reports indicate that the society works to prevent universes from collapsing.

Additionally, the main theme of the movie appears to be: “It’s how you wear the mask that really makes you a hero.”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s Cast

Across the Spider-Verse will see many returning cast members from the first film, like Shameik Moore (Miles Morales), Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacy), Jake Johnson (Peter B. Parker), Oscar Isaac (Spider-Man 2099), Brian Tyree Henry (Jefferson Davis), Luna Lauren Vélez (Rio Morales), Issa Rae (Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), Jason Schwartzman (the Spot), and Daniel Kaluuya (Spider-Punk). Shea Whigham is also part of the cast, as police captain George Stacy, Gwen’s father. Jorma Taccone plays the Vulture, as a secondary villain. Additionally, according to the co-director of the movie, Joaquim Dos Santos, Scarlet Spider will appear and be voiced by a mysterious and notable celebrity. And it turns out, that celebrity is none other than Andy Samberg—an exciting reveal.

pic.twitter.com/qY51GisX1f

— Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (@SpiderVerse) May 29, 2023

Recently, we learned that Deadpool franchise actor Karan Soni would join Across the Spider-Verse as Pavitr Prabhakar or Spider-Man India. This is an exciting addition to an already incredible cast.

There’s no official word yet if we’ll see cameos from some characters from Into the Spider-Verse not officially listed in the cast for the sequel. As far as the official cast listing, there’s no indication that variants like Peter Porker will appear again. But it would not surprise us to see some of them. It would also not shock us to see and hear animated versions of the live-action Spider-Mans like Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire, although none of them are confirmed.

A Spider-Man we won’t see returning, though is Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir. Here’s what Cage had to say about Spider-Man Noir’s presence in Across the Spider-Verse.

You’d have to ask Sony. I don’t know what’s going on with that… No one’s spoken to me about that. Ask them. I don’t know. I really don’t. I wish they would. I love Spider-Man Noir, too. I think that’s a great character. Spider-Man’s the coolest superhero. And then you combine that with [James] Cagney and [Humphrey] Bogart and Edward G. Robinson, come on, it’s a great character.

That’s one Spider-Man variant we’re sad to see go.

Behind the Scenes

Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, in their feature directorial debuts. The script comes from the original film’s writing team of Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham. Like the first film, this one is a Sony Pictures Animation production, and Marvel Studios had no involvement.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s Release Date

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters on June 2, 2023. 

Originally published in 2022.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and to a lesser extent Spider-Man: No Way Home, have both exploded the Spider-Man mythos in wild new directions. Nothing is off the table now when it comes to Spidey movies. So we think Sony and Marvel should start thinking outside the box. There are plenty of weird, off-the-wall Spider-Man tales that would make for amazing films, in both animation and live-action. Here are some wild chapters from Spider-Man’s comic book history that just might work (or be hot messes). But we’d love to see them try!

The Six-Armed Spider-Man

One of the earliest of the “weird” Spider-Man stories came in Amazing Spider-Man #101-102, in a Stan Lee-written tale where Peter Parker decided to take a serum to remove his powers, which caused him so much grief over the years. Instead, they cause him to mutate into a more spider-like being with six arms. While this story only lasted two issues, it was adapted into a memorable episode of the ’90s Spider-Man cartoon. And there are some wild What If…? stories where Six-Armed Spider-Man is actually proven to be better, and even defeats Thanos! All because he had a few more extra limbs. We dare you to make that movie, Sony and Marvel.

The Superior Spider-Man (Doc Ock Spidey)

For over a year in the comics, Peter Parker was dead. Not in body, just in mind. And his mortal enemy Doctor Octopus took over his physical form and retained his memories. And after experiencing all the pain and sacrifice Peter went through, he had an epiphany and became a hero. He was still an arrogant jerk, however, declaring himself the “Superior Spider-Man.” But in some ways, he really did a better job at being Peter Parker than the real Peter Parker, even creating a huge business empire, Parker Industries. Superior Spidey briefly popped up in Across the Spider-Verse, but he deserves his own movie.

Spider-Man and the X-Men

In the Marvel universe, the X-Men are mutants, and Spider-Man, famously, is not. He got his powers from that infamous spider bite, and doesn’t have an X-gene. But in the Spider-Man and the X-Men limited series, Wolverine asks Peter Parker, who recently taught at Midtown High, to teach ethics at the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters (the renamed Xavier School). While there, he investigates a traitor at the school, and has to deal with super-powered students who don’t have much respect for their teacher, Mr. Spider-Man. Corporate logistics might make this one impossible, but what a fun animated film this would make.

Spider-Island

In the two Spider-Verse films, as well as in No Way Home, we’ve learned that there are an infinite number of variants of Spider-Man across the Multiverse. But what if everyone on the island of Manhattan suddenly got spider powers too in just one reality? That’s the premise of Spider-Island, a 2011 storyline that had Peter Parker suddenly dealing with a New York where everyone has his spider powers, but not his moral compass. This one is probably too wild for live-action, but it would make for an incredible animated Spider-Man movie.

Spider-Man vs. Dracula

When you think of Spider-Man, you don’t usually think of gothic monsters like vampires (Morbius notwithstanding). Dracula seems like a more natural enemy for someone like Batman. But back in 1974, in Giant-Size Spider-Man vs Dracula, Peter Parker took on the Lord of the Vampires himself. Well, except he really didn’t? In that comic, written by the great Len Wein, the two never even fight. They just happen to be on the same ship at sea for reasons. Luckily, in more recent times, in the YA book Ultimate Spider-Man: Spider-Man vs. Dracula, he really fights the legendary bloodsucker and his undead armies with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. We say adapt that one and forget the original.

The Spectacular Spider-Ma’am

Why have a Spider-Man, when you can have a Spider-Ma’am? Yes folks, there is a Spectacular Spider-Ma’am, and she is Aunt May herself. In an issue of What If…? from 1980, Spider-Ma’am was introduced in a story where her nephew Peter forgot his lunch at home. So May rushed to the science demonstration field trip to give to him, and she was bitten by that pesky radioactive spider instead. She made a costume and set out to do stunts to support her family, but ended up fighting the villain Leap-Frog. We can’t tell you how down we’d be for this as a movie. An Aunt May movie was once seriously discussed. This is the only one we want to see.

Cosmic Spider-Man

What if Spider-Man was a cosmic god? That’s not a What If…? story; for a time, that actually happened in the pages of Marvel Comics’ main continuity. For a brief few issues, Peter Parker gained the might of the so-called “Uni-Power,” and became Captain Universe. When a professor at Empire University had a machine in his lab overload and unleash the mysterious Enigma Force, it surged through Peter Parker’s body, giving him the cosmic Uni-Powers. Man, what are the odds of being in two lab accidents that give you super powers? As the new host for this ultimate power, he became Cosmic Spider-Man. It didn’t last long, as the power left him for a new host. But a movie where Spidey gets suddenly as strong as Galactus? Sign us up.

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One of the scene-stealing Spider-people in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was Spider-Punk, voiced by Daniel Kaluuya (in his second Marvel role after Black Panther). While characters like Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man 2099 are Spider-People who have had many series of their own to their name, Spider-Punk is a more recent Spider-Man creation with a much shorter comic book resume. But he has had quite the journey so far, even before ever hitting it on the big screen. Here’s the Marvel Comics history of Hobart “Hobie” Brown, also known as the Spider-Punk.

In terms of the many spider folk we saw in Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Punk is among the newer Spider-Man variants we meet. He first appeared in 2015—in the Marvel Comics event Spider-Verse. This, of course, inspired the first Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film. Created by longtime Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott, he was originally designed by artist Olivier Coipel to be the Spider-Man of the UK. But Slott changed his mind, as he felt the UK deserved a Spider-Man that was more than just a tribute to ’70s punk rock icons the Sex Pistols. But he loved the design, so the character was reimagined, and thus was born Marvel Comics’ Spider-Punk. 

The Origin of Spider-Punk, the Spider-Man of Earth-138

Unlike Peter Parker, Hobart Brown was living on the street as an unhoused youth on Earth-138. But as was often the case for his multiversal spider brethren, a spider bit him. This one mutated as part of President Norman Osborn’s toxic waste dumping. He gained powers that were identical to the 616 universe’s Peter Parker. A punk kid or not, Hobart was still a gifted scientist and invented his web shooters. But none of this stopped him from playing the guitar and being in a punk band. Thereby making him officially cooler than 616 teenage Peter Parker.

Becoming a punk rock-inspired Spider-Man, Spider-Punk led the subjugated citizens of New York against Osborn’s V.E.N.O.M. troops. While Peter Parker and Miles Morales had a strict anti-killing code, Spider-Punk was understandably a bit harder-edged. Although he, too, had a soft spot for his universe’s Gwen Stacy, “until she croaked,” he often said. Spider-Punk killed the Norman Osborn of his Earth during a riot by repeatedly bashing him with his guitar. (Dang, Spidey). Once Osborn died, this world’s Spider-Man unmasked himself to the rioting crowd, who now viewed Spider-Punk as a revolutionary icon.

Joining His Fellow Web Warriors

During the Marvel Spider-Verse comic book event, Spider-Punk was recruited by Superior Spider-Man, who was Doc Ock in Peter Parker’s body, to join an army of arachnid heroes. Hobie became a part of the so-called Web Warriors in big spider-hero-centric events like Spider-Verse and, later, in Spider-Geddon. And he quickly rose to the pack of most prominent Spider-Man variants among the group. Not an easy task, when we’re talking about dozens, if not hundreds, of webslingers. Spider-Punk even fought notorious Marvel villains like Red Skull and even Kang and lived to tell the tale.

Spider-Punk in His Own Series at Last

Finally, in 2022, Spider-Punk got his own mini-series, Spider-Punk: Battled of the Banned, from writer Cody Ziglar and artist Justin Mason. In the recent Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series, Spider-Punk made his first non-comic book Marvel appearance. They gave him a cockney accent, despite the fact that the comic character was from New York City. That new character detail stuck, and the Daniel Kaluuya version of Spider-Punk we meet in Across the Spider-Verse is a Brit as well. Despite the odds, the original conception of the character as a citizen of the U.K. won out in the end.

Spider-Punk in Across the Spider-Verse

In Across the Spider-Verse, Hobie was one of the spider heroes that befriends Gwen Stacy, and forms a bond with her. She even stays with him sometimes on Earth-138B. Although technically a part of the Spider-Society, Hobie, being a bit of an anarchist, plays by his own rules. So when Miguel O’Hara declares that Miles Morales must be contained before saving his father, possibly disrupting reality, Hobie eventually sides with Miles. At the end of the film, we see him as part of the team recruited to help Miles escape from Earth-42. With Hobie no doubt getting even more exposure in Beyond the Spider-Verse, we expect Spider-Punk to become as prominent as the other Marvel Spider-People in the mainstream very soon.

Originally published June 1, 2023

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The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer is chock-full of cameos from arachnid heroes from across the multiverse. Spider-Man 2099 joins Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy this time, as does Spider-Woman and Spider-Punk, who you can see in the production art below. But who else did we spot in the new trailer? Quite a few. Here are just some of the Spider-Man variants and variations that stuck out to us in the most recent Across the Spider-Verse trailer and marketing.

The PS4 Spider-Man Variant Joins the Spider-Verse

We saw the distinctive red, white, and blue Spider-Man costume from the Insomniac PS4 game in the trailer, making the game a canonical part of the Spider-Verse. It’s not just the MCU where “it’s all connected” these days. Our own spidey-sense told us this very popular variant of Peter Parker would show up, and it seems we were not wrong.

Spider-Cop, at your service

At first, we thought he was a gag made just for the movie; a “Spider-Cop” directing traffic in the multiversal hub. But no, there was a Spider-Cop in the comics once. Not that long ago, in fact. The NYPD’s Spider-Cop debuted in 2018’s Spider-Geddon #4 and 5.

The Amazing Spider-Clones

There have been several notable “Spider-Clones” over the years. The most famous of these was Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider. But there wasn’t just him. There was Kaine, Ultimate Spider-Woman, and the Spider-Girl who was April Parker, yet another Peter clone. The last two with their Y chromosome taken out, of course. We see what appears to be all of these genetic copies in the trailer.

Spider-Man Unlimited‘s Distinctive Spidey Costume Appears

Although not as beloved as the 1994-97 Spider-Man: The Animated Series, the follow-up cartoon, 1999’s Spider-Man: Unlimited, does have its fans. It’s a weird show, where Peter Parker wore a nanotech suit designed by Reed Richards, and had adventures on the High Evolutionary’s Counter-Earth, populated by human/animal hybrids (and which will appear in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3). The show was very short-lived, but we spotted the distinctive costume swinging around in the trailer. We can’t wait to see more of this new Spider-Man variant in Across the Spider-Verse.

Flash Thompson, Spider-Jock.

The beefy Spidey we saw walking around in the letterman’s jacket? We’re pretty sure he’s a nod to “Captain Spider,” a version of Spider-Man who was Peter’s high school tormentor, Flash Thompson. He first appeared in What if? #7, way back in 1977.

Spider-Girl (May “Mayday” Parker) Joins the Spider-Verse World

In the MC2 universe, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson married and had a daughter. Young May “Mayday” Parker inherited her dad’s powers and embarked on a heroic career as the amazing Spider-Girl. We’re pretty sure we saw someone wearing her signature web shooters and costume in the trailer. We definitely saw Peter B. Parker with a baby (art below), which confirms the infant version of Mayday.

It seems we might eve get two versions of Peter’s ginger kiddo. But, hey, two Across the Spider-Verse baby Spider-Man variants? Sign us up.

Lady Spider Is One of the Spider-People in the Trailer

Hailing from Earth-803, Maybelle Reilly (a young version of Peter’s Aunt May) is a kind of steampunk arachnid hero Spider-Man variant. She doesn’t have spider-powers, but instead built web-shooters and mechanical spider arms in a perpetual Industrial Revolution-style world. She debuted in the first issue of the Spider-Verse comic series back in 2014 and became a member of the Web Warriors. Given the Spider-Man films’ tendencies to age Aunt May younger and younger, having Lady Spider pop up as a new variant in Across the Spider-Verse makes sense.

Superior Spider-Man a.k.a the Doc Ock Variant Joins Spider-Verse

Although we only see a glimpse of his costume, we spotted the unmistakable color scheme of the Superior Spider-Man. For a year or so, Peter Parker’s old foe, Doc Ock, took control of his body. But when Dr. Octopus had access to his mind, he gained access to his memories. Changed by the knowledge of Peter’s heroism, he became the Superior Spider-Man. He was still a total jerk, though.

Spinneret and Spiderling Are a Spider-Family in Spider-Verse

In yet another universe from the pages of Marvel Comics, Peter and MJ married and had a different child. But this version of Mary Jane had spider-powers, gained through a suit that siphoned some of her husband’s abilities, and she went by the name Spinneret. Her daughter, Anna May “Annie” Parker, inherited her parent’s powers and became Spiderling. You can clearly see these two Spider-Man variants walking together in the new Across the Spider-Verse trailer.

’90s Silver Armor Spider-Man Variant Briefly Appears

In the early ’90s, everyone in comics had a moment where they needed armor. Even Superman, for some reason. Keeping with the trends of the day, Spidey had a suit of silver and black armor, that although short-lived, lived on as many an action figure. We’re pretty sure we saw ’90s armored Spidey in the mix as one of the new Across the Spider-Verse Spider-People.

Mangaverse Spider-Man Joins the Spider-Verse Variants

In the early 2000s, Marvel created manga versions of their iconic heroes, Naturally, one was “manga Spider-Man.” This version of Peter Parker, hailing from Earth-2301, was a member of the ninja warriors known as the Spider Clan. His Sensei, Ben Parker, trained him in their ways. He became the last member of the Spider Clan after Venom kills Ben under orders from the Kingpin. We spotted the Mangaverse Spider-Man variant walking alone in the Spider-Verse trailer.

2003 Animated Series Spider-Man Gets New Life

Another often dismissed Spidey came from the 2003 MTV Spider-Man animated series. Many folks have probably forgotten about this Spider-Man cartoon. His costume is pretty classic, so it’s hard to tell him apart from the classic Spider-Man look. But the physicality of one of the Spider-People we saw in the Across the Spider-Verse trailer suggests to us it’s that very same Peter Parker variant.

Flipside Is Spider-Man 2099’s Foe

Flipside was an android who could mimic the powers of anyone it came in contact with (kind of like DC Comics’ Amazo). In the future, he copied Spider-Man 2099’s powers and became a thorn in his side. We’re pretty sure we saw him wandering around in the Across the Spider-Verse trailer. And with Spider-Man 2099 playing a big role in the movie, we’re even more convinced Flipside will appear.

The Spidey Who Howls at the Moon

Yes, Peter Parker has more than one animal inside him. That’s a werewolf version of Spider-Man we see among the others. This furry and fanged Spidey hails from the Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness comics. We don’t think Ash will fight him in the movie though. Just a guess.

Spider-Man MK II “Bulletproof” Armor Variant Exists in the Spider-Verse

Back in 2011, Peter Parker lost his spider-sense, which is what enabled him to dodge bullets the way he does. So he concocted a black and gold “bulletproof” armor, similar to Tony Stark’s. Although the technical name for it was the Spider-Armor MK II. We see a new Spider-Man variant wearing that very armor in the Spider-Verse trailer, sitting down and chillin’ with another Spidey.

Anya Corazón (Spider-Girl, Araña) Is One of Spider-Verse’s New Spider-People

Going by the names Araña (Spanish for spider) and Spider-Girl both, Anya Corazón was a Mexican Puerto Rican teen living in New York, who got spider powers when a group called the Spider Society performed a ritual on her. This happened when the Society gave Anya a mystical spider tattoo. She’s been a fairly regular part of the Spider-family ever since, and one can see her distinctive black and white costume in the trailer. We’re really excited to see this one of Spider-Man’s variants come to life in the Spider-Verse.

The Bombastic Bagman Is Our Favorite New Spider-Verse Variant

“The Bombastic Bagman” was the name Peter Parker jokingly took when his costume was damaged. So as to not swing around New York City naked, he borrowed a Fantastic Four costume from their HQ and put a brown paper bag over his head. Sadly, Sony does not have the rights to the Fantastic Four, so they obscured the FF logo on Bagman’s chest. But we love that this Spider-Man variant made the Spider-Verse cut anyway.

Earth X Spider-Man Creator Hints at Spider-Verse Variant

Earth-X was another multiversal comics story from the 2000s, that saw a version of Peter Parker that retired after a series of tragedies. Could the familiar-feeling Spider-Man variant we saw in the trailer be the one from Alex Ross’ series? Alex Ross seems to think so.

Spider-Man: India‘s Spidey Variant Arrives in Style

Another Spidey from the comics who got a total redesign for Across the Spider-Verse is the Spider-Man from India. Pavitr Prabhakar definitely got a costume upgrade, as seen in this production art. We dig it.

New Spider-Man Suits and People on Across the Spider-Verse‘s Poster

The newly released Across the Spider-Verse posters feature even more new spider-folk not seen in the trailer. And a few that are very exciting to longtime fans.

Spider-Woman II (Julia Carpenter) Appears as a Spider-Verse Variant

Yes, Jessica Drew is in this film. But she’s not the only Spider-Woman. The new poster clearly shows Spider-Woman II, Julia Carpenter, is also a part of the Spider-Verse. She is also sometimes known as Madame Web.

Spider-Cat (Earth-999) Is a Spider-Person in Spirit

First appearing in 2011’s Spider-Island crossover event, yes folks, that is your friendly neighborhood Spider-Cat from Earth-999. Who can say no to a cat who is also one of the Spider-People?

Web-Slinger (Cowboy Spider-Man) Rides into the Spider-Verse

Right below Spidey-Cat on the Across the Spider-Verse poster is Web-Slinger, the cowboy Spidey from the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series on Disney XD.

“Ends of the Earth” Armor Spider-Man Has Suited Up as a Spider-Verse Variant

In the 2012 comics storyline “Ends of the Earth,” Peter Parker used Horizon Labs’ vast resources to create a special armor to fight the Sinister Six. You can see the MKIII armor in the poster as well.

Spectacular Spider-Man Peter Parker Swoops Into Action

In the bottom right of the international Spider-Verse poster is the Peter Parker from the 2008-2009 Spectacular Spider-Man animated series. That show has quite a following, so many fans will be pleased.

Spider-Byte (Earth 22191) Has Been Downloaded into the Spider-Verse

The computerized, TRON-looking character to the left of Spider-Punk is Spider-Byte, who first appeared in 2018’s Vault of Spiders. This particular Spider-Person helps to fight cybercrime.

Sun-Spider (Earth 20023) Joins the Fun as a Spider-Verse Variant

The spider-person with the backward baseball cap on? That’s Sun-Spider, a hero whose real name is Charlotte Webber (yes, really). She’s a recent creation, appearing in the 2019 Spider-Verse comics

Spider-Carnage Bears His Teeth

This vampire-lookin’ Spidey in the Across the Spider-Verse poster is probably Spider-Carnage. Although we supposed there’s an outside chance that it’s vampire Spider-Man. Spider-Carnage is a meld of a Spider-Man and the symbiote Carnage. He seeks the destruction of reality.

Spyder-Knight

His outfit might be slightly different, but the medieval knight Spider-Man is called “Spyder-Knight,” and first popped in a 2015 episode of Ultimate Spider-Man. We’re guessing the “Y” in “Spyder” sounds more old-timey? This Peter Parker hails from Arthurian times, and the wizard Merlyn was his mentor. We see him clearly in the Spider-Verse international poster. He’s nestled right between PS4 Peter and Spinneret.

All the Spider-Man Variants in Across the Spider-Verse

Of course, we expect many more surprise Across the Spider-Verse Spider-people before it’s all said and done. Maybe we could even see Tom, Tobey, and Andrew variants appear in the Spider-Verse? As long as the ’70s Japanese Spider-Man shows up, we’ll be happy.

The movie has even challenged us to pair some mysterious symbols with their appropriate Spider-People variants.

Can you do that after reading this article?

Originally published December 13, 2022.

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The Sony Spider-Man universe is expanding, this time into streaming. Announced via Deadline, it appears that the character of Silk, long rumored for a series of her own, is finally coming to live-action. Silk: Spider-Society will focus on Cindy Moon, a.k.a. Silk, a young woman who was also bit by the same enhanced spider that Peter Parker was. The new series will air first on MGM+, the linear network formerly known as Epix. It will then stream on Prime Video.

The showrunner for Silk will be The Walking Dead’s Angela Kang. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller will executive produce, along with Spider-Man franchise producer Amy Pascal. In a statement, Sony Pictures Television president Katherine Pope said “We can’t wait to bring the adventures of Cindy Moon to life, thanks to the creative dream team of Chris and Phil, Angela and Amy, along with our partners at Marvel and Amazon.”

Created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, Silk was first introduced relatively recently, in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man #1. A Korean-America high school student, who attended the same school Peter Parker did, she was on the same field trip where Peter had his fateful encounter with the radioactive spider. But after it bit Peter, it then bit Cindy, giving her similar powers. However, she had organic webbing, which Peter did not. She kept her powers secret for years, finally emerging years after Peter became Spider-Man. She eventually becomes part of the larger Spider-family of heroes, along with other arachnid ladies like Jessica Drew and Julia Carpenter.

It’s unclear which universe the Silk series will take place in. Given that this is going to Amazon Prime and not Disney+, we think we can scratch the MCU off the list. But Silk could exist in the universe of Andrew Garfield’s Spidey. Or maybe even Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, given that Silk has organic web-shooters as his Peter Parker does. We’ll find out when Silk: Spider-Society makes its debut, probably sometime in 2024.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the Into the Spider-Verse sequel, will hit theaters on June 2, 2023. And it will double down on the many multiversal variants of Spider-Man we already saw in Into the Spider-Verse. We already know some of the Spider-Man variants we’ll see in the upcoming animated movie. We have Spider-Woman, a.k.a. Jessica Drew, Spider-Man 2099, and even Spider-Punk, a.k.a. Hobart “Hobie” Brown. Then we have the rumors, like the ones that say the live-action movie Spideys like Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire could also appear. Even the PS4 Spider-Man is rumored to show up in Across the Spider-Verse. So which Spider-Man variants might we see in Across the Spider-Verse? Let’s break it down. 

The TV Animated Spider-Man Variants That Could Show Up

If the live-action Spider-Mans pop up in Across the Spider-Verse, then the animated forerunners of Peter B. Parker deserve a chance to appear. Here are the ones we think deserve to swing in for at least a cameo appearance.

1960s Saturday Morning Spider-Man

The original 1967-1970 animated Spider-Man series made Peter Parker a household name to non-comics fans. The show made his theme song an iconic tune that everyone still knows today. He deserves recognition in the Spider-Verse. His voice actor, Paul Soles, sadly died in 2021. But a sound-alike could do the honors. We can call this guy “Boomer Spidey” and he sure would be a fun Spider-Man variant to see in Across the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

In the early ’80s, Spider-Man returned to Saturday morning cartoon dominance with a new show featuring the mutants Iceman and Firestar. Together with their Lhasa Apso dog, Ms. Lion (yes, really), they teamed up with other Marvel heroes and saved New York City from their high-tech HQ in Aunt May’s house. This is “Gen X Spidey,” and Peter and his pals need to represent in the Spider-Verse. This show’s Peter Parker, voice actor Dan Gilvezan, is still working, so he should definitely reprise the role.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series‘ Peter Parker

At the same time Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series blew up on Fox Kids, Spider-Man became a weekday afternoon hit. More than any other cartoon before it, the ’90s Spidey was pretty faithful to the comics. Christopher Daniel Barnes was the Spider-Man for Millennial kids, and we feel he’s definitely going to have to show up. Maybe this Spider-Man variant could spin his webs on some obviously early-CGI skyscrapers in Across the Spider-Verse. 

The Spectacular Spider-Man

One of the more recent animated Spideys to win the hearts of kids (and more than a few adults) was The Spectacular Spider-Man. This wallcrawler for the Gen Z-ers aired from 2008-2009, only for a brief two seasons. But it still has quite a following to this day, and fans would lose it seeing this version of Peter meet his Spider-Man variants on screen. 

Japanese Spider-Man, Earth-51778 (Confirmed)

Marvel Comics

Until a recent episode of Marvel’s 616 on Disney+, many fans had no idea about the existence of the Japanese Spider-Man. This version starred in his own TV series in Japan from 1978-79. Although Japanese Spidey might look totally familiar, he is a completely different character from Peter Parker. Because his show premiered on May 17, 1978, his Earth is designated as “Earth-51778.”

In the series, Spider-Man was Takuya Yamashiro, a young motocross racer who gains powers from an alien ship from Planet Spider. Not only does he gain the traditional Spider-Man powers, but he also can transform his spaceship into a giant robot. All of these things are cooler than Aunt May already. Yamashiro appeared in the Spider-Verse comics event, so we say put him in an animated film next. And it seems Across the Spider-Verse producer Phil Lord has already confirmed he’s in it.

The Marvel Comics Spider-Man Variants That Could Show Up

“The Spider” (Earth-311)

Marvel Comics

DC Comics works like Sandman helped make fantasy author Neil Gaiman famous in comics. But for Marvel, he wrote two prominent series: The Eternals and Marvel: 1602. As the title suggests, this took place on an alternate Earth where Marvel’s heroes lived in the Elizabethan era. One of those heroes was Peter Parquagh, the apprentice and assistant of one Sir Nicholas Fury. He eventually gets powers and becomes “the Spider.” The Spider-Verse sequel could have a blast with a Spider-Man in an Elizabethan ruff speaking in Shakespearean soliloquies. Someone call Sir Patrick Stewart to play this Spider-Man variant.

The Superior Spider-Man (Earth-616)

Marvel Comics

A few years ago, Peter Parker seemingly died. But one of his great foes, Dr. Otto Octavius, took over his body. The arrogant scientist decided to become a hero after experiencing the dying Peter’s memories, but he was still an insufferable jerk. To the world at large, he was still Peter Parker, now the CEO of Parker Industries. Otto just couldn’t understand why, with his genius, Peter Parker wasn’t rich. So, he very quickly made him rich. This arrogant jerk of a “superior” Spider-Man would certainly be a scene-stealer on screen.

Spider-Clan Spider-Man/”Manga Spider-Man” (Earth-2301)

Marvel Comics

In the early 2000s, Marvel experimented with manga versions of their iconic heroes. One of these was naturally a “manga Spider-Man.” This version of Peter Parker, hailing from Earth-2301, was a member of the ninja warriors known as the Spider Clan. He was trained in their ways by his Sensei, Ben Parker. He became the last member of the Spider Clan after Venom kills Ben under orders from the Kingpin. A Spider-Man variant with all the powers of regular Spidey and with ninja training? Sign us up.

Cosmic Spider-Man (Earth-91110)

Marvel Comics

Everyone always talks about how the X-Men’s Jean Grey got a huge cosmic power upgrade and became Phoenix. But did you know something similar happened to Peter Parker once too? Yes, in the late ’80s, Peter Parker bonded with a potent mystical cosmic force known as the Uni-power, or the Enigma Force.  The “Captain Universe” power gave Peter immeasurable strength, energy manipulation abilities, transmutation, and molecular control. He even had near-omniscience. Cosmic Spidey was short-lived, but a version of a Cosmic Spider-Man who never lost these powers still resides on Earth-91110. We’d love to see this all-powerful Spider-Man variant in Across the Spider-Verse.

Six-Armed Spider-Man (Earth-92100)

Marvel Comics

Okay, so this wasn’t originally an alternate Earth Spider-Man. This actually happened to our Peter Parker in the ’70s comics. Back in the day, Peter Parker grew an additional four arms, after injecting a chemical he hoped would take away his powers. In the regular 616 universe, his six-armed Spider-Man status is reversed, thanks to Dr. Curt Connors and the DNA of Morbius the Living Vampire. On Earth-92100 however, this reversal never happens. And Spider-Man retains eight limbs. We’d love to see this ridiculous-looking Spidey pop up at least once in Across the Spider-Verse.

The Scarlet Spider, Earth 616 (Confirmed)

Marvel Comics

A toy release confirmed this Spider-Man variant for Across the Spider-Verse. Ben Reilly is as evocative of a certain period of ’90s comics as electric Superman and armored Batman. The highly controversial (but highly selling) “Clone Saga,” introduces Ben as the long-lost clone of Peter Parker. He had all of Peter’s memories, but forged a new life for himself under a new identity. Ben (naming himself after his beloved uncle) eventually became a superhero himself, known as the Scarlet Spider.

He even took over as Spider-Man for a while, letting Peter and Mary Jane lead a civilian life. Once the Clone Saga ran its course, Ben died. But of course, he eventually returned. He’s since become beloved by those who grew up with ’90s comics. The blond Peter Parker from Into the Spider-Verse was a nod to Ben Reilly. But we think Spider-Verse 2 may give us the proper Ben Reilly at last on screen. And recent early action figures released seem to confirm this Spider-Man variant will indeed appear in Across the Spider-Verse.

Originally published on June 10, 2021.

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was one of the greatest superhero films of all time. So naturally, we can’t wait to see Across the Spider-Verse and Beyond the Spider-Verse. Recently, rumors have been running rampant that the three big-screen live-action Spideys would appear in the two upcoming sequels. Along with other classic Spider-Mans from various cartoons and comics. And now, the digital effects experts at the Corridor YouTube channel have created an incredible version of what Tom Holland showing up in Miles Morales’ Spider-Verse might look like. You can watch the full video of Spider-Man: Everyone’s Home right here:

The Corridor Crew really outdid themselves with this video. The way in which Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, as well as Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s were rendered was just perfect. If they do show up in either of the upcoming Spider-Verse sequels, we certainly would not mind if they looked just like this.

Even the voice actor they got to portray Tom Holland’s Spidey sounded quite a bit like him in this Spider-Verse video. In a separate video, the Corridor crew detailed how they made this Spider-Verse fan film come to life, using A.I. And it’s nothing short of amazing. You can watch that one right here as well.

Of course, Marvel fans will recognize many of the other friendly neighborhood wallcrawlers who portal in, Avengers: Endgame style. Spider-Man from the classic ’90s animated series appears. Not to mention the Peter Parker from The Spectacular Spider-Man. PS4 Spidey is there too, as is the Spider-Man from the short-lived 2000s MTV series. Remember that one? That one seems like it’s forgotten today by most fans.

Maybe our favorite appearances were from two 1970s live-action Spideys, the one from the 1977 TV series, and the Japanese Spider-Man, a.k.a. ” Supaidāman.” They have confirmed the latter of those is showing up in the next film. We also got a kick out of seeing Hostess Snacks Spider-Man. (Yes, he was a real thing). For more amazing videos like these, be sure to check out the Corridor YouTube channel.

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Thanks to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the whole world is now aware that the Multiverse is chock-full of Spider-Man variants. Some are newer characters with Spider powers like Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, And then some are fairly wild variants of the OG Spidey, Peter Parker. Characters like Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Peter Porker. It’s a long list. But the latest Peter variant introduced in the comics is maybe the most head-scratching, and yet awesome, one yet. In the newest Marvel Comics mini-series, Edge of Spider-Verse, we’ll meet Peter Parker as a dinosaur—as a Tyrannosaurus rex in fact. Folks, get ready to meet Spider-Rex, the Spider-Man of Earth-66. Yes, it’s a dinosaur Spider-Man variant.

In a tweet, Marvel revealed an image of Spider-Rex from the first issue, battling what looks like the human Pterodactyl hybrid X-Men villain Sauron, who calls him “Pter Ptarker.” Does that mean his name is pronounced “Ter Tarker?? We’re not sure, but it’s pretty funny just the same. You can check out the image above, and read the official description for issue one of Edge of Spider-Verse #1 below.

THE END OF THE SPIDER-VERSE IS COMING! edge (‘ej) noun – 1. outermost limit of an object – 2. the sharp side of a blade. The leading edge of the Spider-Verse brought you Spider-Gwen and Peni Parker. This final edge will introduce you to some of the most important characters in the future of the Spider-Verse…but it will also slice the final strand of the web. IN THIS ISSUE: SPIDER-MAN NOIR! ARAÑA’S NEW STATUS QUO! SPIDER-REX AND MORE!

Since the DC Comics heroes recently dinosaur-ized themselves as the Jurassic League, it makes sense that Marvel is following suit. In fact, just in time for his comics debut, Spider-Rex is also getting his very own toy. Also coming this month is the Spider-Man Web Chompin’ Spider-Rex 16″ action figure, which is already available for pre-order. Look, this trend may seem silly to most grown-ups. But if there’s one thing kids love just as much as superheroes, it’s dinosaurs. It’s a shock no one has thought to combine them until recently.

Edge of Spider-Verse #1, written by Alex Segura, Dan Slott, and Karla Pacheco, and illustrated by Pere Perez, Caio Majado, and Martin Coccolo, is available now.

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The Sony Spider-Verse is continuing to expand, with news of Dakota Johnson’s possible casting as Marvel’s Madame Web. The film even has an official release date, July 7, 2023. Now, this news might lead even some Spider-Man’s biggest fans to wonder just who the heck this Madame Web even is. Is she good or evil? What kind of powers might Madame Web possess? And the answer is, there are actually two of them. One Madame Web was actually Spider-Woman for quite some time. And even a member of the Avengers. But what are the comic book histories of these two arachnid ladies? And how might a live-action Marvel movie appearance by Madam Web enhance the growing post-No Way Home live-action Spider-Verse?

Madame Web’s First Marvel Appearance as Cassandra Webb

Madame Web first appeared in 1981’s Amazing Spider-Man #210. In that first story, the original Madame Web, whose real name was Cassandra Webb, appeared as an elderly woman who helped Spider-Man through her clairvoyant visions. Born blind, Cassandra possessed telepathic, clairvoyant, and precognitive mutant powers. She suffered from a chronic neuromuscular disease, myasthenia gravis. This made it very hard for her to move and breathe on her own. So they connected her to a life support system, which looked like a giant spider’s web. In truth, it was a sophisticated contraption built by her late husband. This made for a very creepy, almost Tarot card-inspired image of her. In her original form, and in those to come, Madame Web is on the side of good. Although Madame Web does sound slightly sinister, the character is not a villain or evil.

Marvel realized that Madame Web was a cool character and name. But clearly, they didn’t how to center stories on a clairvoyant older lady. So, during the ’90s, the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, lured Madame Web into an arcane ritual known as “the Gathering of the Five.” During this ritual, she gained immortality. Not only that, but it restored her youth and cured her myasthenia gravis. During this time, Cassandra Webb acts as the mentor figure to the third Spider-Woman, Mattie Franklin. Mattie, however, gives up the title when the original Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, returns.

Cassandra Webb Passes Her Powers to Julia Carpenter, the New Madam Web

But the whole being young and immortal thing doesn’t last long. During the X-Men event called “Decimation,” 98% of mutants around the world lost their powers, thanks to the Scarlet Witch. Madame Web keeps her clairvoyant powers and abilities, perhaps as a result of the Gathering of the Five ritual. But she loses her youth and immortality. However, her myasthenia gravis seemed to stay gone. She returns to help Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-Man #600, and entangles herself in the battle between the wallcrawler and the family of Kraven the Hunter. Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman, now going by the name Arachne, was also involved in the fight. Sadly, Cassandra was killed in this battle, but not before giving a special gift to Julia Carpenter.

Julia Carpenter, the Forgotten Spider-Woman

So who is Julia Carpenter? Her origins go back to 1984’s epic Secret Wars mini-series. There, she’s introduced as a brand new hero, taking over the name Spider-Woman from the now-retired Jessica Drew. In Secret Wars, we learned that a secretive government organization called The Commission created their own superheroes, presumably to use as soldiers. They convinced single mother Julia Carpenter to be part of an “athletic study.” As an unknowing guinea pig, they subject her to their experiments. The Commission injected Julia with a mix of spider venom and exotic plant extracts, which gave Julia powers almost identical to those of Spider-Man’s.

Unlike Peter Parker, Julia’s webs were psionic in nature. She could spin them out of pure mental energy. Embarking on a superhero career, she joined various teams: First, the American government’s Freedom Force, then later, the West Coast Avengers. In the subsequent years, Julia lost her energy powers and then gained them back, more than once. During her non-powered eras, she focused on raising her young daughter Rachel. When the original Spider-Woman returned, she changed her heroic name to Arachne, and helped Spidey out on several cases. It was during the previously mentioned battle with Kraven the Hunter’s heirs that the original Madame Web died, passing her powers, and her blindness, to Julia.

Julia Carpenter Becomes Marvel’s Madame Web 2.0

It was during this time that Spider-Man and his allies, including Julia, learn about the Great Web. Also called “The Web of Life and Destiny,” the Great Web is a three-dimensional construct in a five-dimensional space which acts as a model of Marvel’s entire Multiverse. It is what enables certain individuals to travel from one reality to the other. Spider-Man, the Spider-Women, Madame Web, and other arachnid-powered characters from across the Multiverse ultimately draw upon the Web of Life to access their spider-powers. And both women named Madame Web have a unique power. They have a connection to this Great Web, perceiving things that Spider-Man and others cannot.

So what does this mean for Madame Web’s big-screen appearance? Given her age, we bet that Dakota Johnson will play Julia Carpenter’s Madame Web, and not Cassandra Webb. It’s possible we see Cassandra as the original Madame Web, who passes on her formidable powers to Julia, who may or may not be a superhero already in whatever universe they set this film in. But given the introduction of the Spider-Verse in No Way Home, we could see the idea of the Web of Life introduced. (We should also note, Madame Web in the ’90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series had connections to the Multiverse too). Maybe, there needs to be a Madame Web to navigate this Great Web. Though some thought Madame Web may appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, we now know more about how she might come to life in a Marvel movie. We think Madame Web, a relatively minor (but powerful) hero, could become extremely important for Sony’s upcoming Spider-Verse plans. Perhaps Madame Web may even find her way to the MCU.

Originally published on February 4, 2022. 

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We can basically hear the sounds of the iconic Hercules song, “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” playing in the background of this new Venom: Let There Be Carnage deleted scene. There may be a lot going on in the world of the Spider-Verse right now. With Spider-Man: No Way Home releasing jam-packed trailers and rampant speculation surrounding the multiverse ramping up. We swear, No Way Home can’t fit one more villain. But I feel like this Symbrock deleted scene needs some attention.

Okay, so we wouldn’t call this Venom: Let There Be Carnage perfect. Big franchise movies have a bad history of enjoying a good titillation when it comes to queer relationships, but not committing to anything actual. And the fact that this is on the cutting room floor could speak either to a lack of or an actual understanding of that idea. But, when it comes down to it, the Venom franchise has definitely leaned into the odd couple of it all. In a way that feels good.

And there’s something about the phrasing which makes this scene feel actually genuine. Many times a scene like this would get soundly friend-zoned, but that doesn’t happen. Instead, Venom tells Eddie, “That’s the face of a man that’s in love.” Honestly, “in love” is a pretty strong word choice. On that’s pretty clear-cut. If it was just “You love me,” that would feel more wishy-washy. But “in love.” That’s something for Symbrock shippers to take to heart. I know I will.

Eddie can’t say it back yet. But these things take time. We learned that from Hercules if nothing else. Of course, technically Venom didn’t say it either. But, again, we’ll give them time. Happily, you can soon rewatch their whole relationship because Venom: Let There Be Carnage comes out on VOD on November 23.

In some ways, the actual scene the movie went with was even queerer than this one. Eddie and Venom hiding out in a hotel room, anyone? And, of course, it did feature some actually important happenings. Small things like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man appearing on-screen to bridge the worlds of Venom and the MCU. Just details, really. Small potatoes. But as important as all that was… I’m mentally inserting this Venom: Let There Be Carnage deleted scene into its rightful place in the movie.

Eddie, Venom, a beach, and a sunset. What more could you ask for? I guess just a mutual love declaration. We won’t hold our breath. But, the collective we (a.k.a. Symbrock shippers) would still like to see it happen. Maybe we can get that in Spider-Man: No Way Home when it releases in theaters on December 17…  Should Eddie and Venom appear.

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Things are about to get pretty wild in Peter Parker’s world. We know that the inclusion of Jamie Foxx as Electro and the addition of Doctor Strange to Spider-Man 3 indicates that the Multiverse is definitely in play. And with rumors of Spidey facing off against the Sinister Six, could this mean we are getting Spider-Man villains from across multiple iterations of the franchise as one team?

Marvel Comics

A Sinister Six not limited to the MCU versions of the Spider-Man villains just opened the doors to the most interesting iteration of the team we could ever get on the big screen. But who should make the cut? Yes, we know some of the below characters died in their respective movies. However, with the Multiverse in play, we don’t think that will matter. Here are our top picks for a cinematic Sinister Six with members from all across the Spider-Verse.

Green Goblin

Alex Ross

Widely thought of as Spider-Man’s greatest villain in the comics, he is the first one to face off with him on screen in Sam Raimi’s original film. Although Willem Dafoe was fantastic in the role of Norman Osborn, that on-screen Green Goblin costume left a lot to be desired. It’s maybe the worst and most dated thing about the original film. So maybe bring back Dafoe as Gobby, but give him an all-new look that’s worthy of his portrayal. Artist Alex Ross created some great concept art for what the Goblin could have looked like back in the day, so we just say use those. Just no more Power Rangers Goblin, please!

Doctor Octopus

Sony Pictures

The Green Goblin might have been the first bad guy Spider-Man faced off against on the big screen, but he wasn’t the greatest. That honor goes to Alfred Molina as Doctor Otto Octavius, a.k.a. Doctor Octopus. Molina gave Doc Ock a sympathetic personality that he never had in the comics, as well as one killer origin sequence. His fight scene with Spider-Man on the train also still goes down as one of the best ever superhero fight scenes in any movie. We’d love to see him come back one more time, and maybe even lead the big screen version of the Sinister Six.

Electro

Sony Pictures

We already know he’s back in play, so it seems like Electro is a no brainer to join an eventual big screen Sinister Six. Jamie Foxx has already said he “won’t be blue” this time, which suggests a more comic book accurate look. Although hopefully not too comics-accurate, because the original Steve Ditko Electro costume is pretty goofy. The two Amazing Spider-Man movies weren’t as popular as the Raimi ones, so we think they only need representation from one of those movies. And Electro would seem to be it. Sorry/not sorry, Lizard.

The Vulture

Sony Pictures

The first super villain MCU Spidey faced was Michael Keaton‘s Vulture, and he quickly became one of Peter Parker’s best on screen adversaries. Homecoming very deliberately left Vulture alive at the end to face off with Spidey once more, so we think joining the Sinister Six could be his opportunity to get revenge. We know he shows up in Morbius, so clearly they are setting up the Vulture for some kind of big screen future. He’s definitely a lock for our version of a Sinister Six.

Mysterio

Sony Pictures

The most recent Spider-Rogue to face the wall crawler was Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio in Far From Home. Although he seemingly died, Quentin Beck is the master of illusions after all. So don’t be so sure. He has the most reason to have it in for Spidey now, given his public humiliation. We think he should be a shoo-in for the Sinister Six. It would also be great for a character who lied about being from a parallel Earth to actually have to team up with villains who actually are from alternate realities. He’d be a fraud among the real deals.

Kraven the Hunter

Marvel Comics

We think the big screen introduction to the Sinister Six needs at least one new to live-action villain from Spider-Man’s rogue’s gallery. And at the top of the list for us is Kraven the Hunter. The world’s greatest big game hunter has a solo movie in development, but we think he should be introduced in a Spider-Man film first. Maybe now that Peter Parker’s secret identity has been exposed, he’s hired to hunt him down? And after failing the first time, he discovers he needs a little help. There’s never been a better time to introduce Kraven. We just hope Oscar Isaac gets to play him.

If Sony ever does do that Sinister Six movie in the future, they could always rotate members. Morbius and Venom could replace Doc Ock and Goblin, for example. If Sony and Marvel go the Multiverse route, fans will get the coolest iteration of this villainous team that we could ever get on screen. The sky’s the limit.

Featured Image: Marvel Comics

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Olivia Wilde is developing a Spider-Woman film, and there’s a Madame Web movie in the works as well. But it looks like TV is getting some feminine arachnid energy soon too. According to Variety, Sony Television is developing a series based on the Marvel Comics heroine Silk. Lauren Moon (Atypical) is in talks to write. Variety further says Amazon is in talks to acquire the project, along with other potential Sony-controlled Marvel series.

Like the character of Silk, Moon is Korean-American. In the comics, Silk’s civilian identity is Cindy Moon, so writer and character would share a surname. Into the Spider-Verse’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller are on board as producers as well. Amazon Prime might wind up as the home for this one, although that is still up in the air.

Marvel Comics

Silk was only first introduced back in 2014. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Humberto Ramos, Cindy Moon is revealed as having been there in the science lab on the same day that Peter Parker got bit by the radioactive spider. Moments after biting Peter, the same spider bit young Cindy. Her powers are similar to Peter’s, but she can make organic webs, which he can’t. She trains in secret for years, during which time Peter becomes Spider-Man. Years later, she embarks on a superhero career herself under the alias Silk.

The Silk character received her own ongoing series in 2015, which ran 19 issues. A new Silk series was announced for 2020, but has been put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak. It will be interesting to see if and how the series ties in to Sony’s overall Spider-Man universe. Tiffany Espensen played the character in Spider-Man: Homecoming, so we know there is a Cindy Moon in the MCU. Does this mean that a Silk series takes place in the overall MCU, even if this is a Sony Television production? There are a lot of questions surrounding this one.

An animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse spin-off focusing on Spider-Gwen, Spider-Woman, and Silk was announced as being in development last year. But it’s likely the live-action and animated versions of the characters will remain separate.

Featured Image: Marvel Comics

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According to Deadline, it looks like actress and Booksmart director Olivia Wilde is directing a Spider-Man universe film for Sony, one with a female lead character. Although not confirmed, Deadline’s sources suggest that the movie is going be based around none other than Spider-Woman. Rumors have been piling up lately about Sony developing something Spider-Woman related. Wilde is revamping Sony’s previous take on the project.

BBC 1

Of course, the real question here for Marvel fans is “which Spider-Woman are we talking about here?” Because in the Marvel Universe, there have been several. In the comics, the first super heroine to go by that name was Jessica Drew. A former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, who also once worked for Hydra, Jessica Drew carried her own comic book series for several years. She even starred in her own animated series once in the ’70s.

RACCOON

Jessica Drew is hardly the only hero at Marvel with that name though. There have been at least four others who have used the Spider-Woman identity. Julia Carpenter held the title for a time in the ’80s and ’90s, as did Mattie Franklin. The alternate universe version of Gwen Stacy commonly answers to the name Spider-Gwen; in the pages of the actual comics she is Spider-Woman. And then there’s the alternate universe daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. Originally called Spider-Girl, she became Spider-Woman after her dad’s death. It could be any of these ladies, but our money is on the original, Jessica Drew.

Whatever this movie winds up being, it seems to be a separate project from the in-development movie about Madame Web from S.J. Clarkson. It also appears to not be the Silver and Black movie, centered around the Spidey-verse characters of Black Cat and Silver Sable. We’re definitely on pins and needles waiting to find out which classic heroine is at the center of this tangled web.

Featured Image: HBO / Marvel Comics

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A fan asked what the often rumored Tom Holland cameo would have been, had he made one. Miller revealed it was going to be even cooler than just the current live-action Peter Parker meeting the animated Miles Morales. At one point, it was going to be all three live-action Spider-Mans.  That’s right; Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Holland, together in a post-credits scene. But Sony thought such a huge moment was “too much, too soon;” They instead decided to save that moment for a future film down the line.

Sony Pictures

Although it is sad that this cameo was scrapped, hopefully they are saving this moment for Into the Spider-Verse 2. And maybe it’ll be more than just a cameo appearance. It would be a great way to tie-in the entire film adventures of Spider-Man since the original film into one mega narrative, similar to how DC recently did with their own past shows on the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Of course, you don’t want the live-action Spidey actors to overshadow Miles Morales, but having them be a part of the story is something that would certainly make most fans lose their minds with nerd glee. As cool as having Spider-Man 2099 in the upcoming sequel might be, I must say, this would have that beat.

Featured Image: Sony Pictures

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Sony’s Spider-Man universe is continuing to expand. Not only do Venom 2 and Morbius arrive this year, but 2021 already has a third Tom Holland Spider-Man film slated for release that summer. And we can add one more to the ever-growing list. Exhibitor Relations now has an untitled Sony Marvel film set for October 8, 2021.

Sony’s web continues to grow.

UNTITLED SONY/MARVEL pic now set for Oct. 8, 2021.

— Exhibitor Relations Co. 2: Box Office Boogaloo (@ERCboxoffice) February 11, 2020

But what could this movie possibly be? I have some guesses. Some based on recent rumors and announcements, and others just wild speculation. But here are the Spider-verse movies that I see as conceivably taking that spot on the calendar next October.

Spider-Woman

Marvel Comics

Right now, this one seems the most likely. With the MCU hitting a billion dollars with Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman almost making that much for DC, Sony might want to have their own powerhouse female hero. And luckily, they have Spider-Woman. An unconfirmed report coming out of MCU Cosmic suggests that the Jessica Drew version of Spider-Woman is on the drawing board for Sony, entering active development. Could this be our 2021 movie?

In the comics, Jessica Drew’s father was a scientist who gave his daughter arachnid powers as a child to save her life. As an adult, she worked for the villainous HYDRA, and then defected to SHIELD. She ultimately became the costumed hero Spider-Woman. Despite her rights lying with Sony in part, the “Spider” in her name actually has nothing to do with Spider-Man.

Marvel Comics

Here’s where things become interesting: Jessica Drew is a character shared by Marvel Studios and Sony. The MCU can use the SHIELD agent version of Jessica, while only Sony can use her in her superhero persona. It would be cool if the character was done in some kind of cooperation between both studios. Introduce Jessica as a secret agent in an MCU movie, then develop her further in a Sony superhero movie? If they could work together to keep Tom Holland in the MCU, then why not make this happen? It is certainly in everyone’s best interests.

The Sinister Six

Marvel Comics

Sony has been trying to make a Sinister Six movie for the better part of a decade. In fact, the Andrew Garfield Amazing Spider-Man movies were setting one up. Drew Goddard was even attached to write/direct it back in 2015. However, the arrival of MCU Spidey Tom Holland set everything back to square one. But with the cameo from Michael Keaton as the Vulture in the Morbius movie, it seems plans are afoot once more for a Spidey villain team-up.

Rumors suggest the six would consist of Morbius, Vulture, Carnage (Venom’s Woody Harrelson), Scorpion (teased in Spider-Man: Homecoming), and two other mystery villains. One could conceivably be Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio from Far From Home, who might not be quite as dead as we thought. The reason I think Sinister Six might be a little further off is because they need time to introduce at least one more headlining villain into the Sony Spider-verse. Which leads us to our next guess for a 2021 film.

Kraven the Hunter

Marvel Comics

He’s one of the last “A-list” Spider-Man villains yet to appear on the big screen. But Sony clearly has big plans for the character of Kraven the Hunter. A year or so ago, they commissioned a script about big-game hunter Sergei Kravinoff, who comes to New York to catch the ultimate prize—Spider-Man. The script was said to be based around the famous Amazing Spider-Man storyline “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” only told from Kraven’s point of view. There has been signage on the set of Morbius hinting at Kraven, so Sony is definitely thinking about doing this one sooner rather than later. If so, he’d be another potential star for a future Sinister Six film.

Silver Sable and Black Cat

Marvel Comics

A couple of years back, Sony had a team-up film between the mercenary Silver Sable character and Peter Parker’s cat burglar enemy/love interest lined up and ready to go. But they pulled the plug at nearly the last minute. Since then, we’ve heard little about this project coming back to life. The weak box office for Birds of Prey might make Sony even more gun shy to committing to a pair of characters only die hard comics fans even know about. So I’d be surprised if it was this movie. But one never knows.

Madame Web

Marvel Comics

Here’s another long shot, but one that is nevertheless at least possible. Last year it was announced that Spider-Man supporting character Madame Web was going to be getting her own film. This shocked many comics fans, as the character is, at best, a supporting player and has never headlined her own comic book series. But a script was in development fairly recently, so maybe it is possible this is far along enough to be Sony’s 2021 Spider-movie. If I were a Sony exec though, I’d say Spider-Woman was the safer bet, given that she is a more traditional superhero and not just an oracle type character. But anything is possible.

Spider-Girl

Marvel Comics

Ok, this one is totally a guess. And kind of wishful thinking on my part. I recently wrote how Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness could reintroduce the Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst versions of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, given that Sam Raimi is probably directing this one. And I mentioned how fun it would be if we see a married, middle aged version of the Parker family. This would include the teenage daughter May “Mayday” Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Girl. This character was part of the MC2 line at Marvel Comics, an alternate future world. She had her own comic which ran for more than 100 issues and was critically beloved.

If she is introduced in Doctor Strange 2, then she’d be the perfect character to spin-off into her own franchise for Sony. If the movie were to release in 2021, it would be almost exactly 15 years since we’d last seen the classic movie versions of Spider-Man and Mary Jane, meaning that real world time would actually match to where the characters would be, age wise. The nostalgia factor alone could drive big box office for this. This one isn’t even rumored, but it sure seems like a no-brainer idea, doesn’t it?

Featured Image: Marvel Comics

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More than any other American comic book character is Spider-Man a paragon of the idea that anyone can be a hero. And more than any other Spider-Man movie yet to hit theaters is Into the Spider-Verse an expression of that message. The film shows us Spideys of all shape and size, from the young and spirited Miles Morales to two divergent takes on Peter Parker to the take-no-prisoners Gwen Stacy, and so forth. And now, as if Peni Parker, Spidey Noir, and Spider-Ham hadn’t offered a wide enough variety of webslinger, we’ve got a revolution of Spideys from the ‘net, each representing the artists who created them.Spidersonas are taking over the web 🕷️ In keeping with the spirit of Into the Spider-Verse, dozens of viewers have created their own Spidersonas, showing off their fandom, personalities, and artistic talents all in one. Since the story of Spider-Man is all about finding oneself anew—or perhaps for the first time—in the wake of a newly discovered set of powers and super identity, it’s proved the perfect avenue for illustrators to channel their own personalities, working their own traits into their custom designs of the classic Spidey costume.The great variety of personal touches embedded into these designs is indication of just how powerful the “Anyone can be Spider-Man” message is. We implore you to channel your inner Spidey and hit the web with a costume of your own making—the world needs all of us to get to slingin’.

Images: Sony

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Now that you’ve experienced the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, you’ve no doubt fallen in love with Miles Morales Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen, and a whole slew of spider-folk you may not knew existed before you saw the film. But just about all of them come directly from the pages of Marvel Comics, and some from a few pretty recent comics at that. If you want to read some of the very best of the adventures of Miles Morales and Spider-Woman Gwen Stacy in particular, you want to dive into these comics–all in chronological order of course, starting with the story that set events in motion leading to Miles taking over the web slinging duties from Peter Parker.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man

Miles Morales became Spider-Man under tragic circumstances, as it involved the death of the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker. Or to be specific, the Peter of the Ultimate Marvel Universe. In this Death of Spider-Man collection, which includes Ultimate Spider-Man #156-160, Peter faces his destiny, fighting with a mortal wound to save his Aunt May and his girlfriend Mary Jane. Peter’s noble sacrifice inspires Miles Morales to become the new Spider-Man.

Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Vol. 1

The last thing Miles Morales wanted was to become a superhero, but as the new Spider-Man, he’s thrown into the fire as he faces Peter’s old foe, The Scorpion, and deals with the fallout when his Uncle Aaron, better known as the Prowler, discovers his secret. This first Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man collection has Miles’ first appearance in Ultimate Fallout #4, plus the first 12 issues of his solo series, and his first meeting with the adult Peter Parker in the Spider-Men mini-series.

Spider-Verse

This is the Spider-Man crossover event that inspired Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. What’s better than two Spider-Men, you might ask? How about several dozen, and several Spider-Women as well? When the villainous Morlun and his family the Inheritors begin hunting Spideys across the dimensions, Miles and Peter and several other arachnid heroes cross space and time to stop him, and become an army of Amazing Spider people in the 2014 event book Spider-Verse.

Spider-Gwen Vol. 0: Most Wanted

For many years, Gwen Stacy was famous for being Peter Parker’s nice, sweet girlfriend who died tragically at the hands of the Green Goblin. But in this alternate universe story, Gwen is a hero in her own right; she got bit by the radioactive spider on that fateful day. Can she keep her secret identity of Spider-Woman a secret from her police chief father, and fight the villainous Vulture too? Spider-Gwen Vol. 0: Most Wanted collects Spider-Gwen #1-#5.

Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen: Sitting in a Tree

When the original Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy fell in love, their relationship didn’t have a happy ending. But what happens when new Spidey Miles Morales and the alternate universe Gwen, a.k.a. Spider-Woman, find themselves sending each other love notes across dimensions? Can these star-crossed Spider heroes make a relationship work across while living in two different universes? It all unfolds in Spider-Gwen: Sitting in a Tree.

Images: Marvel Comics

Additional reporting by Hector Navarro.

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Although DC Comics is the major comics publisher famous for its Multiverse–multiple versions of their popular characters existing in different iterations–Marvel Comics has long had their own Multiverse as well, and the character at its center most often is everyone’s favorite wall-crawler, Spider-Man. Because of this, it’s no surprise that the upcoming Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse film is the first Marvel major media project to really explore the multiple-reality aspect of Marvel Comics lore. Spider-Man: Far from Home looks to bring that to the MCU. But when did we first realize there even was a whole Spider-Verse with which to play? Turns out, there has been one for decades now, even if it’s only gotten serious attention in the past few years.

Some of the earliest alternate versions of Spidey appeared in the classic Bronze Age Marvel series What If?, which explored various alternate scenarios for several of their famous characters. Spider-Man especially had many “what if?” style tales to tell. In some of those stories, we see a version of Peter Parker that has six arms, a version that is part of the “Fantastic Five,” and even a version that shows what would have happened had Spidey never become a crime fighter. Yes, there was even an “assassin Spider-Man” who worked with Wolverine. No “alternate Spider-Man” scenario stone was left un-turned in the pages of What If?, and all of these other Spider-Mans are established as living on their own Earths within the Marvel Multiverse.

It took a long time before an alternate universe Spidey would receive their own ongoing series. Aside from the spoof character from Marvel’s ’80s kid-oriented line Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, (which is as amazing as the title suggests), the first alternate Spider-Man to get an ongoing spotlight title was Spider-Man: 2099. As part of a larger line of books set in the future Marvel Universe, this Spidey was a geneticist named Miguel O’Hara, who obtained his powers from a gene-splicing incident. The series lasted for three years and 44 issues, and was revived in recent years as well. Miguel O’Hara still has a large fanbase, especially among kids who grew up in the ’90s.

The early 2000s saw two alternate Spider-people get the spotlight. First, the Marvel MC2 line gave us Spider-Girl, the future offspring of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. Named May Parker, this new teen hero was the most popular of the MC2 line, and her series ran for over 100 issues, and was revived several times after that. Even though it was never a stellar title in terms of sales, May “Mayday” Parker has a vocal and loyal following to this day among comics fans. Of course, Brian Michael Bendis’ Ultimate Spider-Man series, which saw a 21st century version of teenage Peter Parker, living a universe apart from the adult Peter, was an instant smash and ran well over 100 issues.When the idea of two Peter Parkers (who were not all that different, really) got redundant, the Ultimate Marvel Universe eventually killed off Peter, and introduced his replacement, Miles Morales. This new Spider-Man, who was of African-America and Latin descent, quickly became extremely popular. He was even introduced into the mainstream Marvel continuity, one of the only Ultimate-offshoot characters to get that honor. In recent years, he was given his own solo title simply called Spider-Man, confirming him as a hero worthy of the title without the need for any qualifiers.

There have also been dozens of mini-series and one-offs featuring alternate Spider-people, like the Spider-Men in Neil Gaiman’s 1602 series, the heroes of Spider-Man: Fairy Tales, and even a Conan-esque Sword and Sorcery version called “The Webslinger.” At one point, there were so many different Spider-people that Marvel was even able to gather them all together for the crossover event series Spider-Verse, and that series is also where the term “Spider-Verse” was actually coined.This 2014 crossover event featured multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man, many from other media like movies and television, and several created just for this story.

The main narrative had all the Spider-Folks under attack by Morlun and his family, the Inheritors. Several characters came out of this series who would go on to become popular staples of Marvel Comics in recent years, including Silk, who is a Korean-American woman who received her powers at the same time Peter Parker did, and Spider-Gwen, the Spider-Woman of Earth-65 who is based on Peter’s long dead girlfriend, Gwen Stacy.

The original mini-series even got a proper sequel recently, in the form of Spider-Geddon, which introduced even more spider-folks into the Marvel Multiverse. One thing’s for sure, with the upcoming release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, expect to see a lot more explorations of every variant of Spider-Man you can possibly think of in the not too distant future, both in comics as well as in other media.Do you prefer multiple Spider-heroes, or should they just stick to Spidey classic? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Marvel Comics

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Venom‘s reviews might have been a mixed bag, but the story at box office has been sacks of money. Despite its lack of critical acclaim, audiences have found a symbiotic relationship with Tom Hardy’s super antihero, as the film has cleaned up at the box office. Just how much? It has made more money than any X-Men movie ever, and that includes Deadpool. Yeah, at $780 million worldwide ticket sales Venom has made more money than ****ing Deadpool. That level of success, which includes being the third highest grossing film ever in China, guarantees we’re getting more Eddie Brock going forward. But what will it mean for the rest of Sony’s Spider-verse? What other characters will show up? Will that include Peter Parker?On today’s Nerdist News, host Jessica Chobot looks at what the massive success of the MCU-adjacent movie might mean for Sony‘s plans for the rest of their burgeoning cinematic universe. We’re definitely going to see Tom Hardy, who is under contract for at least two more movies, again. We also know Woody Harrelson will bring Carnage into the fold. But how will Jared Leto’s living vampire Morbius get involved? What other Spidey-connected characters will follow him? Which ones can stand alone without Peter Parker around. Unless that is Spider-Man, whose rights Sony only loaned to Marvel for the MCU, will eventually be involved in his own cinematic universe.[brightcove video_id=”5970151490001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]It’s strange that instead of wondering if Venom would work on his own, the biggest questions we have about the Spider-Verse are whether or not Spider-Man will be involved, and how that would even happen?A box office of $780 million answers a lot of questions, but not all of them.What do you think the future of Sony’s Spider-Verse looks like? Who will show up? Tell us your best guesses in the comments below.

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We are so excited for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and over the last few days we’ve been treated to all kinds of great new glimpses of the alt-universe animated Spider-Man flick. A new extended sneak peek at the movie really gets into the humor that the multiple Spider-People situation offers up and introduces each of the eclectic characters from the comics; Spider-Gwen, Penny Parker, Spider-Man Noir, Peter Porker A.K.A. Spider-Ham, and of course the original Spidey Peter Parker.

Sony also revealed these awesome character posters which just highlight how freakin’ fantastic these designs are:Our first poster is this awesome Miles-centric one, which shows our hero webbing his way through New York City looking super cool and rocking his signature sneakers.This gorgeous one sheet is all about Penny Parker and her absolutely killer SP//dr suit. Penny took on the mech after her father died piloting the suit, and she even let the radioactive spider bite her so she could fully take on the role of SP//dr in her universe.Spider-Gwen is one of Marvel’s runaway successes, originally introduced in the Spider-Verse comic she quickly became a fan favorite which her own ongoing comic. She comes from a universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten instead of Peter Parker!Speaking of Peter Parker, this hilarious poster gives us a good insight into the tired older Spidey that we’re going to get to see in this iteration of the Spider-Verse. Joggers and coffee Peter Parker is our fave Peter Parker.Now we’re getting into that good weird Spider stuff. Meet Peter Porker A.K.A. Spider Ham. He’s a sassy intergalactic crime fighter who got bitten by a radioactive pig who also happens to be Spider-Man where he comes from.Finally the Spider-Man you’ve all been waiting for… It’s Nick Cage Spider-Man! A.K.A. Spider-Man Noir. In the comics this iteration of Peter Parker’s famous character is from Depression Era America and becomes a classic noir influenced vigilante.Who’s your favorite Spider-Person? Just love Miles? Obsessed with that incredible animation? Be sure to let us know below!

Images: Sony, Marvel, Disney

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Sony will follow up Venom with another film about a Spider-Man character, but can they really pull off a Spider-verse without Peter Parker? We discussed that on today’s special episode of Nerdist News What the Friday, along with DC‘s new subscription service, Demolition Man and Taco Bell’s 25th anniversary Comic-Con party, and the long-promised Halo TV series.

Host Jessica Chobot wrapped up the week in pop culture today with Nerdist News writer Joan Ford, Animation Investigation‘s Hector Navarro, and producer Jason Nguyen. They started with the new, all-encompassing subscription service announced by DC. With it offering so much, what’s the best reason to get it? How does it compare to other similar services? And is this the future of entertainment?

They also took a bite out of Taco Bell’s plans to celebrate 25 years of Demolition Man at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. What other cinematic eateries would make for a tasty exhibit? Is that more or less exciting than the long-awaited Halo TV series getting ordered by Showtime? Will it succeed were so many other video game adaptations have failed?

Finally, with the Venom trailer being watched by an insane amount of people, Sony has signed Jared Leto to play Morbius, the Living Vampire in his own film. Could Tom Hardy’s anti-hero become the center of the studio’s own cinematic universe? Can they really pull of a Spider-Verse without, you know, Spider-Man? And if they are going forward with a Peter Parker-free franchise, who else should join it?

Next week Nerdist News Talks Back returns to its normal Monday to Thursday schedule on our YouTube and Alpha channels every day at 11AM PT, and if you enjoyed today’s special Nerdist News What the Friday tune in every Friday at 1PM PT when it airs exclusively on Alpha. We don’t always discuss Peter Parker, but that makes sense, not like a Spider-verse without Spider-Man.

What did you think of today’s show? Talk back to us about it in the comments below.

Images: Sony, Marvel, Warner Bros.

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Ahhhh, Spider-Man. Is there any Marvel character more iconic than Peter Parker? Except, you know, Miles Morales. And Venom, I guess. Also Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew. Then there’s Cindy Moon, and Anya Corazon, and Ben Riley, and the alternate universe Gwen Stacy who’s also Spider-Woman, and Peter Porker, and… jeez, there are a lot of Spider-heroes, huh?

Of course, you know all of this if you followed Marvel’s recent Edge of Spider-Verse storyline in 2014, during which every single Spider-Man, Woman and Child teamed up across reality to take down a common foe. Now, Mondo’s got just the thing to help you commemorate that event: a limited edition poster designed by DKNG that features 64 different versions of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and all his buddies.

This 24″x36″ screen printed, hand-numbered poster (and its blue-colored variant edition) will only be available for 72 hours from today, Thursday March 23, to Sunday March 26, so look sharp — if you want it, better order it now.

Like your superheroes a little more wearable? Mondo’s also adding a few Spider-Men and Women to its already-large collection of classic Marvel head enamel pins, all of which are designed by Tom Whalen.

First up, the man himself, complete with those trademark Ditko eyes:

Next up is Miles Morales:

Then we have my personal favorite, Spider-Gwen:

And finally a special “Spidey Sense” version of Peter Parker. Man, I know it’s not the ’60s anymore, but why’d he ever give up those sweet Harry Potter glasses?

Unlike the poster, these pins aren’t limited edition, but you probably shouldn’t wait on pre-ordering the whole set. You know, just in case.

Which Spider-Verse character would you want to see next in MONDO’s collection? (Japanese Spider-Man, please!) Let us know in the comments below!

[brightcove video_id=”5367182943001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]

Images: Mondo

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