A staggering misapprehension engulfs not merely one Spider-Man but a multitude – a staggering legion of Spider-entities, to phrase it with a more universal approach.
Visually astonishing, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) is an overwhelming carnival of super-beings empowered with spider capabilities. Their numbers are not merely handfuls or dozens, or even hundreds. Instead, the count runs into the thousands, creating an almost dizzying spectacle.
Is There a Limit to the Multiverse?
An issue that had previously blemished Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) seems to persist here – the film’s excessive duration. Clocking in at an exhausting two hours and twenty minutes, some viewers felt that Across the Spider-Verse could have benefited from more rigorous editing. In line with its predecessors, this expansive saga carries forward the worthy mantle of Spider-Man through Miles Morales (Shameik Moore).
However, this is where the positive echoes of its predecessors stop. Contradicting the tragic end of Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and her portrayal in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Across the Spider-Verse brings Gwen Stacy back to life, thereby raising eyebrows.
This metaphorical blender of the multiverse idea isn’t just bleeding into the Spider-Man franchise; it’s permeating other cross-platform intellectual properties like The Flash (2023), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). The key question posed by fans: will this pattern persist? Has Across the Spider-Verse prematurely exhausted its potential?
This concept of a quantum multiverse – alternate realities or divergent dimensions – was first suggested in the early 90s and has gained immense popularity owing to endorsements from renowned authorities such as Dr. Michio Kaku, Dr. Neil De Grasse Tyson, and Dr. Stephen Hawking. The inherent challenge is that these infinite multiverse variations risk becoming clichéd, especially if creative ideas don’t materialize from the infinite possibilities.
A Paradox of Infinite Possibilities
In retrospect, Peter Parker’s late career was largely shaped by Gwen Stacy’s demise, which imparted an invaluable life lesson – that one can do their utmost, avoid all errors, and yet still fail. Without this harsh but necessary character growth, Miles Morales’ Spider-Man possesses the freedom to alter the Spider-Verse history as he pleases.
From Spider-Pig to Ghost Spider and Spider-Punk, the film risks diverting fans’ attention from the core principle upon which the Spider-Verse is based: that great power necessitates great responsibility. Instead, Across the Spider-Verse seems to suggest an equation of unlimited Spider-entities equating to unlimited amusement. This might satisfy the hardcore, constantly evolving fan base, but may alienate broader audiences.
Not a twist, per se, but Miles finds himself constantly evading a legion of former allies-turned-enemies on seemingly unending fronts. Is this overkill? Complex fight sequences, while meticulously executed in CGI and featuring solely Spider-entities, seem to deviate from the roots of the original Spider-Man comics and early cinematic renditions.
The Varied Interpretations of Across the Spider-Verse
The outbreak of COVID, coupled with rumored subpar working conditions, disrupted the creative process, causing mid-production changes in the film’s visual and audio styles, leading to multiple versions of the film. This diversity is seen as an Easter Egg by associate editor Andrew Leviton, but it’s also widely known that the Spider-Verse co-production by Sony and Marvel is reaching its final cinematic episode, resulting in the currently running two versions.
Younger fans and repeat viewers, however, will appreciate the subtle alterations and peculiarities presented between the various simultaneous releases. For example, Gwen’s dialogues while searching for Miles amidst the rubble varies between versions, as does the introduction of the character ‘Hobie.’
The most significant variation is a scene involving Ben Reilly in a headlock, with the dialogue differing significantly depending on the version being screened.
Is the Obscurity Too Much?
Long-time followers may identify some extremely arcane references to lesser-known Spider-Man derivatives such as Spider-Man: 2099 from The Spider-Man Animated Series and the infamous Spider-Clone or The Scarlett Spider.
One of the most peculiar Easter Eggs is a nod to the High Evolutionary, an 80s Avengers antagonist that bred sentient animal-human hybrids in a multiverse plane called Counter-Earth. The question is, would younger Marvel fans notice, let alone appreciate these minutely detailed, painstakingly animated references?
Only time will tell, as box office numbers for the upcoming Spider-Man features will surely be indicative. Nonetheless, Miles Morales will undoubtedly return to the big screen in Beyond the Spider-Verse, the subsequent installment due in March 2024.
