Cinema has seen multiple iterations of Spider-Man, some for better or for worse, but many fans have expressed favoritism toward Sony’s animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature in 2019, which depicts teenage web-slinging rookie Miles Morales teaming up with variations of the Marvel character from alternate dimensions, is set to be expanded upon in its upcoming follow-up, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2.
There is still much to be revealed about the sequel, including specific plot details, its connections to other Marvel movies, and if Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 is even going to be its official title. Fortunately, there is an expansive web of confirmed facts that we can share that are guaranteed to excite fans of the continuing adventures of Miles Morales.
So, who will join Miles Morales on his next journey, when can we expect a theatrical release of the anticipated sequel, and who is running this show, anyhow? Let us break down for you everything that we know so far about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2.
What Is The Release Date For Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2?
Talk of a sequel (and spin-off) to Sony Animation’s hit multidimensional comic book flick has been talked about since even before its December 2018 theatrical release. But it would take nearly another year for the film’s official Twitter account to announce the release date of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, as seen here:
Upon further analysis, the tweet also cleverly provides hints of what should be expected in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, as seen by the blink-and-you-miss-it logos reminiscent of obscure iterations of the Marvel hero (but more on that later). More facts surrounding this highly anticipated follow-up are to be revealed before it is officially released on April 8, 2022.
What Is Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2’s Rating?
Due to its predominantly lighthearted tone and choice to be animated, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the first theatrical release starring the webslinger to earn a rating other than PG-13 since his long forgotten films of the ‘70s. Since the upcoming sequel is still two years away from its release date, at the moment, we have no way of confirming how the MPAA will judge the film.
Considering the more family-friendly tone of the predecessor, it can be inferred that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 will follow in its footsteps and once again earn a PG rating. However, in a world in which animated comic book adaptations such as Batman: The Killing Joke can earn an R rating and superhero sequels often delve into darker territory, I would recommend not being too quick to doubt that the Spider-Verse sequel could be, at least, PG-13. We’ll have to wait and see.
Who Is Directing Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is often thought of as a Lord and Miller movie. While Phil Lord has a screenwriting credit and also shares a production credit with Christopher Miller among others, the film had a trio of directors at the helm, made up of animation veterans Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey joined by Rodney Rothman, whose comedy career ranges from producing Forgetting Sarah Marshall to writing for David Letterman in the ‘90s.
This time, the honor to direct the Spider-Verse sequel has been given to just one person, Joaquim Dos Santos. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 will be Dos Santos’ first feature-length directing gig, but he boasts an impressive resume, including work on Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra, multiple DC comics adaptations, and, most recently, Netflix’s Voltron series.
What Is The Story Of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2?
What made Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse such a winning hit was its inventive storyline that cleverly incorporated multiple iterations of the superhero that span several alternate realities. Based on the hints dropped in the aforementioned release date announcement tweet that flashes a series of different variations of the spider-logo, it seems that the sequel may expand on that idea, in addition to plot points we have already been fed.
In an interview with Phil Lord and then-Sony chief Amy Pascal for Vanity Fair in 2018, it was revealed that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 would focus heavily on a romance between lead teen hero Miles Morales and his interdimensional fellow webslinger Gwen Stacy, referred to as Spider-Gwen by her solo comic book series’ title alone. The concept of this romance, which is canon to their Marvel comics storylines, was included in Lord’s original draft of the first film’s screenplay, until it was cut to ensure the additional Spider-characters could share equal time in the spotlight.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore)
Miles Morales has been a fan favorite among Marvel comics readers since his first appearance in 2011 as the successor to the Spider-Man title following the death of Peter Parker. His creation, by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli (with additional input from then Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alsonso), also marked the first time in history that the famous webslinger was depicted as half-black, half-Latino.
Shameik Moore provided the voice of Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which ended with the teenager fully embracing the great responsibility that comes with his newly acquired great power. The actor is slated to reprise his role in the sequel, which we can most likely expect to see him on further adventures joined by additional Spider-people, including one familiar face that may become more than just a friend to him this time.
Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld)
As Peter Parker’s high school love interest prior to him meeting Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy has been through a unique evolution in Marvel comics, most notably her alternate counterpart as a webslinger in her own series, Spider-Gwen, since 2015. She joined forces with her interdimensional counterparts in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as voiced by Academy Award-nominee Hailee Steinfeld.
Per previous announcements, Gwen Stacy is a major focus on Sony’s future intentions with their ownership of Spider-Man and the character’s related properties. She is said to have a romantic storyline with Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 and there has been much talk of Spider-Gwen leading an animated spin-off movie.
Takuya Yamshiro (Actor Unknown)
In a twist that may come as a surprise to both casual Spider-Man fans and die-hard Spider-Friends alike, it was was confirmed in late 2019 that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 will feature Takuya Yamshiro, the protagonist of the Japanese live-action TV adaptation of the character from the late 1970s. The announcement came straight from producer Phil Lord in response to a fan on Twitter who offered to design the character’s look for the sequel, to which Lord assured him that the job was already done.
Talk of Takuya Yamshiro entering the Spider-Verse had actually been hinted at before when Phil Lord promised over Twitter that he would incorporate the character into the sequel if Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse surpassed $200 million domestically. Despite its total earnings being around $10 million shy, it appears that the deal still managed to go through. Casting of the role has not been confirmed, but some fans have shown support for the series’ original actor Shinji Todo to make a reprise.
Who Is The Screenwriter For Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2?
Admittedly, I found the creative alliance of animators Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey with former David Letterman writer Rodney Rothman to be an unlikely collaboration for a Spider-Man movie, despite the dynamite results. I am a little more surprised, yet optimistic, by Sony’s choice to tap David Callaham to write the screenplay for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2.
He may not be a household name, but you have surely heard of many of David Callaham’s most notable credits, which include The Expendables, Zombieland: Double Tap, and 2005’s film adaptation of the video game Doom. He has no background in animation, but considering he helped write the upcoming DC sequel Wonder Woman 1984 and was hired by Marvel Studios to pen the MCU’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for 2021, maybe Spider-Fans have someone to trust in him.
Could Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2 Tie Into The MCU?
The interdimensional concepts proposed in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse open up multiple possibilities for where Sony could take this franchise. Perhaps Miles Morales could find himself on a live-action adventure with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker or, furthermore, have both of them team-up with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield – an idea that Holland has said on record that he would be game for.
Even former chief of Sony Amy Pascal, despite citing the importance of their Spider-Man films standing on their own, did not deny the potential to get creative with where the many characters at their disposal could go. It does not appear likely, however, that an MCU crossover will appear in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, but never say never.
What a tangled web the world of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse weaves, that is until we receive the answers we crave regarding this follow-up that already has our sense tingling! While we’re highly anticipating a trailer for the film, with a 2022 release date, it’s probably going to be a while. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to casting updates and other news to surface about the film. Be sure to check back for more updates on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 here on CinemaBlend.
