Fans who loved Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's groundbreaking animation should brace themselves for something even bigger next year, as writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller just teased the sequel will have plenty of bold art styles on the forefront.
That’s not the only aspect about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse that’s bound to grow, as the film’s entire cast has expanded to accommodate for a multiverse plot that will feature even more Spider-Men than Sony's first animated outing. The latest to join the pack was English actor Daniel Kaluuya, who will play the edgy Spider-Punk, in a movie that also features Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Spider-Woman (Issa Rae) and, of course, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore).
That's why Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will employ different animation techniques and visions. "The first film had one animation style that dominated the movie. This movie has six," Lord and Miller told Empire. This is a decision that was made with the goal being “to wow you every time you enter a new environment” in the multiverse. According to Lord and Miller, the teaser trailer focused on only two of those worlds: the “Mumbattan” Indian comic book style and Spider-Man 2099’s Nueva York, which honors the work of Blade Runner, Aliens, and Tron concept artist Syd Mead.
The pair also noted that Gwen Stacy's Earth-65 would come back in the same “watercolour-wash style” inspired by Spider-Gwen comic books. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an ambitious project that won’t be finalized until the second part, Beyond The Spider-Verse, comes out in 2024. Last year, Lord and Miller were involved as producers for the animated hit The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which also taught them a lesson or two they could share with Miles Morales.
Among the other Spider-Man variants joining Across the Spider-Verse is Takuya Yamashiro, who is also bound to bring his own Japanese art style with him, but the rumored inclusion of Tom Holland's Peter Parker might get some fans more excited. Even some fan theories believe Sony might use the animated Miles Morales to connect with the rest of its Spider-Man universe, a concept that has yet to bear fruit for the studio.
Ultimately, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's animation proved so influential that its graphics made it into Miles Morales' PS5, PC, and Steam Deck-verified game. So whatever Lord and Miller have in store this time around could also find its way to the long-awaited sequel, Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is scheduled for release on June 2, 2023.
Source: Empire