Every beloved comic book character has several alternate versions. Some are one-off jokes, others are deliberate inversions of the original premise, and a few are excellent new takes on an old concept. Spider-Man enjoys the best selection of variants, exemplified by the masterful 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Its upcoming sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, has introduced another instant classic, Pavitr Prabhakar, the Spider-Man of Earth-50101.
Into the Spider-Verse introduced a crack team of diverse and exciting Spider-People to serve as the primary team of heroes. It's primarily Miles Morales's movie, but he attains greatness with the help of a few special wall-crawlers. The sequel is prepared to sharply increase the scale by bringing in a massive army of costumed crime fighters, many of whom will become icons in their own right.
Who is Spider-Man: India?
Pavitr Prabhakar was once a poor young man from a small village in India. His parents passed when he was young, leaving him to be raised by his Aunt Maya and Uncle Bhim. Pavitr earns a scholarship to a substantially higher-class school in Mumbai, finally bringing him into the big city. Though the scholarship helps, Uncle Bhim struggles to afford the remainder of his nephew's tuition. Thanks to his simple upbringing, Pavitr has a hard time fitting in. One day, while he's being chased across the streets of Mumbai by bullies, Pavitr comes across an ancient yogi. The yoga master magically gives Pavitr the power of a spider to fight evil. He'll need that power because a local crime lord named Nalin Oberoi recently used a magic amulet to welcome a demon into his body.
Pavitr follows the traditional Spider-Person trajectory once he gets his powers. He encounters a woman being attacked, but he cowardly refuses to help her. Uncle Bhim tries to help and dies in the process. Pavitr learns the typical lesson about power and responsibility and vows to become the great hero Spider-Man. The Spider-Man of Mumbai fights the demons summoned by Oberoi. Those demons include a scientist with four magic tentacles and a symbiote that attempts to tempt Pavitr to the dark side. Pavitr Prabhakar has joined the rest of the Spider-People in multiple multiverse storylines in the comics.
How has Spider-Man: India Changed For Across the Spider-Verse?
Pavitr's look has changed significantly in the transition to the big screen. His original costume is much more reminiscent of Peter Parker's classic pattern. From the waist up, his outfit is familiar. Unlike Peter, his hands are exposed, but that's the only change to his upper half. Under the spandex, Pavitr wears a dhoti, a fastened sarong that makes up half of a traditional Indian folk costume. His shoes are red pointed mojari that complete the outfit. He takes an interesting approach to the Spidey look. Rather than the UK's answer to the Spider-Suit, which adds the Union Jack to the typical web-patterned spandex, Pavitr splits his costume down the middle.
The film has added a lot of color to Pavitr's look. His entire costume keeps the traditional red and blue color scheme, but it adds multiple new patterns. His mask opens in the back to let his beautiful new long hair flow. He's still wearing a dhoti and traditional footwear, but they add to his overall color scheme. Most notably, this version of Pavitr is wearing a pair of golden wristbands and a large armband. His armband appears to be part of his fighting style. The trailer depicts him using his jewelry as a weapon and a tool. His webs seem to wind around the center of the metal piece like a yo-yo. These little details make Pavitr feel distinct in a field of so many other Spider-People and add some variety to a cast with similar power sets.
Who is Voicing Spider-Man: India?
Karan Soni has been cast to portray Pavitr Prabhakar. Soni is from New Delhi, but he moved to the States at the age of 18 before deciding to pursue an acting career. His first film appearance came in 2012, in Colin Trevorrow's directorial debut Safety Not Guaranteed. Since then, he's starred opposite Patrick Stewart in Blunt Talk, held down multiple fun roles in Miracle Workers, and hilariously portrayed Jerry Seinfeld in Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun. His best-known character is Dopinder, the ambitious cabbie who ferries Ryan Reynolds from scene to scene in the Deadpool franchise. Fans of Dopinder are thrilled to see his consistent desire to become a superhero pay off vicariously through Soni's portrayal of Pavitr Prabhakar.
The Spider-Man of 50101 may be a central character of Across the Spider-Verse, or he could be a minor figure. Fans are already thrilled to see the character's new look and charming demeanor. Pavitr appears to be one of the most easygoing Spider-People in the multiverse, performing his heroic duties with a welcome level of confidence and enjoyment. Fans will have to wait and see how Pavitr fits into the larger Spider-Forces when Across the Spider-Verse hits the big screen on June 2, 2023.