Although Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has only been in theaters for a couple of weeks now, the internet has not stopped loving the film one bit since its release. Adding to the Spider-Man mythos on the big screen in many unique ways, the film tells a very simple yet heartfelt story that expands the potential for where the third installment could go. It would probably not be too much of a stretch to suggest that after the success and buzz around this film, the upcoming sequelSpider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is one of the most hotly anticipated films in the next couple of years.
In addition to the film expanding upon the mythos of the Spider-Verse trilogy and its characters by themselves, however, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has many clues littered throughout that suggest these characters may find themselves entangled in a far larger and more consequential multiversal conflict in the coming years. More specifically, this film seems as though it bridges gaps between Sony’s animated world and the live-action efforts of Marvel Studios. Here’s everything that is known so far about how the film could potentially connect to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its ongoing Multiverse Saga.
Rumor Territory
Of course, there is never a day on the internet where wild rumors and theories about the future of the Marvel multiverse on film are not being discussed. In a time when anyone can say anything on a public platform and gain attention, it’s particularly difficult to know when these rumors are true insider information and when they are mere fabrications.
Despite this frequent uncertainty, well-known Marvel insider Alex Perez from The Cosmic Circus shed some light on information he heard regarding the production of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This includes the rumor that Sony Pictures Animation consulted with Marvel Studios before tackling its multiversal aspects and the idea that some of the animated Spider-Verse characters could potentially show up in live-action films such as Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars.
The Sacred Timeline
As for in-film clues that support these claims, the first and perhaps most obvious connection to be made between Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga is in the scene where the hero, Miles Morales, is being lectured by Miguel O’Hara at Spider Society Headquarters on the significance of the multiverse and canon events to all the different Spider-People.
During this scene, Miguel O’Hara pulls up what can only be described as a visual representation of the multiverse, within which exists the Web of Life and Destiny. Viewers who have been following along with Marvel Cinematic Universe productions such as Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may have noticed that this representation of the multiverse looks virtually identical to Kang the Conqueror’s Sacred Timeline, which is his name for the multiverse before Loki and Sylvie allow it to branch off at the end of episode six of Loki. Many believe this identical nature between the two depictions of the multiverse suggests that the film franchises are connected, and for good reason.
Familiar Faces
Another bit of connective tissue between the animated Spider-Verse films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe lies within the cameo appearances in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. These include an appearance from Peggy Lu’s Mrs. Chen of the Venom films, as well as archival footage of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men being shown as part of the multiverse.
While these cameos may seem like fun Easter eggs, their inclusion is quite a bit more significant than meets the eye. After Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returned to their roles as their respective versions of Spider-Man in Marvel Studios’ 2021 hit Spider-Man: No Way Home, which also included a post-credits appearance from Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock, it has been known information that the live-action Sony Marvel films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe share a multiverse with one another. Given the ability of characters like The Spot to travel into the live-action world of Venom in the film, it is all but confirmed that this animated universe is, too, connected with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
All Roads Lead To Secret Wars
So what does it all mean? Well, the simple answer is that the context clues in the film suggest that the rumors of Sony Pictures Animation and Marvel Studios working together on the multiverse may in fact be true. And if such collaboration is happening behind the scenes, it could suggest that the beloved animated characters from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, such as Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, may make the jump to live action yet again in just four short years for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Secret Wars.
Given what is known about the upcoming sixth Avengers film and the story it’s based on, it’s easy to assume that a multiversal war of grand proportions is on its way. This could include anyone from Marvel’s film and television history, and if what the evidence suggests is true, Sony’s animated Marvel characters as well. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sees animated characters jumping in and out of live action, in what is perhaps early experimentation with the concept. With this in mind, only time will tell if audiences will get to see these franchises collide in what could be the ultimate crossover.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is in theaters now.