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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Ending Explained and Our Biggest Questions About Beyond the Spider-Verse

(Full Spoilers Edition)

By k eleanorPublished 10 months ago 8 min read
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (review) treats fans to the next chapter of Miles Morales’ superhero journey, and with the film being only half of a two-part story, it tees up the next installment, Beyond the Spider-Verse. We're going to share whether Across the Spider-Verse has any credits scenes, break down the ending of Across the Spider-Verse, and address the big questions heading into Beyond the Spider-Verse.

All the Spideys in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Full Spoilers Edition)

We've compiled a list of every recognisable Spider-Man we could discover because Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse introduces a lot of new Spider-People from the Marvel multiverse. Remember that many of the Spider-Man characters were invented just for the movie. There are some major movie spoilers below; beware!

Additionally, Gwen Stacy is back and has a significant part in the follow-up. In the first movie, Gwen unwillingly made the decision to be open and accept Miles as her friend, but now it appears as though the two could end up being more than just friends.

Another returning character, Peter B. Parker. He’s sporting a baby carrier, which he uses for little Mayday Parker. Looks like things went well for him after the events of the first movie, where we last saw him bringing flowers to MJ in a bid to get back together. Well, looks like they did get back together, and he’s a Spider-dad now.

Miguel O'Hara, played by Oscar Isaac, is a key adversary in the new film. Miguel, the Spider-Man from the year 2099, is in charge of bringing the Spider-Verse characters together. He also has a big issue with Miles since he won't acknowledge that sometimes one life must be sacrificed for the benefit of many.

A new significant character in the Spider-Verse, Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman, voiced by Issa Rae, makes a sassy motorbike entrance. She serves as Miguel's assistant in the Spider Society.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Ending Explained

The ending of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse focuses on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), who find themselves in two very different universes.

The movie's turning point occurs when Miles is confronted with two stunning facts. Miles first discovers that the spider that bit him, number 42, came from another universe and was intended to be the precursor to Spider-Man in that world, making him an aberration who was never intended to become Spider-Man. That's why, as Gwen had previously suggested, the Spider Society didn't want him as a member. Oscar Isaac's Spider-Man 2099, also known as Miguel O'Hara, argues that when you interfere with the "canon," it produces chaos in that realm. He claims that Miles becoming Spider-Man was what led to the demise of Spider-Man in his world.

Then, to make matters worse, Miles learns that the canon dictates every Spidey must endure a specific tragedy, and that his father is destined to die once he becomes police captain. If the canon is broken, then it can cause irreparable damage to that universe, as we saw when Miles saved the police captain in Mumbattan and a black hole opened up. Miguel says that if the canon breaks enough, it could have catastrophic consequences across the Spider-Verse. Miles doesn’t believe all this and refuses to simply let his father die, so he escapes the Spider Society by using the machine that sends people back to their home dimension.

Seeing the Spot arrive at this location takes us one step closer to the fated death of Miles’s dad.

When Miles returns home, he is astounded to see that Uncle Aaron is still alive and realises that he has unintentionally entered the wrong universe. He was actually taken to the planet where the radioactive spider known as #42 originated because there is where his spider-like abilities originated. Uncle Aaron from this dimension and a bad version of him known as the Prowler kidnap Miles. New York City is in horrible shape in this Spider-Man-less universe, Jefferson Davis passed away in place of Uncle Aaron, and Miles took a wrong turn and became into a criminal rather than a hero. Although Miles begs Prowler-Miles to assist him in rescuing his father, the latter seems unconcerned.

Meanwhile, the villainous Spot (Jason Schwartzman) has finally accumulated enough dark matter spots from other universes to enact his master plan and take revenge on Miles. He transports himself back to Earth-1610 just outside Miles’ home where his mother and father currently reside. Earlier in the film, Miles sees a vision of his father being killed while saving a child from being crushed by a collapsing building, and the Spot appears to be the cause of that collapse. Seeing the Spot arrive at this location takes us one step closer to the fated death of Miles’s dad.

But not all hope is lost. Spider-Gwen goes home and has a heart-to-heart with her father, Captain Stacy, who finally accepts her. Gwen goes to Miles’ home but realizes that he’s not there, so she rallies a group of Spideys to go help him, in defiance of Spider-Man 2099 and the Spider Society. Her crew includes Spider-Punk aka Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya), Mumbattan Spider-Man aka Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), Spider-Byte aka Margo Kess (Amandla Stenberg), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and his daughter along with old friends from Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, and Peni Parker piloting SP//dr.

Our Biggest Questions Going Into Beyond the Spider-Verse

Can Miles Defy Spider-Man Canon and Save His Dad?

This is the big cliffhanger we’re left on at the end of Across the Spider-Verse and it will undoubtedly be the crux of Beyond the Spider-Verse. Will Miles be able to save his dad or is Jefferson Davis fated to die according to the canon? Miles is an anomaly, so maybe the rules of the canon don’t apply to him, which may allow him to break the cycle of tragedy that has thus far defined Spider-Man and forge a new future where Spideys can become heroes without suffering tragic loss. It’s hard to imagine Miles will let his father die, so if he does save his life, then what will happen to his universe and the Spider-Verse? It could destroy everything as we know it.

But before any of that comes to pass, Miles will have to deal with Prowler-Miles and his Uncle Aaron. Prowler-Miles was clearly brought up without his father’s big heart or the parental guidance of Peter B. Parker. He’s cold and steely, completely apathetic to Miles’ dilemma. One would think Prowler-Miles would jump at the chance to save his father, even if it’s the Jefferson Davis of another universe, but being raised by Uncle Aaron has hardened him into a villainous, uncaring young man. It’s hard to imagine how Miles will be able to convince them to let him go, let alone help him save his dad and the Spider-Verse, but that will be his first big challenge at the beginning of Beyond the Spider-Verse.

It’s clear that Gwen Stacy will lead her team of fellow spider-rebels to save Miles in Beyond the Spider-Verse, but she may have bigger problems to worry about. After Gwen revealed her secret identity as Spider-Woman to her father Captain Stacy and ran away, he decided to quit his job. If we’re following the logic of canon, then that means he’s no longer fated to die because he’s no longer a captain. Will this break in canon unravel Gwen’s dimension? It’s certainly possible, but perhaps she’s found a loophole that lets the captain in her canon live without destabilizing her world. That could be the key to helping Miles save his father and prevent the Spider-Verse from collapsing.

Will Miles Morales Wind Up With Gwen Stacy?

Look, we know the fate of the Spider-Verse is at stake, but we’re incredibly invested in Miles and Gwen so their romance is an important subject to discuss! Even though Gwen has an implied history with Spider-Punk (she’s crashed in his universe a few times and is wearing his chucks) and Miles clearly had eyes for Spider-Byte, that doesn’t mean they don’t still have intimate feelings for one another. They’re teens, after all! Their honest, emotional upside down talk showed how strong their bond has become. It was Gwen’s affection for Miles that saw her seek him out despite being ordered not to, and it’s why she assembled a group of spider-friends to save him at the end. Spider-Man stories have a habit of ending in tragedy, and Gwen is well aware that other Gwens usually don’t survive, but perhaps these two can defy canon and find a way to live happily ever after.

Will Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Be in Beyond the Spider-Verse?

Across the Spider-Verse glaringly lacked Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Almost every Spider-Man iteration, including the other two live-action movie Spider-Mans, was featured during the explanation of the Spider-Verse canon. Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire were shown grieving for their loved ones in footage from the Sam Raimi and The Amazing Spider-Man universes. But where was Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland? He might make an appearance in Beyond the Spider-Verse. Perhaps Miles Morales will transition into live-action at the conclusion of Beyond the Spider-Verse, and Tom Holland's Spidey will be there to welcome him? Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal has already stated that they are working on a live-action Miles Morales film. Although that is pure conjecture, stranger things have happened.

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About the Creator

k eleanor

Writer focused on film, media, fandom, music, comic, and all things geeky. Here you'll find Breakdowns, Analysis, Easter Eggs of Movies and series. Every universe comes together at this place. So just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

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