Producers have it easy; a gold winning plot here with the multiverse.
Nothing but in jokes and all about Spider-Man – while torquing the familiar Uncle Ben/Aunt May narrative you and we all know.
Jump into any point – into any character of this multiverse – and away we go. Spend some time with them and tell their version of the Spider-Man myth.
Then crash them into another character – often on the same character arc. Repeat, and rinse and that is your formula here.
Team up some of the characters, make some bad guys, and cast well known voices that keep you guessing somewhat until the credits ro. And done. Story telling is simply retelling of older stories – and this is another masterclass from producers and writers.
Perhaps the film is a bit low on the bad guy quotient, and perhaps just as the last film set the bar for the next live action film – so this will set a bar for the Flash to jump later in the summer.
Spider Man Across the Spider-Verse is quite futuristic – and soon producers will realize they can do the same type of stories with IP they own from different adventures. Han Solo flying the Millennium Falcon with Goofy instead of Chewbacca.
The multi-verse does ground itself well with the rules of ‘canon’ events (ie Uncle Ben must always die for Spider-Man to be created). This of course sets ups quite the quandry for a Spider Man named Miles Morales and not Peter Parker.
So a future third film is set up at the end of ‘Across’ like a few Spider-Man before where the lead character is a forgotten anomaly with the entire world out to get him.
Great tie ins to the live action films with Andrew Garfield and some other Uncle Bens popping in for a minute as well as old school 1967 Spider-Man in a limited role.
Great fun for kids – or anyone a fan of strong writing and world building.
Across the Spider Verse swings into Mile Zero this week.
