Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the long-awaited sequel to 2018’s massively acclaimed Into the Spider-Verse, was recently delayed from October 2022 to June 2023, so it seems like fans will have to wait a little longer to see Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and Peter B. Parker on the big screen again. And of course, with a longer wait comes much more time to speculate over which characters will be appearing in the film.
It’s already been confirmed that some fan favorite heroes will be appearing in the upcoming sequel — most prominently Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, who was teased in the previous film’s post-credits scene. But it’s also been confirmed that Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman will be voiced by Issa Rae in the film, and that Takuya Yamashiro, the Japanese Spider-Man, will appear as well. Here are just a few more web-slingers from throughout the multiverse that could potentially be making the dimensional leap from the comics to the big screen in Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man India
Of all the Spideys who have yet to be officially confirmed for the film, the most likely one to appear is Earth-50101’s Pavitr Prabhakar, the Spider-Man of India. Pavitr first appeared in the 2005 comic miniseries Spider-Man: India, in which he uses his mystical spider powers to protect Mumbai from the demonic crime lord Nalin Oberoi. Since then, Pavitr has been a mainstay of multiversal Spidey crossovers, including the original Spider-Verse comic.
The first trailer for Across the Spider-Verse seems to show off Pavitr’s universe, as Miles swings through an Indian-inspired metropolis that a billboard in the background identifies as “Mumbattan” — a fusion of Mumbai and Manhattan. In fact, going frame-by-frame in the scene where Miguel attacks Miles reveals that his wrist-mounted portal device is initially set to Earth-50101 before traveling to his own homeworld of Earth-928. So with official confirmation that Pavitr’s universe will be appearing in the film, it’s not a stretch to imagine that the Spider-Man of India will be appearing in the flesh.
Spider-Punk
Along with Spider-Gwen and Peni Parker, one of the most popular Spidey variants to debut in the original Spider-Verse comic arc was the Anarchic Spider-Man of Earth-138, better known as Spider-Punk. Beneath the mask is Hobie Brown (aka the original Prowler of the mainstream Marvel Universe), who got his superhuman abilities from a radioactive spider created by illegal waste dumping. With his spider powers and love of punk rock, Hobie leads the resistance against the dystopian tyranny of a Ronald Reagan-esque Norman Osborn, who hunts down dissenters with his army of Venom-powered cops. Thanks to his striking and memorable aesthetic, Spider-Punk has quickly become a fan favorite, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him appear in ATSV.
Web-Slinger
Spider-Man Noir isn’t the only time-displaced Spidey in the multiverse — there’s also Patrick O’Hara of Earth-31913, aka the Web-Slinger. This Spidey variant is a Lone Ranger-style hero in the old west, who fights crime using a pair of web-shooting revolvers and his trusty horse Widow, with whom he shares a telepathic link he calls his “Rider-Sense”. He’s only appeared in a handful of issues, but he’s definitely made an impression on fans.
Spider-Man 1602
Similarly, there’s Peter Parquagh of Earth-311, the Spider-Man of 1602. Peter was initially the apprentice of Sir Nicholas Fury, the spymaster of Queen Elizabeth. But after being bitten by a spider that had been exposed to magical energies, he became the Spider, masked hero of the Roanoke colony. Parquagh first debuted in the Marvel 1602 miniseries written by Neil Gaiman of The Sandman and American Gods fame, but he later received his own spin-off miniseries.
Spiders-Man
However, not all Spider-Men in the multiverse are so heroic. Take for instance “Spiders-Man” of Earth-11580, a sentient colony of man-eating spiders who absorbed the memories of Peter Parker after devouring him, and are now convinced that they actually are Peter. Spiders-Man was only featured as a minor player in the Spider-Geddon storyline, but his macabre yet darkly humorous concept instantly made him a hit with fans.
Scarlet Spider
One of the most popular alternate Spider-Men isn’t from an alternate universe at all — he’s a clone of the main Marvel Universe’s Peter Parker, created by the mad scientist known as the Jackal. The clone was presumed dead by Peter after their battle, but he actually lived on to make a life of his own, taking the name “Ben Reilly” (after the first and maiden names of his beloved uncle and aunt) and eventually taking on a hero identity of his own as the Scarlet Spider.
Ben Reilly later died in battle against Norman Osborn, but the mantle of the Scarlet Spider would be taken up again by his “brother” Kaine Parker, another one of Jackal’s clones. Originally a villain, the reformed Kaine tried to live a quiet and ordinary life, but his innate sense of responsibility proved too great to ignore, and he wound up carrying on his fallen brother’s legacy. Both Ben and Kaine have become beloved by the fans over the years, making it plausible that they’ll make their film debut soon.
Superior Spider-Man
Another alternate Spidey from the mainline comics, the Superior Spider-Man was born when Otto Octavius transferred his consciousness into Peter Parker’s body, overtaking Peter’s mind and making Doctor Octopus the new Spider-Man. Despite trying his best to be a hero, Otto’s narcissistic, control-obsessed personality led him down a dark path. He used increasingly lethal and authoritarian methods as a crime-fighter, from maiming and killing villains to enlisting an army of henchmen to spying on civilians with a massive surveillance system. However, after he failed to stop Green Goblin from taking over NYC, Otto saw the error in his ways and removed his consciousness from Spider-Man’s body, freeing the real Peter. Doc Ock has since returned to villainy, but his brief stint as an anti-hero is still remembered fondly by fans.
Spinneret
Gwen Stacy isn’t the only Spider-Man love interest who’s a hero in another universe. In the Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows comic, the Mary Jane Watson-Parker of Earth-18119 joins her husband’s crime-fighting efforts as Spinneret. Initially, MJ uses a high-tech super-suit to mimic Peter’s spider powers, but she later upgrades to the Venom Symbiote, overcoming its malevolent influence through sheer willpower.
Spider-Girl
One of the most popular multiversal Spideys of all is May “Mayday” Parker of Earth-982, the teenage daughter of Peter and MJ, who follows in her father’s footsteps as the Spectacular Spider-Girl. Mayday first appeared in a 1997 issue of What If…? before getting her own solo series, which ran from 1998 to 2006 for a total of 100 issues. She’s a major fan favorite, both on her own merit and because she hails from a timeline where Peter and MJ are still married.
Aunt May?
There’s actually two different Aunt May variants who became spider-themed heroes — the first is Earth-3123’s Spider-Ma’am, who’s about what you’d expect from a superhero Aunt May. The second is Lady Spider of Earth-803, a young May Reilly from a Steampunk-style world where she balances her public life as a wealthy socialite with her secret identity as a crime-fighting inventor.