Those who anxiously waited for the highly-anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were not disappointed by the incredible film. It’s a solid sequel that not only expertly builds off the first but also masterfully sets up the next, where Across the Spider-Verse destroys all expectations, good and bad, as one of the best Spider-Man films ever, producing the same kind of love from superhero fans not seen since Avengers: Endgame.
Fans have grown to love Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales and have wondered for five years now whether Miles will ever join the larger MCU or if the Spider-Verse is even a part of it at all. But now the latest Spidey film has answered everything, even preparing the way for Mile’s introduction to the greater Marvel universe. Here’s how Across the Spider-Verse sets up Miles Morales’ true debut into the MCU.
Miles’ Spider-Verse Is a Part of the MCU
The Spider-Man franchise and all its related content are owned by Sony, while Disney practically owns everything else Marvel. That means all the Maguire, Garfield, and even Holland films, which are directly connected to Disney’s MCU, are actually owned by Sony. Disney’s been trying to acquire Spider-Man for years, but Sony won’t let go of such a crazy profitable name so easily.
The only way that Miles could appear in the MCU is if the Spider-Verse is a part of the greater Marvel Multiverse, and Across the Spider-Verse confirmed this to be true. The film’s villain, The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), possesses the ability to transport himself and anything else with him through black holes on his body, and he learns that he can even travel to entirely different dimensions with his holes.
In one scene where The Spot travels through numerous dimensions across space and time, he encounters the curmudgeonly shop clerk Mrs. Chen (Peggy Lu), a good friend of Eddy Brock’s from the Venom movies. Mrs. Chen appears rather unimpressed by this powerful transdimensional Spot ripping open space and time known as he robs her of some gum before he disappears.
Despite the brief cameo appearance, the few seconds of Mrs. Chen and her shop are incredibly important, as they confirm that Miles’ Spider-Verse is indeed connected to Eddy’s Venon-Verse, which we already know is connected to the MCU because Eddy Brock and Venom himself were transported to the MCU. Ergo, using the connection and the pure infiniteness of the Multiverse, Miles can appear in the mainline MCU.
Miles Will Return In Beyond the Spider-Verse
Fans who stayed during the credits for the famous post or mid-Marvel credits scenes, where we usually see some fun spoofs or big teases, would be a bit disappointed that there wasn’t any in Across the Spider-Verse. However, the film finished with such a big cliffhanger that it didn’t need any extra at the end to entice fans to return for the next movie.
Those that did stay, though, did find out where they will see Miles again in a small reveal, with the words “Miles Morales will return in…” then appeared the title card “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” which is set for March of next year, a very short wait compared to the five years between Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse.
The title for the threequel means a lot, though, for just a name reveal. Miles will obviously appear in Beyond the Spider-Verse. However, the title literally means that Miles will go beyond just the Spider-Verse he knows and most likely into the greater Marvel Multiverse, i.e., the MCU. So fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Beyond the Spider-Verse connecting to the MCU.
Miles Will Replace Peter in the MCU
And, of course, the biggest reason to introduce Miles to the MCU would be to replace Peter as the Spider-Man. The MCU has been phasing out older heroes and introducing many new faces into the superhero game, often the new directly replacing the old like Yelena replacing Natasha as the Widow or Kate Bishop taking over the mantle of Hawkeye. So Miles coming into the MCU could be the way to continue the Spider story with a new face that fans already know and love.
Miles Morales’ debut entrance could be Peter Parker’s perfect exit, allowing the old Spider to bow out with dignity and establish an heir. And given Shameik Moore’s eagerness to play a live-action version of his animated character and that a live-action Miles Morales film is in development, we should see the old Spider phasing out after his standard trilogy for a new Spider.
Fans would love to see this honorable exchange of responsibility, and most likely, Sony and Disney will once again reach an agreement (after lots of bickering over money shares), and fans will see the mask of Spider-Man in the MCU for years to come.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
