The Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Trailer Makes The MCU Canon In Miles Morales' World
We still have a couple of long months to wait until "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" actually arrives in theaters. It's been a full five years since "Into the Spider-Verse" hit theaters in 2018, opening up the Marvel multiverse to the masses. Much has happened since then, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe wholly embracing the multiverse, with Phase 4, 5, and 6 being dubbed "The Multiverse Saga." That being the case, Sony decided to have a little fun in the latest trailer for the upcoming animated sequel by referencing the MCU's multiverse shenanigans.
The latest trailer for "Across the Spider-Verse" opens up the multiverse in a big way, with dozens (if not hundreds) of Spider-Men showing up in the footage. At the head of the pack is Spider-Man 2099, aka Miguel O'Hara. At one point, in speaking with Miles Morales about the multiverse, he drops a line that stands out saying, "Don't even get me started on Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999." And just like that, the Spider-Verse has officially acknowledged the MCU, technically making those events canon in this world.
O'Hara's line is a clear reference to the events of 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home." For those who may need a refresher, Doctor Strange tried to help Tom Holland's Peter Parker erase his secret identity from everyone's memory, and the botched spell cracked open the multiverse. It ultimately brought Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spideys into the MCU for a brief time. Apparently, Mr. O'Hara is well aware of this.
Is a crossover inevitable?
Now comes the big question: does this mean we are going to get some big cameos in either of the next two "Spider-Verse" movies? Let us not forget that the reason it took so long to make a sequel is that Sony made two films back-to-back, with "Beyond the Spider-Verse" currently set to hit theaters in March 2024. That being the case, there is ample opportunity to bring Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, or even Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange into this franchise.
For what it's worth, a Holland cameo has not been taken off the table. But even if something like this were planned for either of the sequels coming our way over the next year, there is no way Sony is just going to announce it. They are going to keep this a surprise, even if it winds up being a poorly kept secret like Maguire and Garfield's participation in "No Way Home." Of course, there's always the chance this was just a fun little throwaway joke and nothing more. We'll see what comes of it.
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson directed the sequel, with Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and David Callaham penning the screenplay. The cast includes Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Karan Soni, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, and Oscar Isaac.
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" hits theaters on June 2, 2023.