The Final Spider-Verse Film Has Newly Announced Directors, And We Have Questions

The "Spider-Verse" movies are revolutionary works of animation, having started a new trend that's allowed other directors and animators to experiment with 3D, using 2D textures, and exploring different stylizations to make movies that don't all look hyper-realistic. They are also just damn good superhero movies that challenged what we think a Spider-Man movie could do, what a superhero movie could do, and even helped perfect the idea of the multiverse on film. They show that animation really is where the superhero genre thrives the most, capturing the elasticity, the dynamic action, and sheer imagination of comic books. And yet it is also a franchise that, despite its massive multiversal spectacle, isn't afraid to slow down and give space to quiet moments, like having two characters share a heart-to-heart while looking at the sunset.

Production on movies like these is massive and overwhelming. The character of Spider-Punk took animators three years to make. Indeed, "Across the Spider-Verse" reportedly had the largest crew of animators for an American animated film in history. The work is entirely there on the screen, and their hard labor produced a masterpiece. Still, there are reports of overworking during production of "Across the Spider-Verse," with endless last-minute changes on already-finished work leading around 100 animators to leave the project as a result of grueling working conditions.

All this is to say that, after two highly successful movies and an Oscar win, expectations for the third part in the trilogy, "Beyond the Spider-Verse," could not be higher. It is also why the announcement (via Deadline) that Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson will direct the third "Spider-Verse" movie is a bit worrisome.

To be clear, Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson aren't bad choices. After all, both have served as directors before (in the first and second films in the trilogy, respectively). It only makes sense that they'd help bring the whole thing home. 

What makes the announcement a bit concerning is two-fold. First is the fact that it seems the number of directors has gone from three on the first two films down to two for the final installment. Animated films having multiple directors is not just common, it's practically an unspoken norm. The reason is simple: These are such massive endeavors that directors split their duties, each supervising different aspects of production. On "Across the Spider-Verse," for instance, Joaquim Dos Santos focused on the visuals (he was nicknamed "Dr. Fight" when working on shows like "Voltron: Legendary Defender" and "The Legend of Korra"), Kemp Powers zeroed in on the voice recordings with the cast, and Justin K. Thompson kept his eye on the overall look and design of the film. That the third film, in theory the biggest of the bunch, would cut down the number of directors to just two means that Thompson and Persichetti will have even more on their plate. 

Then there's the fact that, as good a job as the duo did in their respective "Spider-Verse" movies, neither of them have much (if any) experience directing outside of those films. Though it is not uncommon for animators to make the jump to directing big movies without much prior experience, it is hard not to imagine "Beyond the Spider-Verse" losing something by not having a third, more experienced director (who would also bring different perspectives and influences) as part of the team. "Into the Spider-Verse" had Peter Ramsey, who had directed both the "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space" TV special and the fantastic feature film "Rise of the Guardians" before joining the team. Then, "Across the Spider-Verse" paired up Thompson with veteran TV animator and director Dos Santos as well as Oscar-winner "Soul" co-director Kemp Powers.

To anyone confused: Bob and Justin are not the *new* directors, they have been the directors of BTSV the entire time — and doing a great job. They were just announced today.

— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) December 17, 2024

Whether this choice of directors means that producers and writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller will take a more prominent role in the making of "Beyond the Spider-Verse" remains to be seen, but at a time when animation is under attack from both AI and studio politics, and when movies like "War of the Rohirrim" are rushed and suffer because studios are hellbent on keeping specific release dates (and possibly contractual rights to certain franchises), viewers should pay a bit more attention to the behind the scenes making of their favorite movies. Art is not made in a vacuum, after all. Hopefully, "Beyond the Spider-Verse" will give the trilogy the winning ending it deserves — preferably without causing unnecessary hardship to the people who make it. Fingers crossed Persichetti and Thompson can get this one across the finish line in the best way possible.