Summary
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Versehas had fans of the franchise on edge for a while now concerning its eventual release window, and the latest word on the situation from someone close to the production isn’t liable to improve the situation.
WhileSpider-Manhas seen many iterations over the years across mediums,Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Versestill managed to leave a strong impression on fans when it was released in 2018 thanks to a potent combination of its awesome, unique art style and the surprisingly emotionally grounded multiversal plot web it spun around Miles Morales. This story would continue and run into a massive cliffhanger for fans with 2023’sSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,with both filmsranked as some of the bestSpider-Manfilms by fansand a lot of excitement built up for the planned finale film,Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
WhileAcross the Spider-Versedid a lot to set up the plot ofBeyond the Spider-Verse,fans have been vaguely aware of one impending issue: the discouraging prognosis on when the third and final part of the Spider-Verse films will actually hit theaters. Unfortunately, the most recent word on the issue isn’t particularly encouraging. Speaking on a recent interview withVarietycentered on promoting his new movieThe Fire Insidethat also featured co-star Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, who voices Jefferson Davis in theSpider-Versemovies, weighed in on the film’s release window. When asked about a potential release window for the film, Henry simply responded, “In due time. We have to conclude it.” Needless to say, this wasn’t the response anyone wanted.
Destiny would inquire about the reason for the implied delays, hazarding a guess that Henry’s busy schedule could be one potential factor at play. “First of all, that’s loaded,” Henry responded before expanding on his earlier statement. “And yes, the answer is yes. No, look, it takes time, but we got to make you wait a little bit. You know what I mean? But it’s coming. It’s coming. There’s not going to be a dry eye in the house. I’ll tell you that. Good luck. It’s not going to wrap up in a nice little bow what things do.” The description certainly makes it sound like the project is going to be amazing in terms of its writing, but that doesn’t necessarily justify the large time gap that seems inevitable for its release. Fans have no real incentive to be happy that the threequel will be taking more time to work on, as one doesn’t have to look further thanAcross the Spider-Verse’sunsatisfactory version rolloutto see that the delay doesn’t guarantee a flawless release.
Henry’s sentiment about the film’s completion is certainly not a new sentiment, but the possibility of a tragic end to a modern classic is certainly a novel idea for fans of the franchise thus far. It’s been apparent for a while now thatfans won’t be going beyond the Spider-Verse anytime soon, making this soundbite just the latest in a long string of similarly discouraging updates from the production of the highly anticipated threequel. Worse yet, the prospect of waiting years more for what might be far from a happy ending is doubly anxiety-inducing. While the trials that Miles and company have to face off against are a large part of the story’s weight, superhero films generally end off an arc on a positive note. With this tip-off from Henry, fans now get to obsess over just how things are going to end for Miles and what exactly they’ll be crying about when the film finally premieres. On the other hand, the comment could be addressing the entire runtime of the film, alluding to the already expected trials and tribulations that the main cast will be put through before the climax. The problem, once again, is that fans won’t know which it is for potentially years more.
ConsideringMiles Morales won’t be making the jump to the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon,Beyond the Spider-Verse’sinevitably disappointing release window stings that much more for avid fans of the character. While no one wants a rushed finale, the significant gaps between entries don’t exactly seem helpful to the potential success of the understandably lucrative franchise. Time will tell if the wait for the payoff marred the impact on the audience in any way or ifBeyond the Spider-Versewill live up to the hype the trilogy has been building up.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Versedoes not have a release date at the time of writing.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse catches up with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and a host of other Spider-people as the doors to other realities are ripped open by The Spot. Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099) and a returning Peter B. Parker are also along for the ride through the multiverse.
