Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) was never supposed to be Spider-Man. At least, not the version of Miles viewers first met in 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
This information is revealed early on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse by Jonathan Ohnn, aka The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a former scientist who was transformed into a multidimensional being when Miles and his web-slinging friends destroyed Wilson Fisks (Liev Schreiber) Super-Collider at the end of In the Spider-Verse. Ohnn insists that he is Miles’ arch nemesis not only because Miles’ actions led to his transformation, but also because it was one of Ohnn’s first experiments with Fisk’s Super-Collider that resulted in the radioactive spider he gave to Miles his powers in their universe.
Ohnn’s comments initially fall on deaf ears, but when Miles later travels to Nueva York with Gwen Stacy (Hawk eyeStarring Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), and Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), he learns The Spot wasn’t just a hustler. There, Miles finally comes face to face with Miguel O’Hara aka Spider-Man 2099 (Knight of the Moons Oscar Isaac), who explains that the Ragnoverse is held together by The Canon. According to Miguel, The Canon refers to a collection of events responsible for creating each Spider-Man universe, namely the death of a loved one and the disappearance of a kind-hearted police captain.
Upon learning this information, Miles realizes that The Spot, whose powers have grown dramatically since their first meeting, intends to kill his father, a police captain named Jefferson Davis (Eternals Brian Tire Henry). Miles understandably expresses his desperation to return to his own universe and prevent his father’s death, but is warned against it by Miguel, Gwen, and his former mentor, Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson). Miguel insists that Miles can’t upset The Canon or else the fabric of the entire multiverse could be torn apart. When Miles doesn’t relent, Gwen, Peter, and the rest of Miguel’s Spider Society try to physically stop him from returning to his universe.
What follows is a chase through Nueva York, one that pits Miles against all of his friends and, more importantly, Miguel. When the two characters finally collide atop a sky train, Miguel tells Miles that he was never meant to be Spider-Man. He is, in fact, an anomaly who only became Spider-Man after Jonathan Ohnn tampered with the multiverse and brought a spider from another dimension into Miles. When that spider bit Miles, not only was his reality robbed of his Spider-Man potential, but the Peter Parker of Miles’ universe also had to die to compensate for Miles’ transformation.
Despite the gravity of these revelations, Miles still manages to free himself from Miguel’s grip and escape Nueva York using the DNA of the spider that bit him to send him home. Unfortunately for Miles, his plan doesn’t quite go to plan. The spider that bit him, after all, wasn’t from his universe, so his DNA scan doesn’t send him home. Instead, Miles ends up stuck in a universe that not only doesn’t have a Spider-Man, but where his uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali) is alive and his father is dead. If that weren’t enough, Miles is also captured by said universe’s version of the Prowler, who isn’t his uncle, but a vengeful and bitter version of himself.
On the other side of the RagnoverseThankfully, it doesn’t end on an entirely bad note for Miles. Inspired by her friend’s refusal to back down and follow Miguel’s orders, Gwen recruits a team of familiar faces to help her find Miles and stop The Spot from killing her father and destroying the entire multiverse. Gwen’s team not only includes Spider-Man India (Karan Soni) and Spider-Punk, but also Peter B. Parker, Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) and the rest of his friends and Miles from In the Spider-Verse.
In other words, as he leaves his story in an unfinished place, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseThe ending of S brings one aspect of Gwen and Miles’ shared journey full circle. After spending most of the film longing for company and friendship, On the other side of the Ragnoverse ends with Gwen finally finding a band she really wants to be in. While she may not know it yet, the film’s ending also proves that Miles isn’t quite as lonely as he thinks he is.
Viewers will still have to wait until Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will hit theaters on March 29, 2024, to see the conclusion of Gwen and Miles’ latest multiversal adventure.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse now it’s playing in theaters.
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