Needless to say, the bar for the long-awaitedSpider-Versesequel has thus been raised very high.
That’s not the only thing different about the storytelling this time around, either.
Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld).
Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'.Sony Pictures Animation
It’s a refreshing change!
Thankfully, that’s not as much of a problem this time around.
That fascinating dynamic is distinctly different from anything Peter and Miles have gone through.
Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'.Sony Pictures Animation
Eventually, Gwen gets recruited into a multiversal superhero team.
With such an expanded cast of characters, not everyone pops equally.
Not all the characters agree about the coolness of these mash-ups, however.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) face off against The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'.Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse/Sony
People don’t always like being put into a box, though.
His sharp line readings here pair unsettlingly with the Spot’s disturbing body-horror powers.
Be careful putting your hand in one; you never know where it may stick out.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'.Sony Pictures Animation
Although that parenthetical has been excised from the final product, the reasoning for it has not.
This is now becoming a trend in blockbuster cinema, perhaps with 2021’sDuneas the most recent starting point.
The result is a mixed bag.
Gwen gets a complete arc, while Miles does not.
