The following contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, in cinemas now.
Fans should expect Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's sequel, Beyond the Spider-Verse, to arrive later than advertised, according to a member of the film's animation team.
The animator, quoted under the pseudonym 'Stephen,' claimed that the third Spider-Verse installment was at risk of missing its March 29, 2024, premiere date in an interview with Vulture. "They’ve announced that Beyond the Spider-Verse will be released in March of next year," he said. "I've seen people say, 'Oh, they probably worked on it at the same time.' There’s no way that movie’s coming out then. There's been progress on the pre-production side of things. But as far as the production side goes, the only progress that's been made on the third one is any exploration or tests that were done before the movie was split into two parts."
"Everyone’s been fully focused on Across the Spider-Verse and barely crossing the finish line," 'Stephen' added. "And now it's like, 'Oh, yeah, now we have to do the other one.'" Sony Pictures Releasing being forced to delay Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's debut wasn't the only bombshell 'Stephen' dropped in the Variety expose, either. Notably, the animator also alleged that extreme working conditions on Across the Spider-Verse pushed animators to the brink, with over 100 crew members quitting over the course of the production.
Across the Spider-Verse Co-Director On the Sequel
It remains to be seen whether Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is indeed delayed as 'Stephen' predicts, and Across the Spider-Verse's key creative personnel remain tight-lipped regarding the project's current status. This veil of secrecy also extends to the follow-up film's plot, with Across the Spider-Verse co-director Kemp Powers clamming up in a recent interview when asked where Miles Morales' story is heading next. "[P]eople are so desperate for information, and everything kind of ends up getting misread or misquoted. I've been sworn to silence. As soon as you say Beyond the Spider-Verse, my mouth closes," Powers said.
However, Powers was decidedly more forthcoming regarding the alternate version of Miles glimpsed at the end of Across the Spider-Verse. The filmmaker confirmed that this incarnation of Miles is called "Miles G. Morales" and hinted that there's more to the character than meets the eye. "For people who see Miles G. Morales at the end, don't judge a book by its cover," Powers said. "There's a lot to learn about that character. It's a very, very interesting character."
Source: Vulture