Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lives up to the hype set by the original movie, delving deeper into the multiverse than ever before. Several major Spider-Man variants are introduced during the sequel's epic story, primarily via the Spider Society, a coalition of multiversal heroes led by Spider-Man 2099.
RELATED: 10 Great Animated Movies That Could Never Be Live-Action
In addition to its new characters, Across the Spider-Verse also features several exciting cameos from Marvel characters that audiences will surely recognize. Some of these cameos may prove to be essential in setting up Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which comes out in March of next year.
Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
10 The Spectacular Spider-Man
Across the Spider-Verse includes Josh Keaton reprising his role from one of the best Spider-Man animated series, The Spectacular Spider-Man. Keaton's Spider-Man briefly appears as a member of the Spider Society, who backs up Miguel O'Hara's decision to uphold the Canon of the Great Web of Life and Destiny.
As small as the Spectacular Spider-Man's role in Across the Spider-Verse was, it could have major ramifications on the events of Beyond the Spider-Verse. The return of this specific Spider-Man variant shows the franchise's willingness to include the Spider-Men from various animated television shows, many of which never finished their arcs. Beyond the Spider-Verse could then see the return of any number of television Spider-Man variants.
9 Mrs. Chen
Peggy Lu appears in a brief cameo during Across the Spider-Verse, reprising her role as Mrs. Chen from the Venom franchise. When the Spot accidentally warps into her convenience store, she has a characteristically unimpressed conversation with the supervillain, who is surprised at her nonchalance.
RELATED: 15 Things You Didn't Know About Spider-Man 2099After her latest cameo, Mrs. Chen now acts as the main connector between the Spider-Verse franchise and the Venomverse, Sony's two main franchises based on Marvel Comics. Her appearance could set up future connections between these two franchises, perhaps even leading to a battle between Miles Morales's Spider-Man and Tom Hardy's Venom in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
8 Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man
Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker from The Amazing Spider-Man franchise has a brief cameo in Across the Spider-Verse. Garfield appears via archive footage, which shows him mourning the death of Dennis Leary's Captain George Stacy.
Although Andrew Garfield didn't film any new scenes for Across the Spider-Verse, his brief role could support a longstanding fan theory that the live-action Spider-Men could appear in Beyond the Spider-Verse. At the very least, the new film acknowledges the existence of Garfield's Spider-Man, paving the way for a future appearance from his variant.
7 Insomniac Spider-Man
Insomniac's Peter Parker from the Spider-Man video game series appears as a member of the Spider Society, with voice actor Yuri Lowenthal returning. Insomniac Spider-Man is present when Miles Morales is first introduced to the Spider Society and during the big escape scene shortly after.
Although he only has a small role, Insomniac's protagonist is one of the best Spider-Man variants in Across the Spider-Verse. His appearance may seem unimportant, but he also acts as the franchise's main connection to outstanding video game worlds, potentially opening the door to countless new realities for Miles Morales to explore in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
6 Peni Parker
After making her first appearance in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Peni Parker, aka SP//dr, returns toward the end of Across the Spider-Verse. Kimiko Glenn reprises her role briefly, revealing that she sides with Miguel O'Hara over Miles Morales when it comes to maintaining the multiversal Canon.
Peni Parker's brief cameo establishes whose side she will take in the coming Spider-Verse War. Her loyalty to Miguel O'Hara earlier in the film proves feeble as she appears alongside Spider-Gwen and her team as they prepare to find Miles. It appears that when Peni and Miles meet again in Beyond the Spider-Verse, they will be on the same side once more.
5 Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man
Much like Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man appears via archive footage in Across the Spider-Verse. While speaking with Miguel O'Hara, Miles is shown footage from Spider-Man, wherein Maguire's Peter Parker mourns the death of his Uncle Ben.
Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man remains one of the most popular Marvel characters of all time, making it all the more likely that Beyond the Spider-Verse would want to feature a cameo from the actor. This Spider-Man variant's brief appearance may not feature any new content, but it does open the door for a real cameo in the upcoming sequel.
4 Donald Glover's Prowler
One of the biggest surprise cameos in Across the Spider-Verse was Donald Glover's Aaron Davis, aka the Prowler. Appearing in live-action amidst an animated backdrop, Davis has been captured by the Spider Society after being stranded in the wrong timeline.
RELATED: 10 Best First Issue Spider-Man ComicsDonald Glover's cameo has major implications not only for Beyond the Spider-Verse but also for the entire Marvel brand. While it isn't explicitly stated that this version of Aaron Davis is the same as the one seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, this may mark the first solid connection between the Spider-Verse movies and the MCU. If this is the case, Beyond the Spider-Verse could very well feature more MCU characters, including Tom Holland's Spider-Man himself.
3 Earth-42 Miles Morales
Toward the end of Across the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales ends up stranded on Earth-42, the homeworld of the spider that bit him in the first movie. There, he encounters an alternate version of himself, secretly the supervillain known as the Prowler.
Earth-42's Prowler is the first Miles Morales doppelganger seen in the Spider-Verse franchise, making his debut all the more shocking. The main Miles is still in his custody by the time the credits roll, suggesting that the Prowler will have a major part in the upcoming sequel. From what audiences have seen of him, Miles Morales's Prowler could even become one of the most brutal Spider-Man villains yet in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
2 Spider-Ham
John Mulaney's Spider-Ham is almost entirely absent from Across the Spider-Verse, with the sequel instead focusing on introducing new Spider-Man variants. However, he makes a silent cameo at the end of the film as part of Spider-Gwen's resistance against the Spider Society.
Spider-Ham's cameo at the end of Across the Spider-Verse suggests that John Mulaney's comedic superhero pig will indeed return in the next film. The movie also reveals that Spider-Ham will side with Gwen and Miles against Miguel, deviating from the established Spider-Verse Canon.
1 Spider-Man Noir
Unfortunately, despite his fan-favorite status, Nicolas Cage does not return to reprise his role of Spider-Man Noir from Into the Spider-Verse. However, the character does join Spider-Gwen and her band of maverick Spider-Man variants at the very end of the film as they prepare to search for the missing Miles Morales.
Spider-Man Noir's cameo confirms that he will appear in next year's Beyond the Spider-Verse as a part of Gwen Stacy's resistance against the Spider Society. However, it is unclear whether Nicolas Cage will reprise his role in the upcoming film, especially with the newly announced Spider-Man Noir streaming show in the works at Amazon Prime, which is rumored to recast the role. Therefore, audiences will have to wait and see who is behind Spider-Man Noir's mask in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
NEXT: 10 Weirdest Things That Happened To Miles Morales In Marvel Comics
