Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) returns to the Spider-Verse in the new full-length trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to the beloved 2018 animated superhero film. This time around, Miles is facing some issues on the homefront, there’s a new baddie in town, and there are now way too many Spider-People to keep track of in the multiverse. Teenagerhood isn’t all it’s cut out to be.
His new nemesis is The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a gloopy dotted figure who can suck up anything into his body filled with black hole-esque voids. Miles meets The Spot in a chance encounter at a bodega, while avoiding his schoolwork and his parents—they’re especially peeved after learning Miles is receiving a B in Spanish. How dare he!
But perhaps Miles’ biggest issue isn’t this new bad guy nor his parents' increasing suspicions surrounding their son’s oddball personal life. Rather, it’s the millions of Spider-People in the Spider-Verse he encounters, thanks to his best friend Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld). Sure, his closest allies reside in this huge multiverse—Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) is there with his new child—but big boss Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) won’t allow Miles a spot in the club. What is this, a sorority?
Spider-Man 2099 believes that Miles might not have the right ethics or morals to join the team. He’ll have to prove himself—again, this feels like some sort of twisted Rush Week—as an acceptable Spider-Guy if he wants to stick around. Luckily, his buddies from the first movie are ready to lend a hand.
With dazzling fast-paced animation and the occasional comic style split-screen, the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer is able to pack in as many callbacks to the original comics and ongoing Spider-Man sagas in such a short time. Of course, there’s the iconic meme of three Spider-Men pointing at each other in unison, blown up to multiversal proportions. But there’s also a quick shoutout to the MCU’s live-action Spider-Man Tom Holland, a.k.a. “that little nerd back on Earth-199999,” who will never be allowed into the Spider-Verse. Sorry to him.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will swing into theaters on June 2.
