Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered. (Courtesy of Sony Pictures)

‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Summary

The film begins on Earth-65, as Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) recounts her origin story that tragically ends in the death of her best friend, Peter Parker (Jack Quaid). Peter became the rampaging Lizard in her universe and was accidentally killed in a fight with Spider-Woman. Years later, Gwen’s father, George Stacy (Shea Wingham) is still on the man hunt for Spider-Woman, whom he mistakenly believes intentionally killed Peter. Obviously, Captain Stacy is unaware of his daughter’s dual identity, but Peter’s death and Gwen’s secret life have created a rift between father and daughter.

One night, Gwen responds to an attack by an alternate universe version of the Vulture (Jorme Taccone) at a nearby museum. Captain Stacy and the police also respond. During the fight between Spider-Woman and the Vulture, alternate universe spider people Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) and Jess Drew (Issa Rae) arrive and assist Gwen in stopping the Vulture. Miguel explains that he has created a group of spider people who travel through the multiverse using portal-generating watches to fix multiversal wrongs before they cause calamity across the entire multiverse. After the battle, Captain Stacy corners Gwen, who reveals her identity to him. Despite his dilemma, Captain Stacy still tries to arrest her. A rejected Gwen accepts an invitation from Miguel to join his group and leaves her father behind to enter the multiverse again.

The film then jumps to Brooklyn, New York on Earth 1610. Sixteen months have passed since Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) destroyed Kingpin’s (Live Schreiber) collider at the Alchemax facility. One day, Miles is swinging through town in a rush to a meeting with his school counselor (Rachel Dratch) and his parents, Jeff and Rio Morales (Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Vélez). Along the way, he encounters the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) who is unsuccessfully trying to rob a convenience store. During their exchange, the Spot reveals that Spider-Man is his nemesis since it was Miles’ actions at Alchemax that cursed the Spot with his interdimensional powers. The Spot also reveals that it was his prior test of the collider that brought the spider from the alternate universe that ultimately gave Miles his powers. Jeff Morales arrives and attempts to assist Spider-Man subdue the Spot, but ultimately, the Spot escapes by accidentally transporting himself into a void where he discovers that he can travel to other universes containing Alchemax colliders. Each successive trip increases the Spot’s power.

Not long after, Gwen travels to Earth 1610 and visits with Miles although she had been ordered by Miguel not to interact with Miles. Gwen’s purpose is to secretly track the Spot.. The two teenagers bond over their respective issues with their parents. When Gwen rushes off to conduct her investigation, Miles secretly follows her with his invisibility power. After completing her search, Gwen opens a portal to Earth 50101, and Miles follows her. Once on the alternate Earth, Miles’ presence is discovered. Gwen and Miles join up with Earth 50101’s Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), and Spider-Punk, Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya), to take on the Spot as the villain looks to expand his power. The Spot is ultimately successful in absorbing the power of that world’s collider. During the battle, both Miles and the Spot share a vision of Spot’s future attacks that includes the deaths of Miles’ father and the father of Pavitr’s girlfriend, Police Inspector Singh. Alerted by his vision, Miles saves Singh when the collider collapses.

As a result of Miles’ heroic act, Earth 50101 begins falling apart. Other spider people begin arriving to repair the damage. Miles is informed that Singh’s death was a “canon event”. Miles, Gwen, and Hobie are summoned back to the Spider Society’s headquarters on Earth 928. Miles is shocked to learn that there are hundreds of spider people across the multiverse, including Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg), Spider-Byte (Amandla Stenberg), and Ezekiel Sims (Mike Rianda). Miles also encounters Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Miles’ unofficial trainer from the first film. Peter has resumed his marriage with Mary Jane (Melissa Sturm), and the couple know has a baby girl named Mayday who also has spider powers.

Miles is taken to meet Miguel, who is the leader of all the spider people. Miguel explains that each of the spider people’s stories include a canon event which placed them on the path to being the hero that they need to be. Miguel explains that these events are critical to maintaining stability in the multiverse, and if they are interrupted or prevented that they can cause the universe to collapse. Miguel knows this based on Miguel’s past when he tried to replace a deceased version of himself in another universe which ended in calamity.

Miles begins to realize that the Spot’s future murder of his father is a canon event. Miles immediately tries to return to his universe to protect his father, but he is imprisoned by Miguel who seeks to protect the entire multiverse. Miles seeks help from Gwen and Peter, but his former friends do nothing. However, Hobie surprises Miles by secretly indicating how he can free himself from Miguel’s cage. Miles uses his electronic sting to break the containment, and in the aftermath, Hobie quits the Spider Society.

Miles flees through the complex pursued by every spider person in the multiverse. Miles manages to break out of the complex and into the outside world. Miguel aggressively pursues and eventually captures Miles on a train. Miguel informs Miles that he is an anomaly and that he was never supposed to become Spider-Man. Miguel tells Miles that Earth 42 does not have a Spider-Man because the collider brought the spider that bit Miles to his world by mistake. More importantly, Miguel tells Miles that he caused the death of Peter Parker, the real Spider-Man, on Miles’ world. Miles smiles and tells Miguel that no one was going to tell him his own story before informing Miguel that he planned on leading the entire Spider Society away from the complex and the now unprotected portal. Miles then uses his electronic stinger on Miguel and rushes back to the complex.

Miles successfully makes it back to the spider complex, which is now essentially empty. He enters the dimensional portal and is detected by Spider-Byte, who surprisingly assists him jumping to what Miles believes is his home dimension. Miguel is upset that Miles has escaped and dispatches some of the spider people to Earth 1610 to stop and capture Miles before he can prevent his father’s death. Miguel is upset with Gwen for brining Miles to the complex and considers her a liability. He banishes her back to her home multiverse without her portal watch. Once there, Gwen visits her father and reconciles. Captain Stacy reveals that he has resigned from the police force. He also provides her with a portal watch that Hobie secretly left for her.

Meanwhile, Miles returns to his home in Brooklyn. He encounters his mother, but Miles is shocked when his deceased Uncle Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali) walks through the door. Miles soon realizes that he is on Earth 42, the universe from which the spider that bit him came from. In this universe, Jeff Morales is dead, Uncle Aaron is alive, and New York is overrun with crime due to there being no Spider-Man to protect the city.

Back on Earth 1610, Gwen arrives and avoids all of Miguel’s spider people to sneak into Miles’ home. Gwen talks with Miles’ parents and promises to bring their son home. Gwen realizes that Miles is lost in the multiverse with no way home. She recruits Miles’ friends to help her seek out and save Miles. Her team includes Peter B., Mayday, Pavitr, Hobie, Spider-Byte, Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney).

At the same time, the Spot, having acquired increased powers across the multiverse, prepares to begin his attack. Meanwhile, Peter goes to his uncle’s loft in Brooklyn. While there, Miles is attacked by his uncle and chained up. Aaron reveals that he knows that Miles is not the Miles of his universe. A moment later, the Prowler of Earth 42 arrives and reveals himself to be the Miles of Earth 42. The film ends with the Spot preparing to attack, Gwen and her team preparing to jump to an alternate universe, and Miles preparing to use his electronic sting to free himself. The story ends in a cliff hanger that will conclude in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.