Spidey returned to the big screen last week with Miles Morales, a famous character and superhero in Marvel Comics, as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This was a much-anticipated follow-up to the 2018 animated movie that rose to become one of the crown jewels of superhero cinema. Die-hard Spider-Man fans were on the edge of their seats ever since the release of the movie’s trailer in December 2021, and with how the movie’s rating and box office scores are looking in just a week after its release, they were not let down.
Ratings, Scores, and Reviews…
A sequel to Sony’s Oscar-winning “Into the Spider-Verse,” Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse knocked it out of the park by earning $120 million in its first weekend, which is more than double for the original’s opening weekend. The movie collected a 96% on the Tomatometer with a 96% of Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9.1/10 on IMDb. Some of its famous reviews go as:
“It’s hard to follow up such a success, but Across the Spider-Verse (the second of a planned trilogy) takes the action and the story to the next level and may just be a superior film.”
–Josh Flanders, Chicago Reader, Top Critic at Rotten Tomatoes
“It might be hyperbole to say that this state-of-the art animation is about as genius as it gets for the genre. But for kids, teens, and twentysomethings, raised on MTV, comic books, and TikTok, that isn’t an overstatement. It’s their truth.”
–Dwight Brown, Top Critic at Rotten Tomatoes
The first movie, one of the earliest cinematic introductions to the universe, began with a weaker $34.4 million but quickly became an international hit, grossing $190 million in North America and $384 million internationally. Now, because of the positive response induced by “Into the Spider-Verse” and the quality to match the expectation, the sequel has been a blockbuster from the start. “Across the Spider-Verse” has already grossed $208 million globally, including $88.1 million at the overseas movie office.
After being interviewed on the red carpet by Variety, the film’s production crew hinted exciting insights regarding the future of the whole Spider-Man franchise. Producer Amy Pascal said, “You’ll see everything.” “It’s all happening”. The crew was also asked about the potential release of a Spider-Woman film, which is supposed to be in the works.
Across the Spider-Verse: Plot and Characters
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The film follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who struggles to balance his life as a 15-year-old boy with the responsibilities of being Spider-Man, including battling the interdimensional threat “The Spot” (Jason Schwartzman) alongside his friends Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson).
The character of Miles Morales first debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 in 2011, created by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, who was inspired by former President Barack Obama, Donald Glover, and the popular television show Community. Miles appears after Peter Parker’s death, becoming New York’s hero and one of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters in recent years.
Why the Movie Struck Box Office Gold
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There are several reasons why “Across the Spider-Verse” performed so well at the box office. For one thing, the studio created a film that was well-received by both viewers and critics. “It’s really rare that sequels increase their box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore during an interview. “There was a time when the term ‘sequel’ was thought of as a cheap money grab,” However he added, “This movie didn’t fall into that trap.”
Another reason that impacted the box office popularity of Across the Spider-Verse was its predecessor Spider-Man: No Way Home, which made $1.9 billion at the global box office and is currently the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time. The advent of the universe and many Spider-Men was the most appealing aspect of No Way Home. Granted, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse accomplished this in a far greater fashion in 2018, but it didn’t gain nearly as much popularity.
With the introduction of a full-fledged Spider-Verse in the MCU in Across the Spider-Verse, the movie had already won the hearts of fans all over without it even releasing. Other factors that play a huge role in the film’s success are well-written and thought-out characters with detailed arcs, stunning graphics, and a stellar soundtrack courtesy of Daniel Pemberton, an accomplished composer.
The Future of Spider-Man and MCU
Upon its release, fans of both the MCU and Spider-Man have now been more excited than ever to learn about the future of Spider-Men and the Spider-Verse. When asked about the return of another sequel, Pascal said: “Are we going to make another movie? Of course, we are. We’re in the process, but the writers strike, nobody is working during the strike. We’re all being supporters and whenever they get themselves together, we’ll get started.”
Moreover, spinoffs centered on other characters will continue to be released. Tom Hardy will reprise his role in Venom 3, while Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney will make their superhero debuts in Madame Web and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will return to Marvel in Kraven the Hunter.
Sony Pictures also has just partnered with Amazon Studios to create a television verse in which other great characters such as Silk and Spider-Man Noir will be able to tell their tales in series form.
The Spider-Man brand has never been stronger, owing to the massive success of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, and now the constantly rising fame of Across the Spider-Verse promises fans and movie-lovers alike with more cinematic hits in the future of MCU.
