Almost a year after release, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse still has hidden details and secrets that are being uncovered.
This one in particular comes from co-director Joaquim Dos Santos, who reveals a “little character modulation” that blows the sequel’s cliffhanger – Miles being held on Earth-42 by his alternate universe self – wide open.
In an interview with Collider, Dos Santos and the other directors explain how they didn’t want to end on too much of a downer because it ended “like a snuff film”.
For the directors, that included the big picture – Gwen getting the band back together – and smaller, more intricate moments. That includes a beat you may have never zeroed in on before where Miles is slowly draining power from The Prowler’s glove…
"Well, it's little things, too, right? So, it's like the difference of Miles being in this really bad position, and it looks grim for him, versus a little character modulation, like him starting to touch the chain and the sparks coming through his hands, and that glint in his eye," Dos Santos explained.
"It's really, really subtle, but you can see the Prowler's Gauntlet there, and it starts dimming a little bit because he's drawing power from the gauntlet. So those little things, it's almost subconscious, but it really does help you feel like Miles has some agency in the scene."
As Peter B. Parker might say: watch the hands. Judging by the reaction online – you can see such an example below – there are plenty who didn’t quite realize the significance of Miles’ little spark of electricity in Across the Spider-Verse’s final act.
That's such a cool detail that I never noticed. And the implication is that the draining aspect isn't something just limited to his palms? So goated 🔥 https://t.co/9lWqNz3ti9 pic.twitter.com/3KGvxZ30lTFebruary 24, 2024
So, don’t be surprised if Beyond the Spider-Verse opens with a quite literal jolt. Unfortunately, we don’t know when the threequel will spark into life – it was delayed indefinitely last year and there’s been no word of an upcoming release date.
For more on Across the Spider-Verse, swing on over to our explainer on the Across The Spider-Verse ending, the list of Across The Spider-Verse Easter eggs you may have missed, and our own interview with the directors on why Miles being The Prowler was a last-minute addition.
