Well, that was intense! The much-anticipated sequel to 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is finally here. Along with it came greater expectations for the sequel to ramp up the storytelling, action and general multiversal mayhem. And it did not disappoint, be sure to check out our review for why we think “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the best Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2”. We always knew that Miles Morales’ story as the web-slinging hero of his universe was never an easy one. “Across the Spider-Verse” however not only expands on the familiar woes of being Spider-Man but presents Miles with a challenge that questions his entire existence and journey as the hero.
By the end of it all, you may be left with some burning questions. How exactly do the Spider-Verse and Canon Events work? How powerful is the Spot? And most importantly, what’s next for Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy? We’ll be answering those questions and more as we dive deep into the Spider-Verse!
Spider-Verse and Canon Events Explained
So let’s start by dealing with the most insane bombshell dropped in the film: Miles Morales is indeed a dangerous anomaly to the Spider-Verse because he was never meant to be Spider-Man, seeing that there already was Spider-Man in his universe. The radioactive spider that bit him was meant for a Miles Morales of a different universe, Earth-42. Through no fault of his own, Kingpin and Dr Jonathan Ohnn, also known as the Spot, had opened up Earth-1610 to the wider multiverse, causing further destabilisation to all universes. Just as we theorised about the Spider-Verse earlier (which we were totally right by the way!), Spider-Man 2099 is indeed trying to create a stable baseline for the Spider-Verse through “canon events”.
Somehow, the prevention of a key canon event due to multiversal intervention could cause the destruction of an entire universe, as seen with Spider-Man India’s world when Miles saves the day. The same thing now threatens Miles Morales’ universe if his father Jefferson Davis fails to die at the hands of the Spot. This is his canon event! The question you may be wondering is: Why does a whole universe have to die because a Spider-Person gets to live a normal well-adjusted life? Alright, you may have noticed that what happened in Spider-Man India’s universe when it seemingly started dissolving into this sort of black-ash-liquidy substance. This looks rather similar to the same thing happening to Sinister Strange’s universe in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”.
We also know that the longer a person from one universe stays in another, the greater the damage to them and the fabric of that universe’s reality as observed in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”. Those special watches given to members of Spider-Man 2099’s strike force prevent their presence from destabilising the timeline and universe. However, if they cause any major changes to the pre-determined sequence of events then that universe falls apart. As explained in the first season of “Loki”, a new universe/timeline is naturally created when there is a fork in the road.
For example, let’s say in one timeline you have the choice to order nasi lemak or mee jawa. If in that timeline you decide to order nasi lemak, then that timeline would naturally branch out to another timeline/universe where you ordered mee jawa. That’s fine. What’s not fine is you coming into one of the timelines and killing the mee jawa aunty and making yourself very much known. When you do this, you have possibly done two things. One, you have possibly caused an incursion between your universe and the one you visited. Two, even if you were to disappear after causing the event, you would have upset the natural flow of that universe so much that it collapses onto itself. This is precisely why the Spot is such a threat to everything in the Spider-Verse and beyond.
The Spider-Verse and Beyond
Right, so it has been confirmed that we will be getting a sequel to “Across the Spider-Verse” next year in the film “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”. So let’s talk predictions. The film will probably pick up with Miles Morales escaping from Earth-42, where his evil Prowler variant lives. Either he’ll find a way out or he’ll be saved by Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Woman and her team of Spider-People consisting of Miles’ mentor Peter Parker, Spider-Punk, Spider-Byte, Spider-Pig, Spider-Man India, Spider-Man Noir and Peni Parker. Now, we predict that Miles is going to convince his darker variant to have a change of heart and allow him to save the Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, it would have been too late for Miles to save Earth-42 from destruction and, with a heavy heart, Prowler Miles will bid him farewell as Miles and the team travels back to Earth-1610.
From there, they’ll regroup their forces and begin to plan how to take down the Spot and save the Spider-Verse. You see, the Spot has uncovered the ability to traverse the multiverse and plans to absorb enough multiversal power, or “spots”, to become a true threat to Miles Morales, Earth-1610 and the whole multiverse. If he’s able to tear holes in every universe in the Spider-Verse, he could destabilise every one of them or bring about multiple incursions. Simply put, he could wipe out all Spider-People and universes from the multiverse! They’re bound to bump into Spider-Man 2099 and his Spider-Society here and there but the two groups will end up fighting alongside to save the Spider-Verse.
Now, here’s the really, really crazy wild prediction we’re throwing out there: Miles is going to meet the Great Weaver of the Spider-Verse. Who is the Great Weaver? Long story short, he is the god-like master of the Web of Life and Destiny, also referred to as the Spider-Verse, in the comics. This web accounts for all realities within the multiverse and is maintained and controlled by a great Spider-God known as the Great Weaver. Sometimes, he may speak through his avatars such as the Master Weaver.
Fun fact: the reason why Spider-People are able to sense things before they happen is due to their special connection to the Web of Life and Destiny.
In any case, we believe that the Great Weaver, or his avatar, will explain to Miles, and possibly Spider-Man 2099, that his encounter with the spider from Earth-42 wasn’t a mistake. That far beyond Spider-Man 2099’s understanding of the Spider-Verse, there is a grander design at work. Miles will then be told that he has been predestined or allowed to become Spider-Man because Miles would be the one to defeat the Spot. He will be the one to save the Spider-People and the multiverse. Unlike Spider-Man 2099’s limited vision of destiny and fate, Miles is beyond that. In fact, he may be the one to lead and control the Web of Life and Destiny as a possible avatar!
So what do you think of the ending of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”? Do you agree with our theories? Be sure to let us know on our socials and stay tuned for more Spider-news here!
