"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is a tangled web of so many references, cameos and hidden Easter eggs that even hardcore Marvel fans may struggle to keep up. There are far too many to count and likely plenty yet to be discovered, but below, we've rounded up a few of the best.
Jack Quaid's Peter Parker
"The Boys" star Jack Quaid briefly voices the Peter Parker from Gwen Stacy's world in the opening sequence.
'No Way Home' is referenced
Miguel O'Hara complains about the chaos caused by "Doctor Strange and that little nerd back on Earth-199999," referencing "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Later, when Miguel explains the Spider-Verse to Miles, we see the same sort of branching timelines from the MCU, including in "Loki."
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Miles' roommate Ganke appears to be playing Insomniac's PlayStation 4 "Spider-Man" game early in the film. Later, this game's Spider-Man appears at the Spider-Society headquarters. After Lyla introduces Miles to video game characters, the PS4 Spider-Man, identified on screen as "Insomniac Spider-Man," asks, "Are you talking to me?"
'Guy in the chair'
Ganke tells Miles he isn't his "guy in the chair," a reversal from when Peter's friend Ned wanted to be his "guy in the chair" in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
Mrs. Chen
Spot pops into a live-action dimension and encounters Mrs. Chen, the shopkeeper from "Venom."
The power of the multiverse
Spot proclaims he has the "power of the multiverse in the palm of my hand," echoing Doctor Octopus' line from "Spider-Man 2": "The power of the sun in the palm of my hand."
Armadillo
The villain Miles swiftly defeats on the subway tracks is Armadillo, whose genes are combined with an armadillo's genetic material in the comics.
Donald Glover's the Prowler
Donald Glover makes a surprise appearance as the Prowler, likely from the MCU. Glover played Aaron Davis, who references a nephew implied to be Miles Morales, in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," but this is the first time we've seen him in the Prowler costume. The creation of Miles Morales was also inspired in part by a scene from "Community" where Glover wore Spider-Man pajamas, making this a full-circle moment.
Animated Spider-Man cameos
Many versions of Spider-Man from various media make cameos in the film, including the lead of the "Spectacular Spider-Man," who tells Miles, "We know it's hard, but it's the truth." The Uncle Ben from this animated series is also shown.
Soon after, the Spider-Man from the 1960s animated series swings in to take down Miles before exclaiming he "pulled something!" Keep an eye out for the Spider-Man from the "Spider-Man Unlimited" animated series, as well.
Andy Samberg's Scarlet Spider
The Spider-Man who can't talk because he's thinking about his past is Ben Reilly, a.k.a. the Scarlet Spider, a Peter Parker clone in the comics. Andy Samberg voices him in the film.
J.K. Simmons and Alfred Molina
J.K. Simmons again voices J. Jonah Jameson in news broadcasts, and when Miles runs from the Spider-People, Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus can be heard saying, "Hello, Peter." This audio appears to have been lifted from "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire
When Miguel shows Miles various events from the multiverse, Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man appears via footage taken from Captain Stacy's death in "The Amazing Spider-Man."
We also see Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man via footage of Uncle Ben's death from 2002's "Spider-Man," as well as a clip of his upside-down kiss with Mary Jane.
'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' game
Viewers are also shown a clip of Uncle Ben dying in Andrew Garfield's universe, though weirdly not from the movie. Instead, it seems to be taken from the "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" video game.
ASM 90
Miguel calls the canon event where a police captain close to Spider-Man dies "ASM 90." In the comics, Gwen Stacy's father, Captain Stacy, died in issue 90 of "The Amazing Spider-Man."
The Bombastic Bag-Man
Julia Carpenter and the Superior Spider-Man are among the many other Spider-People who show up in the film. But one of the funniest cameos is a Spider-Man with a paper bag over his head, a reference to a moment from the comics when Peter didn't have his suit and had to wear a Fantastic Four outfit with a bag for a mask. He's known as the Bombastic Bag-Man.
The Sinister Six
A newscast in the final scene on Earth-42 mentions the "Sinister Six cartel," referencing the group of supervillains from the comics — and hinting that Miles has his work cut out for him next time.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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