Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a sleeper hit that took everyone (even the developers) by surprise by becoming an Academy Award-winning feature film. With the success it has garnered, the Spider-Verse story has picked up interest, and a sequel is sure to see more versions of Spider-Man.
For those who don’t know, we’ve seen Spider-Verse stories before in the comic books and Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which have given us hundreds of alternate versions of the superhero. Every Spider-Man we’ve ever seen has a shot in appearing in the Spider-Verse sequel, including the live-action incarnations, video game, and animated versions. With this in mind, here are 5 alternate versions of Spider-Man we want to see in the Spider-Verse sequel, and 5 we don’t want.
Want: Superior Spider-Man
This version created a ruckus a few years ago when Otto Octavius swapped bodies with Peter Parker, resulting in the latter dying in Doc Ock’s degenerating body. The Superior Spider-Man was even a comic book series for around two years before Parker was brought back.
Having this “Superior” Spider-Man in the Spider-Verse will grant us a Spidey who isn’t a hero. He wasn’t completely a villain, either, and his lack of morality will enable the film to be much darker than what most would expect. It would also make for a different interpretation of Spider-Man, as this one still had the mind of Otto Octavius.
Don't Want: Eight-Limb Spider-Man
This one has been called the Man-Spider due it being more Spider than Man. A story featured Peter Parker being consumed by his mutation to the point that he became a monstrous spider without Parker’s conscience.
The last episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series had a Spider-Man from an alternate universe still suffering from this affliction, and last we saw him, he was taken into another dimension without anything revealed about where he went or what happened to him. He could pop up in the Spider-Verse sequel, but he’s too one-dimensional to be very engaging. Plus, the difference in animation here would make this Spider-Man look too scary.
Want: Andrew Garfield Spider-Man
In the Spider-Verse comic book storyline, it was implied that the Andrew Garfield version was seen in a panel or two during this crisis, and there’s always room for more with this guy. The Amazing Spider-Man series never did justice to this version, and he’s perfect for a story that involves more fantastical elements rather than being grounded in reality.
It’s an easy route for him to return, too; all that needs to be done is for the studio to hire Andrew Garfield to voice him. He had nothing left in his universe either since Gwen Stacy’s death and the animated universe beckons, so we can see more of this character.
Don't Want: Pavitr Prabhakar Spider-Man
He has a pretty rad look if we’re being honest, and a diversified Spider-Man can only be a good thing. However, he is sure to be more of a gimmick than a character of substance if he shows up in the Spider-Verse sequel.
Being a unique character, it won’t be much of a point if Pavitr Prabhakar shows up just for a cameo or two, and it would be an injustice if he shows up for a supporting role, as it wouldn’t allow him to make a mark. All in all, Pavitr Prabhakar needs his own movie, or shouldn’t be in any movie at all.
Want: '90s Spider-Man
This is the Spider-Man the 1980-90s kids grew up with when the show was on Fox Kids! Before Spider-Man entered live-action, the animated series was the most popular version ever created. He deserves the popularity, too, as this Peter Parker was both extremely hilarious and a complex character.
He was used to universe-ending scenarios, with the Beyonder recruiting him as part of a Spider-Verse scenario of this version’s own. He’s experienced enough to play a mentorship role in the Spider-Verse sequel, and he won’t take long to make an impact, due to his personality being more like Tony Stark's.
Don't Want: Bruce Banner Spider-Man
In the comic book Spider-Verse story, we saw almost every Spider-Man version there was; this included those you’d never have thought would exist. One of the versions had Bruce Banner being Spider-Man. More specifically, it was the Bruce Banner who had merged with the Hulk in a single conscience.
This Hulk/Bruce Banner was then infected by the same spider that bit Peter Parker and became the Spider-Man of his universe, which was known as Earth-200527. However, we feel it would be overkill to have Hulk show up as Spider-Man, especially in a movie that is geared toward children, and it would be too confusing for the audience to digest.
Want: Venomverse Spider-Man
There’s one storyline known as the Venomverse, and this one features Spider-Man as the villain and Venom as the superhero. In this universe, Spider-Man rebonded with the symbiote after Eddie Brock’s time, which led to him becoming completely deranged to the point where he became consumed by villainous thoughts.
This is a version we feel is too cool to pass up, and the Spider-Verse sequel would benefit by having the Venom Spider-Man as the main villain. The story could be that he was extracted from his own timeline and set into the movie’s one, where he decides to kill the protagonist and establish himself as the primary Spider-Man.
Don't Want: Insomniac's Spider-Man
Those who have a PlayStation 4 will be aware of the Spider-Man game that recently arrived on the system and became the most-sold game in the console’s history. This Spider-Man was 23 years old and had a chronology separate from the comic book and movie ones, and his story had him going through character development to accept his role permanently as Spider-Man.
Having gone through so much in his own game, it wouldn’t be fitting to have him show up in a film where he would only be a supporting character at most and wouldn’t have much of a role to play.
Want: Tobey Maguire Spider-Man
He remains the quintessential Spider-Man for the contemporary generation, but Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man never got an actual ending for himself. Last we saw him, he was seemingly reconciled with Mary Jane but was broken over the loss of Harry Osbourne and the uncertainty of his psyche.
With all this tragedy, there’s enough room for this Spidey to jump universes and find himself in a different setting where he learns that tragedy shapes someone to become who they’re supposed to be. It would also be a mouth-watering opportunity to see him share the screen with Andrew Garfield’s version. People are still clamoring for Spider-Man 4, and Tobey’s Spider-Man showing up in the Spider-Verse sequel would be the next best thing.
Don't Want: Zombies Spider-Man
Comic book storylines tend to get really out of hand, and this is off-putting to the fan who just wants a straight-forward story rather than a plot that zig-zags to ridiculous places. The zombie version of Spider-Man is as insane as one can imagine, as he ended up eating Aunt May and Mary Jane due to the infection that consumed him after being bit by Captain America.
He would then take ridiculousness to mind-boggling lengths by consuming Galactus and becoming a cosmic being. All this is rather silly, and having this version appear on the Spider-Verse sequel is a recipe for concocting a flop film rather than an interesting serving. We hope never to see this zombie Spider-Man in a mainstream chronology.