Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse features many variants of the titular superhero, naturally raising the question as to whether Tom Holland's MCU version makes an appearance. Across the Spider-Verse centers on Miles and Gwen attempting to save the multiverse from The Spot, although it also focuses on Miles Morales' own conflict with the Spider-Society and the many iterations of Spider-Man the group is comprised of.
Due to the inclusion of a group like this, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is full of Easter eggs, cameos, and roles for its various versions of Spider-Man. From Spider-Man 2099 and the Scarlet Spider to Spider-Woman, Spider-Punk, and Spider-Man India, the movie doubles down on the multiversal cameos featured in its predecessor. Across the Spider-Verse even includes cameos from Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire - seemingly building on the Across The Spider-Verse trailer that showed all three live-action Spider-Men - leading many to wonder whether Tom Holland's Spider-Man follows suit, even if just for a moment.
Tom Holland Is Not In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Tom Holland doesn't appear in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, despite other live-action Spider-Man appearances. While this may simply be a matter of creators not wanting to include Holland's Spider-Man - or worrying that including him would make the audience's focus be on his appearance - his absence also makes sense given what viewers have seen of MCU Peter Parker's on-screen story. While the two live-action cameos in Across The Spider-Verse reuse footage of the death of Uncle Ben found in both respective franchises, audiences have never seen this moment with Holland's Spider-Man, meaning it wouldn't work on the same level - although there were still some heavy hints Holland's hero exists in the same multiverse.
How Across the Spider-Verse Connects To MCU Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2099's references to Earth-199999's "little nerd" and Doctor Strange connect the MCU Spider-Man to Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse depite Holland's physical absence. This has created some confusion, as the MCU was initially thought to be Earth-199999, then believed to be Earth-616, as per Doctor Strange 2. However, it's possible this is a tweak made to keep the Spider-Verse uncomplicated, as within its world, Peter B. Parker lives in Earth-616 instead. Indeed, the decision to explicitly mention this seems an attempt to ensure Holland's Spider-Man can canonically exist here, as otherwise the two Spider-Men would overlap.
Interestingly, this isn't the only way Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse seemingly seeks to connect to the MCU Spider-Man. The Spider-Society's collection of trapped antagonists includes Donald Glover's live-action iteration of Aaron Davis, who was introduced to audiences in Spider-Man: Homecoming. While audiences never saw him in the Prowler outfit as he is in Across The Spider-Verse, it's hard to imagine this isn't the MCU version of the character, and thus another link between the two different franchises. With this in mind, while Tom Holland's Spider-Man may not have appeared in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, the movie goes to lengths to tie his world to its multiverse - and to suggest it wouldn't be impossible for him to appear in the future.
