The trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse reveals a connection between the upcoming animated movie and The Fantastic Four. While details of the story are still largely a mystery, the second trailer for Across the Spider-Verse gives audiences a glimpse of the Spider-Man variants they can expect to see in the new movie. These variants include Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) who is seen fighting Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in the closing shots of the Across the Spider-Verse trailer.
Other variants include the PS4 Spider-Man and Peter Parker's super-powered daughter and wife, Anna-May and MJ Parker. The trailer reveals a sprawling structure where all of these Spider-Man variants hang out and which Gwen and Miles will visit in Across the Spider-Verse. Within this extensive group of alternate Spider-Men and Spider-Women, there's also a variant who has some ties to Reed Richards and The Fantastic Four.
How An Across the Spider-Verse Appearance Connects To The Fantastic 4
One of the multiple Spider-Variants in Across the Spider-Verse is the Bombastic Bagman, seen wandering around in their multiverse HQ trailer and then being caught by Miles Morales later on. This alternate version of Peter Parker's costume originated in the comics during the "Alien Costume Saga" which ran across multiple Spider-Man titles between 1984 and 1985. After experiencing bad dreams as a result of his damaging symbiotic relationship with the Venom symbiote, Peter Parker sought the help of Reed Richards to separate the bond between them.
Once Parker had been separated from his alien symbiote, he required a new costume to get home without revealing his secret identity. He was provided with one by a characteristically mischievous Johnny Storm, who gave Peter a spare, shoe-less, Fantastic Four costume, a brown paper bag and a "Kick Me" sign on the back. The costume has only appeared twice, but has become an alternate costume in multiple Spider-Man video games and will appear in Across the Spider-Verse. It's likely due to its connections to the hugely popular "Alien Costume Saga" arc, which was later adapted for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 (2007), albeit without the Bombastic Bagman or The Fantastic Four.
Spider-Man Has A History Of Getting Suits From Other Marvel Characters
One of the defining aspects of Peter Parker's character is that he's always living on the breadline, juggling his responsibilities as a superhero with making enough money to pay his rent and help his Aunt May. As a result, he often benefits from the kindness of other Marvel characters, of which Johnny Storm is just one. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) famously provided Peter Parker (Tom Holland) with the Iron Spider suit in the MCU, in reference to the character doing the same during the 2006-07 comics arc Civil War.
Other Marvel characters that have provided Peter Parker with alternate Spider-suits include Doctor Octopus' Superior Spider-Man costume from Dan Slott's 2013-2014 comics run of the same name. In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles' original suit is a cheap costume store version of his universe's deceased Peter Parker (Chris Pine). At the end of the movie, Peter's Aunt May (Lily Tomlin) gifts Miles web shooters and one of her nephew's original suits, emphasizing that Miles has earned his place as Spider-Man.
Other costumes include the Fear Itself suit, built by Tony Stark, and the Nidavellir dwarves from the same metal that forged Thor's hammer, and the Streaming Suit, created by J. Jonah Jameson to Livestream Spider-Man's battles with New York criminals and supervillains. It's unclear if these two variants will feature in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but the inclusion of Peter's The Fantastic Four costume suggests that anything's possible.
