When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse came out in spring 2023, they promised a sequel just one year later. However, that didn’t quite work out. Sony took Beyond the Spider-Verse off the schedule for 2024 before indefinitely delaying it. Rumors then started to surface that Sony had scrapped almost everything so far for the third chapter. Furthermore, the film would not see the light of day until 2027. That’s a full four years since Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters and left a cliffhanger ending. But earlier in the year, two creatives involved debunked this rumor. Of course, there is still no release date in sight for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, although the movie has set directors for its final outing. It seems like there ought to have already been directors, but what do we know?
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Sets Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson Directors
In important signs of life for the movie, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has named Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson as its directors. Both Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson have been involved in the Spider-Verse series since its inception. Persichetti was a part of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s directorial team and was also an executive producer on its sequel movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Meanwhile, Thompson was a production designer on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and he helped to craft the much-lauded visuals of the Spider-Verse franchise. He was a member of the directorial team on Across the Spider-Verse.
Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson share in a statement, “We have had the immense privilege of being part of Miles’ journey from the very beginning, and directing the conclusion to his story is beyond exciting. The creativity and care poured into every minute of this project has been truly inspiring. We have crafted what we feel is a very satisfying ending, and we can’t wait for fans to experience it – we’re bringing everything we’ve got!”
Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Amy Pascal, and Avi Arad will return as producers. Additionally, Lord and Miller wrote the script along with David Callaham. The creative duo share, “Bob and Justin’s fingerprints are woven into the DNA of these films, and their passion for Miles’ journey shines through in every frame of his last adventure. There is nothing more rewarding than collaborating with creative partners with bold vision and brilliant execution like Bob and Justin. We are thrilled to work with them once again to create a beautiful and satisfying conclusion to this story.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Does Not Yet Have a Release Date, But It’s Not Starting From Scratch
Regarding the progress of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, Chris Miller said the following via social media. “Nothing has been scrapped. The reels are coming along nicely.” Meanwhile, composer Daniel Pemberton said “Don’t really ever want to weigh in on this sort of stuff, BUT would you ever believe there could sometimes be stuff on the internet that might not always be particularly accurate? Hmmm.” Both creators are assuring the fans that they are not starting from scratch with the third part of this trilogy.
Of course, Beyond is still not on any schedule. While it may be true that they’re not starting over as rumors suggest, there are clearly changes going on. When Across the Spider-Verse did significantly larger box office than Into the Spider-Verse, as well as getting similar critical praise, the pressure was on to stick the landing. So we might not be waiting to find out what happened to Miles Morales until 2027. Yet, it might still be 2026. It would be quite a coincidence if the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and Sony Animation’s Spider-Verse saga both ended within months of each other. Regardless, a recent report suggests that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will definitely not be arriving in 2025. But that might not be a bad thing, as the report also notes that Sony is “taking a lot of tender loving care with the next Spider-Verse animated movie.”
Hopefully soon, we’ll get concrete information from Sony Animation on when Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse officially hits theaters.
Originally published September 10, 2024.
