Aside from a semi-memorable episode of the ‘90s Spider-Man cartoon, The Spot’s appearances outside of the comic book realm have been few and far between. So having him serve as the primary big-bad in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was a bold move. But the filmmakers’ take on the D-list supervillain might compel audiences to see him in a brand new light. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller explained how The Spot is key to Miles Morales’ new adventure.
The upcoming sequel expands the supporting Spider-Verse cast to “around 240” characters by Lord and Miller’s estimation. However, the focus is still on Miles, who is “trying to figure out how he can go out and see the world and spread his wings and leave the nest” while also not losing sight of his roots. In other words, his quest to earn the mantle of Spider-Man isn’t quite finished yet. And fans will watch The Spot’s story unfold in similar ways as he tries to shed his “goofy” reputation.
“I like the villains best when they reflect the journeys of the hero — sort of a dark mirror of the protagonist,” said Lord. “And I think Spot’s no different. He wants to be seen as legitimate. He’s a character that has a silly costume and is not always seen as the top tier of Spider-Man foes, but like all of us, he wants to be taken seriously.”
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The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) won’t be the only character who gives Miles a hard time in next year’s sequel. Lord and Miller also confirmed that Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 will offer his own share of resistance as Miles navigates his away multiple different dimensions. But this is mainly on account of their conflicting philosophies on how to save the world.
“[Miguel]’s not the villain of the movie,” added Miller. “But he’s sort of an antagonist to Miles because they both think that what they’re doing is the right thing.”
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will hit theaters on June 2, 2023.
Are you excited to watch Miles and The Spot square off next year? Let us know in the comment section below!
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