Exclusive: Behind-the-Scenes Drama: Find Out Which Fan-Favorite Spider-Man Almost Got the Axe in Across The Spider-Verse!

Summary

Spider-Punk, initially considered for removal from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was deemed essential to the film's story and its impact on Miles Morales.

Spider-Punk's skepticism towards authority and disillusionment with the Spider Society make him an invaluable comrade to Miles, contributing greatly to the formation of bonds and alliances. Deleting Spider-Punk would have led to a diminished social circle for Miles, difficulties in obtaining a portal watch, and a vacant spot in Gwen Stacy's team of heroes, underscoring the crucial need to retain his presence in the film.

The film's creative team revealed that one of the new Spider-People introduced in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was almost removed from the final film. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, released on June 2, 2023, expanded on the number of interdimensional heroes introduced in 2018's Into the Spider-Verse for Sony's Spider-Verse franchise. Led by Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Man 2099, the new Spider-People, part of the expansive Spider Society, served as both allies and enemies to Miles Morales. However, initially, one of Miles' closest new friends was planned to be cut from the storyline. In an interview with Empire Magazine, writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, as well as directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, discussed the challenges they faced in crafting the story to fit into one film. This eventually led to the decision to split the film into two, with Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse currently in development. Initially, Hobie Brown, also known as Spider-Punk, was considered for removal, but the team realized the negative impact this would have on Miles Morales' narrative and ultimately decided against it.

Why Spider-Punk Was So Essential To Across The Spider-Verse

In our quest to shorten the movie, we considered various options. One idea that came up was to treat Punk as a detour. However, about a year prior to the release, we made the decision to remove him from the film. Upon watching it, we identified a problem: Miles consistently fails throughout the entire movie. Drawing from our experience with the previous film, we realized that he needed to form alliances, achieve victory, make friends, and ultimately end the movie with something he didn't have at the beginning. It was at that moment when Chris [Miller] and I exchanged a knowing look and said, "He needs Hobie." As a result, the movie expanded slightly on that day.

In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales found himself lacking allies within the Spider Society. Even Peter B. Parker, with whom Miles had formed a strong bond in Into the Spider-Verse, appeared to betray him. However, amidst this turmoil, Miles discovered a steadfast companion in Hobie Brown, also known as Spider-Punk. Portrayed by the talented British actor Daniel Kaluuya, Spider-Punk's rebellious and anti-establishment mindset propelled him to readily assist Miles, even if it meant conflicting with the Spider Society.

In one deleted scene of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Punk's doubt in Miguel O'Hara and the Spider Society was revealed, making him the perfect character for Miles Morales to connect with. Removing Hobie from the 2023 film would have led to a smaller inner circle of friends for Miles, Gwen Stacy needing to find a portal watch elsewhere, and the film's heroic team being one member short in its final moments. This would have been a heartbreaking loss, making it the correct decision to bring Spider-Punk back into Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.