Exclusive: Surprising Spider-Man Variant Cut from Across The Spider-Verse! Find Out Which One

Highlights

Spider-Boy, a Spider-Man variant, was drawn by the film's lead character designer but didn't make it into Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse due to legal reasons.

Marvel's rival company, DC, owns the character Spider-Boy, thereby preventing his inclusion in the film. Similar legal obstacles were encountered in the earlier movie when Spider-Ham imitated Porky Pig's iconic phrase, but the involvement of Spider-Boy, owing to his association with DC, was deemed unattainable.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse wowed audiences with its stunning visuals, largely due to the inclusion of numerous versions of Spider-Man. Unfortunately, one of these variants, Spider-Boy, did not make it into the final cut despite being drawn by the film's lead character designer, Kris Anka. Anka revealed that Spider-Boy had initially been intended to have a cameo alongside the other Spider-Man variants, but he had to be removed from the film due to legal complications.

A Twitter user named "charlz" shared an image of Spider-Boy and asked if the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse image was genuine. They expressed uncertainty about its authenticity, mentioning that a friend had sent them the picture and they couldn't find the design anywhere else. They also wondered if the user who posted the image had drawn it. Anka, the user in question, confirmed that the image was indeed real. However, due to legal reasons, it was not used in the film. Anka explained that although they had never shared the actual drawing, it was ultimately decided that they couldn't use it.

To provide some background, during the 1990s when Marvel and DC were facing financial difficulties, they collaborated on a crossover event called Marvel Versus DC in 1996. This resulted in the creation of Spider-Boy, a character who was a combination of Spider-Man and SuperBoy, and named Peter Ross after his adopted father Thunderbolt Ross. However, because Spider-Boy had connections to DC, they were not permitted to feature him in the movie.

There is irony here because the predecessor of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Into the Spider-Verse, faced a similar challenge with legalities. Spider-Ham resembles Porky Pig and behaves like a character from Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes franchise. In the film, his final line imitates Porky Pig's famous catchphrase, "That's all folks!" Peter B. Parker even questioned the legality of using that line. While it was permitted in that case, it seems that Spider-Boy's situation is different.

Such instances highlight the extensive reach and influence of Spider-Man, as he even exists in duplicate forms within the universe of Marvel's competitor. This demonstrates his status as a highly influential character. Rumors suggest that he might even appear in a crossover with Amazon Prime's Invincible in the upcoming season. One could argue that Spider-Man's popularity transcends the boundaries of the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters and will be released on Blu-Ray on September 5, 2023.

Source: kris anka/Twitter, charlz/Twitter