Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been playing for three weeks, and along with Miles Morales’ latest cinematic story earning critical acclaim from reviewers and general moviegoers alike, it’s also hit the box office milestone of crossing $500 million worldwide. But as it turns out, not everyone is getting the same exact viewing experience with this 2023 new movie release. Following chatter on social media, one of Across the Spider-Verse’s editors has confirmed that there are multiple versions of the movie playing in theaters.
This all started when someone pointed out on Twitter that during the moment in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse when Lyla, the AI assistant to Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara, teasingly gets him to call for backup, in one version, she points at the man also known as Spider-Man 2099 after she’s told him that reinforcements are on the way, while in another, she takes a selfie with him instead. This was soon backed up by video footage, which them prompted Andy Leviton to respond with “I was wondering when people might start noticing…”, as seen below.
I was wondering when people might start noticing… https://t.co/E6G9tUXmDEJune 23, 2023
But it apparently doesn’t end there, as @tapurambles noted in their own tweet that Jason Schwartzman’s The Spot, who will continue being the big bad in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, has differing dialogue right before we see him use his own collider in the hologram flashback. Leviton didn’t respond to that particular observation, but it’s possible that there may be even more differences to spot in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s theatrical presentations. This brings to mind how the 1985 movie Clue showed three different endings, and what you saw depending on which theater you visited, though these endings have ultimately all been presented in the home media release, TV presentations and on streaming.
Of course, this then begs the question of how these differences will be handled when the time comes to deliver digital and physical copies of Across the Spider-Verse to the public. Will this trend be replicated across home media, or will Sony Pictures decided on just one version of Across the Spider-Verse being released for private viewing, leaving these small, yet notable alternate takes to be remnants of when the movie was showing in theaters? We’ll have to wait a few more weeks, if not months, for the answer to that question, but at the very least, it’s nice to know that the Into the Spider-Verse sequel’s team took the time to craft these fun tweaks when they were by no means obligated to do so.
This is yet another thing to chew on in the midst of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse still going strong in theaters, along with the ways Miles Morales changed between Into the Spider-Verse and the sequel, that wild Easter egg involving Spider-Punk, and of course, the ending that sets up big things for Beyond the Spider-Verse. Speaking of the threequel, although it’s currently slated for March 29, 2024, there’s a good chance it will be delayed. If that happens, we’ll let you know, but until then, read through our 5 out of 5 stars review for Across the Spider-Verse.