The Ending Of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Explained

Much has changed in the world of superhero cinema since Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) burst onto movie screens in 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The Marvel Cinematic Universe wrapped up its "Infinity Saga," and absent any original ideas, it began aping Sony's acclaimed animated adventure with its own multiverse. Then there's "The Flash," which aims to rewrite the big-screen DC canon, and "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which, while not a superhero movie, achieved huge success playing in the same transdimensional space.

Suffice it to say, multiverse movies have become the thing since "Into the Spider-Verse" premiered, which leaves its sequel, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," in an interesting place. Many of the film's core plot beats echo comic book adaptations that have come out in the interim. However, "Across the Spider-Verse" keeps things fresh with its own unique brand of style and storytelling. While the animation once again takes center stage here (seriously, the movie looks staggeringly good), it also manages to distinguish itself emotionally from the bigger superhero franchises.

Like its predecessor, "Across the Spider-Verse" is a coming-of-age story. It's a movie about trying to find your place in the world, only to learn that you have to carve that out for yourself. And less expectedly, it ends on a doozy of a cliffhanger. So let's dive into the ending of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," untangle the web, and look at where the series could be going next.

Anomaly or not, Miles insists that Miguel's way of thinking is flawed. He disagrees with the idea that certain people have to die in order for the universe to be in balance. His 2099 counterpart insists that messing with the canon only brings destruction, even going so far as to say that Miles is the reason his universe's Peter Parker died. It's also implied that Earth 42 must have suffered after losing its intended Spider-Man — something that's shown clearly later in the film.

Enraged by Miles' disobedience, Miguel goes on a rampage, sending Spider-People out into every corner of the multiverse in search of him. His fervor is fueled by his own past mistakes, but it's hard not to see him as the villain. As he himself says, being Spider-Man is about sacrifice. It requires a level of tragedy. We see glimpses of Miguel's own tragic backstory and how he brought a whole dimension to its knees by trying to hide there in a happy life. Or at least, we see his version of the story.

But is it possible that he's wrong? Is it possible that there's more going on than just good deeds causing mayhem? Maybe he's right. Maybe Spider-Men can't find true solace or else the universe will collapse. But Miguel appears to be so lost in his own pain and torment that he's incapable of thinking clearly. So far, the "Spider-Verse" films have been about realizing that we can make our own paths. Perhaps Miguel can still learn that lesson somewhere down the line.

It doesn't take long for Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali) to discover that something's off about Miles on Earth 42. In short order, he knocks his "nephew" out and takes him to a secret hideout, where he ties him to a punching bag. Miles assumes that in this universe, his uncle is still the Prowler, but he's wrong. The real Prowler is actually Miles, only the Earth 42 version of him.

Having Miles literally confront himself is a little on the nose for a movie about confronting yourself. And yet, it works. The face-off drives home how just a handful of coincidences can completely change the path a person goes down. It also shows that there's more than one way to conquer your fears.

Just like our main Miles is by the end of "Across the Spider-Verse," the one from Earth 42 is quite confident in himself and his abilities. Absent a radioactive spider bite, he made his own powers and his own luck. Of course, these decisions also seem to have taken him down a darker path. With "Across the Spider-Verse" ending right after this confrontation, it appears that Miles 42 will play a major role in the next movie. Giving the main character a shadow version of sorts to play off of could be a great move from the writers, and it also allows for a deeper exploration of Miles' character as a whole.

Though he's ostensibly the primary villain of the whole movie, the Spot's role in "Across the Spider-Verse" is unique. He spends half the film as a downright doofus — a "villain of the week" archetype who Miles makes fun of. But once he discovers the true potential of his powers, he grows far stronger than anyone could have predicted.

The funny thing, though, is that we never actually see the Spot fully manifest his new powers. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" ends on what feels like a second-act finale, with everything going bad all at once and most of our characters in peril. The Spot gets a cool, spooky new look and clearly intends to wreak havoc across the multiverse, but his villainous plans take a backseat to Miles' dimensional displacement and the reveal of the new Prowler.

It will be interesting to see how big of a role Spot plays in "Beyond the Spider-Verse." Though he's incredibly powerful now, he doesn't fully escape being seen as a joke character. Now that Miles is stuck on Earth 42, it might make sense to focus more on the antagonists there. At the very least, though, a climactic battle between the Spider-Society and the Spot seems inevitable, especially since we don't get one at the end of "Across."

In addition to the overarching coming-of-age narrative, one of the main themes in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is the relationships between parents and their children. The story kicks off in Gwen's dimension, where she struggles to connect with her dad (Shea Whigham) thanks to their shared trauma and her secret identity. Miles has a similar dilemma, wanting to both keep his parents close and "spread his wings," as he puts it.

Later on, we meet Mayday, Peter B. Parker and Mary Jane's (Zoë Kravitz) daughter. Peter tells Miles that it was only because of him that he felt comfortable becoming a father. Miguel explains that he once tried to join a universe where he had a wife and child and that his mere presence was enough to unravel the fabric of existence. That experience is what threw him into his current state of brooding. And of course, the thing that causes Miles to clash with Miguel is the idea that he can't save the life of his own father. The death of parental figures is supposedly an unshakeable aspect of every Spider-Hero's story, but Miles refuses to accept that as a fact.

Because "Across the Spider-Verse" ends on such a big cliffhanger, this theme of parenthood also doesn't get fully resolved. There's a nice scene of reconciliation between Gwen and her dad, but we don't actually know what will become of Miles' father, or if Miguel can be dissuaded from his strict ways. If Peter B. and Mayday are any indication, though, families are stronger when they fight together.

"It's all possible." That's what Gwen says Miles taught her when talking to his parents at the end of "Across the "Spider-Verse." She spends the majority of the film doing exactly what Miguel and Jess tell her to do. She buys into the idea that there's only one right way to go about things. And in fairness to her, it makes sense why she thinks that. Gwen has clearly been powerfully lonely since her Peter's death, and she's willing to follow the Spider-Society's lead as long as it gives her a home.

But Miles wrecks that entire framework. For much of the movie, he also wants to join the crew, but he quickly learns to trust his gut instead of just following the crowd. In his heart, he knows that being a hero is about trying to do the right thing, even when it might be impossible. Miguel may have experienced great calamity in his time, but Miles refuses to believe that that makes it inevitable for everyone.

This is where Miles' status as the "original anomaly" takes on more significance. His mere existence proves that not everything people think they know about the multiverse is true. And thematically, he represents the idea that deviations are always possible. In fact, according to Miles, it's all possible.

As compelling as the messy ending to "Across the Spider-Verse" is, it's also exciting to look ahead at what could be coming in the third film. "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-verse" is currently slated for release on March 29, 2024, less than a year out from the "Across" premiere. And given the state of the multiverse at the end of the most recent film, the third entry could be the most exciting yet.

Pretty much every major storyline is hanging after "Across." Will the timing ever work out for Miles and Gwen? Will the new crew be able to stop the Spot? Can Miles save his father from a canonical death, or will Miguel be proven right in the end? And perhaps most pressing of all, how will Miles balance his newfound superhero confidence with the rest of his regular life?

Suffice it to say, there's a ton of material for "Beyond the Spider-Verse" to explore. It seems unlikely that Miguel will be an antagonist forever, especially since several of his closest allies have already started to turn against him. And since all the Spider-Man variants from the first movie come back at the end to help Gwen, it's likely we'll get more of them next time as well. Whatever happens, "Beyond the Spider-Verse" should be a fun ride as long as it holds onto the sharp style that's made the series so popular. And also if Hobie (Daniel Kaluuya) comes back. Hobie's the best, let's be real.