As perhaps Marvel's most famous, beloved, and iconic superhero, Spider-Man has seen more adaptations into more mediums than any other Marvel property. The number of Spider-Man animated series, video games, movies, and so on has continued to grow exponentially since the debut of the iconic 1967 Spider-Man cartoon.
Recent Spider-Man films, namely Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: No Way Home and Sony Animation's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, have established that nearly every adaptation of the Spider-Man mythos from throughout the character's over 60-year history coexist in a massive, shared Spider-Verse, a connected multiverse of Spider-People who can cross into each other's universes and interact in one big Spider Society. These universes include Marvel Studios' own Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is itself a part of a grand multiverse of adaptations of Marvel's comics. These films are chock full of references to works from throughout the character's decades-long history. This page is your ultimate guide to navigating the entire Spider-Verse from '67 to today in order and in depth so that you can be as well versed in Spider-Lore as any member of the Spider Society.
The Spider-Verse is a term I am appropriating from the titles of the Spider-Verse animated film series as a descriptor for the shared multiverse of Spider-Man media, primarily that which exists outside of the original source comics. These media each occupy their own narrative universes independent of one another, and most were obviously never made with the intention of being a part of a larger Spider-Verse. I am including here, in roughly chronological order, any Spider-Man adaptation which has crossed over or cameoed in another adaptation, connecting it to the larger Spider-Verse. The different major Spider-Man universes will be color-coded as follows:
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man: A trilogy of films directed by Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire that brought the character to cinematic life and, alongside Fox's X-Men films, kicked off the modern tidal wave of blockbuster superhero movies in the early 2000s.
The MCU: The Marvel Cinematic Universe features its own version of the wallcrawler played by Tom Holland, starring in his own standalone films as well as taking part in the MCU's major crossover Avengers films. The MCU began in 2008 and Spider-Man joined it in 2016. This guide will not include every installment of the MCU, there's a separate guide for that; it will only include those that prominently feature Spider-Man or some other element of the Spider-Verse.
The Amazing Spider-Man Series: The second set of Spider-Man films from Sony, this time directed by the appropriately named Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield as the web-slinger, debuted in 2012. This series was meant to kick off an entire franchise of spin-offs featuring extended members of the Spider-Man cast in the vein of the MCU, but low box office returns for the second film put the idea on ice, leading to Sony allowing Marvel Studios to integrate a new version of the character into the MCU while they started from scratch with their IPs.
Sony's Spider-Man Universe: This misleadingly titled franchise which began in 2018 is Sony's second attempt to create a cinematic shared universe out of the glut of Spider-Man-related characters they own the film rights to, this time sans Spider-Man himself. While each character in this universe is a member of Spider-Man's supporting cast in the comics, here the wallcrawler goes unmentioned and his relevance has been excised from their respective origin stories.
The Spider-Verse Series: A trilogy of animated films also debuting in 2018 focusing on the concept of the Spider-Verse, featuring both its own takes on different Spider-People from the comics and references to past Spider-Man adaptations. The concept of the Spider-Verse originates here.
Insomniac's Spider-Man Series: Through sequels and spin-offs, Insomniac Games' well-regarded series of Spider-Man video games for PlayStation 4 and 5 has formed its own little shared universe connected to the Spider-Verse.
Other Universes: Different adaptations of the Spider-Man character and comics that don't belong to any of the above franchises but are still a part of the Spider-Verse.
Each entry in the list will include basic information such as release date, director, content rating, and synopsis. I will also detail which comic stories each individual installment draws on as source material for those interested in checking out the comics, though this is a tricky business. In general, when superhero comics are adapted, they are not treated like literature, where the story would be translated as directly and linearly from page to screen as possible while making concessions for the new medium. Rather, they are treated like mythology, where the most recognizable characters and iconography from throughout the comic's history are drawn upon and condensed together without directly interpreting any one individual author's work.
I will also make notes as to how each installment fits into the greater continuity of the Spider-Verse, and whether each film has any post-credits scenes you may want to stick around for. I will keep spoilers to a minimum, but as this guide will discuss matters of canon and continuity, some minor spoilers might be inevitable. Without further ado, look out, here come the Spider-Men:
Spider-Man
Medium: animated series
Premiere date: September 9, 1967
Creator: Robert L. Lawrence (The Marvel Super Heroes)
Rating: N/A
Synopsis: Every week, J. Jonah Jameson (Paul Kligman), surly editor of the Daily Bugle newspaper, sends intrepid photographer Peter Parker (Paul Soles) to get photos of whatever new villainous scheme is playing out in the New York City area. Little does Jameson or anyone else know that Peter is secretly the superpowered masked hero known as Spider-Man, who always saves the day (3 seasons, 52 episodes).
Source material: The series pulls inspiration almost exclusively from the classic Stan Lee and Steve Ditko run on The Amazing Spider-Man from 1963-1966 and thus employs the status quo of that period in the comics, with Peter as an ordinary student and photographer. Most of Spider-Man's later-introduced and now iconic supporting cast, including his major love interests Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, are thus largely absent. Indeed, there aren't many recurring characters in the show at all beyond Peter, Jameson, Jameson's secretary Betty Brant, and a few recurring villains. One later episode in the series does adapt Spider-Man's iconic origin story as told by Lee and Ditko in the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15.
Notes on continuity: This notoriously low-budget and corny animated series by Grantray-Lawrence Animation (and later Krantz Films) is nonetheless a beloved and memetic classic. If nothing else, it is known for introducing the iconic Spider-Man theme song ("Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can") that just about every later adaptation of the character feels an obligation to nod to. It is also the source of the popular "Pointing Spider-Man" internet meme, which would be referenced in the post-credits scene to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse when the universe of this series makes an appearance. This Spider-Man also makes a cameo in that film's sequel, Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man
Medium: animated series
Premiere date: September 12, 1981
Creator: David H. DePatie and Lee Gunther (The Pink Panther)
Rating: TV-Y7
Synopsis: You know the drill. Ordinary student Peter Parker (Ted Schwartz) juggles his job as a photographer for the Daily Bugle, caring for his elderly Aunt May (Morgan Lofting), and fighting villains of the week as his costumed superhero alter-ego Spider-Man (1 season, 26 episodes).
Source material: This series operates off much the same status quo as the 1967 series, though occasionally integrating characters introduced in the comics in the intervening decades in small roles. Still, the brunt of the story revolves around Spider-Man thwarting various comic villains, including those that typically belong to other Marvel heroes' rouges galleries, such as Doctor Doom and Magneto. Other Marvel heroes make occasional appearances, as well, like Captain America.
Notes on continuity: This syndicated animated series by Marvel Productions is the second animated adaptation of Spider-Man, but it is typically overshadowed in the public consciousness by its more iconic Saturday Morning sister series, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and is connected to the Spider-Verse via its connection to that show.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Medium: animated series
Premiere date: September 12, 1981
Creator: David H. DePatie and Lee Gunther
Rating: TV-Y7
Synopsis: As in its syndicated sister show, this series follows Peter Parker (Dan Gilvezan), a seemingly ordinary college student who lives a double life as the superhero Spider-Man. This time, however, Spider-Man is joined in his heroing endeavors by X-Men members Iceman (Frank Welker) and Firestar (Kathy Garver), the latter of whom was created for this show when the producers couldn't get the rights to the Fantastic Four's Human Torch. Together, they fight a wealth of supervillains as the Spider-Friends and live their civilian lives together in a boarding house run by Peter's Aunt May (June Foray) (3 seasons, 24 episodes).
Source material: While the premise to the series is entirely original, the characters are still mostly drawn from the Lee and Ditko 60s run on The Amazing Spider-Man, where Peter would often partner up with other Marvel heroes, especially the Human Torch. Lee himself even narrates several episodes of this show. The concept of a dedicated series based around Spider-Man teaming up with other Marvel heroes might be attributed to the classic Marvel Team-Up comic series, which debuted in 1972 and focused on Spider-Man pairing up with a different Marvel hero or two every issue. Amazing Friends also features a wealth of appearances from other superheroes from Marvel comics, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Doctor Strange, and most prominently the X-Men. While the X-Men's appearance in Iceman's origin episode features the original team line-up introduced by Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #1 in 1963, other stories set in the present day use the more familiar team created by Len Wein and Chris Claremont in the 70s.
Notes on continuity: Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is one of the most iconic animated adaptations of Spider-Man, eclipsing its syndicated sister show by the same studio in popularity. It is referenced in Across the Spider-Verse when memetic series-original villain Videoman makes a cameo appearance. Notably, this show aired in a programming block alongside the 1982-1983 The Incredible Hulk animated series, and the two shared a universe, crossing over with one another repeatedly, thus placing the 80s Hulk cartoon in the Spider-Verse as well.
Spider-Man
Medium: video game
Release date: 1982
Designer: Laura Nickolich
Rating: N/A
Synopsis: This classic video game for the Atari 2600, developed by Parker Brothers, sees Spider-Man out to prevent his nemesis the Green Goblin from blowing up the Empire State Building. Players control Spidey as he web-slings his way up the tower in pursuit of the Goblin, dodging Gobby's weapons, traps, and henchmen along the way.
Source material: There's not much narrative to go on in an Atari game, but Spider-Man of course debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1963 and the Green Goblin debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 by Lee and Ditko in 1964 and had cemented himself as one of Spidey's archnemeses by the 70s.
Notes on continuity: This was both the first video game based on Spider-Man ever released and the first video game based on a Marvel character, period. The Green Goblin of this game, in all his pixelated 8-bit stick figure glory, makes a cameo appearance in Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man
Medium: animated series
Premiere date: November 19, 1994
Creator: John Semper and Bob Richardson
Rating: TV-Y7-FV
Synopsis: Once again, this animated series from Marvel Films Animation follows college student Peter Parker (Christopher Daniel Barnes) as he tries to navigate the tangled web of life as a student, a photographer for the Daily Bugle, and the costumed superhero Spider-Man. Along the way, he battles villains from across the character's history, teams up with a number of other Marvel superheroes, and wades through a messy personal life, including his budding romance with one Mary Jane Watson (Saratoga Ballantine) (5 seasons, 65 episodes).
Source material: This series adapts stories from throughout Spider-Man's comics history to that point, often more directly than had been the case in prior adaptations. While plenty of characters and villains from Lee and Ditko's classic run show up, this is the first Spider-Man adaptation to prominently feature major supporting cast members introduced later in the comics, such as Peter's best friend Harry Osborn and his most iconic love interest Mary Jane, or significant villains like Venom and Hobgoblin. It also adapts major storylines from later in the comics' run, such as the "Alien Costume Saga" storyline that played out over multiple Spider-Man titles from 1984 to 1985, the Secret Wars limited series from the same period by Jim Shooter and artists Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, and the "Clone Saga" storyline that wound its way through the various Spider-Man books from 1994 to 1996.
Notes on continuity: While this series is never directly referenced by any other Spider-Verse work, one would be remiss to leave one of the most influential adaptations of the Spider-Man comics off of a list like this. Despite the occasional cheapness of its animation and the notorious censorship it faced at the hands of the Fox Kids Network, John Semper's Spider-Man animated series is one of the most beloved takes on the character, and its versions of many of the source material's characters and storylines would prove so influential that they would leave their mark not just on other adaptations to come but the comics themselves as well. In fact, this was the first version of Spider-Man to feature a story based around the premise of an epic team-up between several different Spider-Men from alternate universes, almost certainly inspiring Dan Slott when he introduced the Spider-Verse to the comics in 2014. That's right, without this show, there would probably be no Spider-Verse. This series also crossed over with a number of other Marvel animated series airing concurrently, including X-Men, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, and Avengers: United They Stand, all of which formed a loose shared universe of their own. While the follow-up series Spider-Man Unlimited, which is referenced in the Spider-Verse, does not share a canon with this series, it is commonly considered a spiritual successor to this show.
Spider-Man Unlimited
Medium: animated series
Premiere date: October 2, 1999
Creator: Avi Arad and Will Meugniot
Rating: TV-Y7
Synopsis: This series sees Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Rino Romano) pursuing villains Venom (Brian Drummond) and Carnage (Michael Donovan) to an alternate universe called Counter-Earth to rescue J. Jonah Jameson's (Richard Newman) astronaut son John (John Payne). There, he gets embroiled in an effort by a revolutionary movement led by John to depose the tyrannical ruler of Counter-Earth, the High Evolutionary (also Newman), and his army of mutated Beastials (1 season, 13 episodes).
Source material: While this series features plenty of characters from Spider-Man comics (mainly alternate universe versions of them) and other Marvel comics (the High Evolutionary debuted in a 1966 issue of The Mighty Thor and Counter-Earth first appeared in Adam Warlock's debut story in the first issue of Marvel Premiere in 1972), the actual concept and premise are entirely original to the show.
Notes on continuity: While this unconventional cult classic series was developed to replace the more well-known and long-running 90s Spider-Man show and is thus commonly considered a sequel to said series, it is really more of a reboot: it does not share any story or continuity with the prior series. This version of Spidey does make a cameo appearance in Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man
Medium: video game
Release date: September 1, 2000
Lead designer: Chad Findley
Rating: E for Everyone
Synopsis: This action-adventure game for the PlayStation by Neversoft (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater) sees Spider-Man (Rino Romano reprising his role from Spider-Man Unlimited) and his allies attempting to thwart a city-wide crime spree carried out by several recently escaped members of his rogue's gallery, uncovering a plot by his archnemesis Doctor Octopus (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. reprising his role from the 1994 animated series), who has faked his reform, to cover the world in evil symbiotes like Venom (Daran Norris) and Carnage (Dee Bradley Baker) that answer to his rule.
Source material: While the story of the game is original, it features a wealth of characters not just from Spider-Man comics but across the Marvel comics universe. It also initiated the trend in Spider-Man video games of featuring a wealth of unlockable alternate costumes for the webslinger, most of which are drawn from ones worn by various versions of Spidey from throughout his comics history and other adaptations. Like the 80s cartoons before it, it even features narration by Stan Lee.
Notes on continuity: The version of Spider-Man from this fondly remembered video game adaptation makes a cameo in Across the Spider-Verse. The game would receive a less-well-regarded sequel by Vicarious Visions in 2011 called Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro.
Credits scenes: The game does include one post-credits epilogue scene.
Spider-Man
Medium: film
Release date: April 29, 2002
Director: Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Darkman)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Geeky high school student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bitten on a school fieldtrip by a genetically modified spider, granting him superhuman abilities. When his attempts to exploit his newfound abilities for personal gain to impress his crush Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) indirectly lead to the murder of his beloved Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), Peter decides to use these powers for good as the heroic Spider-Man. Just in time, too, as his best friend Harry Osborn's (James Franco) scientist father Norman (Willem Dafoe) has accidentally transformed himself into the insane masked supervillain the Green Goblin in a failed lab experiment, and only Spider-Man can stop him.
Source material: The first part of the film is a fairly direct adaptation of Spider-Man's well-known origin story from Amazing Fantasy #15, albeit with some of his more well-known supporting characters from his college years like MJ and Harry introduced earlier as high school peers instead, much like in the recent Ultimate Spider-Man series by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley that debuted in 2000. The film also draws on Spider-Man's various run-ins with the Green Goblin from the 60s and 70s, most notably culminating in an homage to the landmark 1973 storyline "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" from The Amazing Spider-Man by Gerry Conway and artist Gil Kane.
Notes on continuity: The first and still probably the most iconic cinematic adaptation of the Spider-Man comics, this film was just as influential on later adaptations and the comics themselves as the 90s animated series before it. Characters from this film prominently feature in the plot of the MCU crossover film Spider-Man: No Way Home, and archive footage from it is used in Across the Spider-Verse, firmly rooting the trilogy in the Spider-Verse. After his definitive performance as the character in this film, J. K. Simmons would also go on to voice and play J. Jonah Jameson in the majority of other adaptations of Spider-Man to follow, to the point that it has become a running joke in the franchise.
Credits scenes: None.
Spider-Man 2
Medium: film
Release date: June 25, 2004
Director: Sam Raimi
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: The strain of maintaining his double life as both a working-class college student and New York's only superhero is taking its toll on Peter Parker (Maguire), especially as it increasingly gets in the way of his courtship of the love of his life, Mary Jane Watson (Dunst). This self-doubt seems to cause Peter's powers to begin to falter, and he considers giving up the red mask for good. His timing couldn't be worse, however, as his scientific mentor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) has just been the victim of a freak lab accident transforming him into the megalomaniacal supervillain Doctor Octopus (sure seems to happen to Peter a lot, doesn't it?).
Source material: This film is principally an adaptation of the classic 1967 "Spider-Man No More!" storyline by Lee and John Romita, Sr. from The Amazing Spider-Man, albeit also incorporating elements of the 1965-1966 "If This Be My Destiny..." storyline by Lee and Ditko from the same title, most significantly Doctor Octopus as the villain and an homage to the iconic "lifting the rubble" sequence from the last issue of that arc. Doc Ock himself and his origin story debuted in the third issue of The Amazing Spider-Man by Lee and Ditko.
Notes on continuity: Even more beloved than its predecessor and still lauded by many as one of the best superhero films of all time; if 2000's X-Men and 2001's Spider-Man renewed public interest in the superhero movie genre, then this film set the tone for what the modern superhero movie should look and feel like. As with its predecessor, characters from this film are prominently featured in Spider-Man: No Way Home. This movie received a DVD extended cut called Spider-Man 2.1 in 2007 that adds eight minutes of footage to the film and is generally well-regarded, though future Blu-ray releases only include the theatrical cut. It is also worth noting that the video game adaptations of this trilogy are unusually well-regarded for movie tie-in games. The Spider-Man 2 video game by Treyarch in particular is still held up as a pioneer in open-world video game design, heavily influencing not just future Spider-Man games, including the ones that appear further on this list, but video games as a medium in general.
Credits scenes: None.
Spider-Man 3
Medium: film
Release date: April 16, 2007
Director: Sam Raimi
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: There's a lot going on in Peter Parker's (Maguire) life. His plans to propose to long-time love Mary Jane Watson (Dunst) are interrupted by the appearance of his vengeful former friend Harry Osborn (Franco), now having taken on his father's Green Goblin mantle. The true murderer of Peter's Uncle Ben, a petty crook named Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), is on the loose and, in a freak lab accident (of course), has been transformed into the supervillain the Sandman. Slimy rival Daily Bugle photographer Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) has started tarnishing Spider-Man's good name with faked photos. And a strange alien symbiote from space has latched onto Peter in the form of a powerful new black super-suit, but the symbiote begins to negatively influence Peter's personality and actions, causing his personal life to deteriorate as he engages in a love triangle between MJ and new girl Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard).
Source material: This film manages to cram in a number of classic Spider-Man storylines. Its truncated take on the "Alien Costume Saga" and subsequent introduction of villain Venom owes more to the 1994 Spider-Man series than it does the comics version of the story. The film also presents a condensed version of Harry Osborn's storyline as the second Green Goblin, which lasted on-and-off from The Amazing Spider-Man #136 by Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru in 1974 to The Spectacular Spider-Man #200 by J. M. DeMatteis and artist Sal Buscema in 1993. The film's third villain, the Sandman, was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 by Lee and Ditko in 1963, which featured his origin story, recreated here.
Notes on continuity: This film tends to be less well-regarded than the other two parts of the trilogy, largely due to its overcrowded and overstuffed story. Its relative financial failure led to any plans of a fourth Spider-Man film being cancelled, and the series ultimately being rebooted with The Amazing Spider-Man just five years later. Nevertheless, characters from this film still feature prominently in No Way Home, as with its predecessors. It received an "Editor's Cut" in 2017 that reshuffles some scenes, cuts some, and adds or extends others. Many consider the Editor's Cut superior to the theatrical version, but it certainly doesn't fix the movie's worst problems.
Credits scenes: None.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Medium: animated series
Premiere date: March 8, 2008
Creator: Greg Weisman (Gargoyles) and Victor Cook
Rating: TV-Y7
Synopsis: You know how it goes: ordinary high school student Peter Parker (Josh Keaton) has been Spider-Man for a summer and loving it. Things get complicated when the school year starts, and Peter must deal with both his increasingly messy teenage social life and the emergence of a number of bizarre supervillains, most of which seem to be connected either to Oscorp, the shady corporation belonging to Peter's best friend Harry's (James Arnold Taylor) distant father Norman Osborn (Alan Rachins), or the criminal activities of mysterious mob boss the Big Man (Keith David in the pilot, Kevin Michael Richardson for the rest of the series) (2 seasons, 26 episodes).
Source material: Despite sharing a title with the comics series that debuted in 1976, The Spectacular Spider-Man is really more of a distillation of virtually every other version of Peter Parker's story up to that point. The story principally draws from the early years of Lee and Ditko's The Amazing Spider-Man run, focusing on Peter's high school years and early career as the web-slinger, but like Ultimate Spider-Man and the Raimi Spider-Man film, it features a number of iconic characters from later in Peter's life and makes them his high school peers or nemeses. The series draws notable inspiration from the 1994 animated series and the Raimi trilogy. In particular, when Spider-Man's origin story is told through flashback in a later episode, it is an almost word-for-word recreation of his origin from the first Raimi film.
Notes on continuity: This cult classic series is considered by many to be the definitive take on the Spider-Man mythos, rivaling the 90s series in popularity, and was cut short in its prime, ending on a cliffhanger. Nevertheless, it has proved influential on later takes on the Spider-Man story, with Josh Keaton reprising his role as Spider-Man in a number of projects and this version of Spider-Man making an appearance in Across the Spider-Verse, with Keaton again voicing the character.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Medium: video game
Release date: September 7, 2010
Director: Jose Pablo Gonzalez and Kody Sabourin
Rating: T for Teen
Synopsis: In this universe-hopping action-adventure game from Beenox, the Amazing Spider-Man (Neil Patrick Harris) confronts his enemy Mysterio (David Kaye) at a museum to prevent him from stealing a mystical artifact called the Tablet of Order and Chaos. During the ensuing scuffle, the Tablet shatters, the pieces scattering throughout the multiverse and causing chaos in various alternate dimensions. The mysterious Madame Web (Susanne Blakeslee) recruits Spider-Man along with the Spider-Men of each of the alternate dimensions, Ultimate Spider-Man (Josh Keaton), Spider-Man 2099 (Dan Gilvezan), and Spider-Man Noir (Christopher Daniel Barnes), to retrieve each of the fragments of the Tablet from the various villains who have claimed them.
Source material: The story of this game is completely original, albeit with a premise similar to the conclusion of the 1994 animated series, though it employs the characters and settings of various different Spider-Man comics: the Amazing Spider-Man is of course based on the mainstream version of the character who debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15, Ultimate Spider-Man and his universe are drawn from the comic series of the same name, Spider-Man 2099 and his futuristic version of the Marvel universe debuted in the comic of the same title by Peter David and artist Rick Leonardi in 1992, and Spider-Man Noir and his world originate from the then-recent 2009 comic miniseries of the same name by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, and artists Carmine Di Giandomenico and Marko Djurdjevic. The game also features a cameo by Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, who debuted in the 1983 Marvel one-shot Marvel Tails by Tom DeFalco and artist Mark Armstrong. The story and characters also draw notable inspiration from the various Spider-Man animated adaptations. The game's depiction of Madame Web as a near-omnipotent cosmic being who leads a team of Spider-Men from across the multiverse has much more in common with the version of the character featured in the 1994 series than it does the comics character, who is simply a blind woman with the mutant ability to see into the future which she uses to advise Spider-Man. The four Spider-Men are also each voiced by a voice actor who portrayed the character in a previous animated series: Harris voiced Peter in the 2003 movie tie-in series Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, Keaton voiced him in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Gilvezan played the role in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and Barnes portrayed Spider-Man in the 1994 series. Stan Lee narrates once again.
Notes on continuity: As with the 1994 animated series, the plot and characters of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions do not cross over with any other Spider-Verse works, but its significance to the origins of the Spider-Verse as a concept means that it would feel wrong to leave it off this list. This was the first Spider-Man story to feature different alternate comic book Spider-Men teaming up, though here each Spider-Man mostly stays in his own separate universe. It was co-written by Dan Slott, who would go on to expand the concept with the "Spider-Verse" storyline that would play out over various Spider-Man titles in 2014, which featured the formal introduction of the Spider-Verse in the comics and was one of the principal inspirations for the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which did the same for the Spider-Man film franchise. This game would receive a lesser-known sequel by the same studio in 2011 called Spider-Man: Edge of Time, which featured a story by Spider-Man 2099 co-creator Peter David that trades the multiversal hijinks of the first game for time travel hijinks as the Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099 team up once more.
Credits scenes: Has one humorous post-credits epilogue.
Ultimate Spider-Man
Medium: animated series
Release date: April 1, 2012
Creator: Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man comics, Alias comics), Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Freakazoid!), Man of Action (Ben 10, Generator Rex)
Rating: TV-Y7-FV
Synopsis: Newbie superhero Spider-Man (Drake Bell) gets tapped by Nick Fury (Chi McBride), director of international spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D., to join a team of other rookie heroes-in-training in this lighter take on the Spider-Man mythos.
Source material: While this series from Marvel Animation shares a title with Bendis's influential comic series and borrows some characters and concepts from the Ultimate Marvel universe, the story is largely original. The other Marvel heroes in Spidey's team have little to no history of teaming up with the wallcrawler in the comics, or, for the most part, one another. If anything, its premise positions it as something of a spiritual successor to Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. It does offer takes on both classic and recent comics storylines like "Spider-Verse" and the "Clone Saga", though never as faithfully as prior shows like the 1994 series.
Notes on continuity: Often derided by fans for replacing the fan-favorite The Spectacular Spider-Man series after Disney reacquired the television rights to the character from Sony, for its lack of fidelity to the comics, and its sillier tone. It frequently crosses over with other Marvel Animation series airing on the Disney XD Marvel Universe programming block, including The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Avengers Assemble, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and Guardians of the Galaxy, the latter three of which explicitly share a universe, while also sharing a universe with Disney's 2017 animated Spider-Man reboot, somehow. Let's just say that Marvel Animation doesn't have a strong track record of prioritizing continuity. Ultimate Spider-Man also crosses over with the Disney Channel live-action sitcom Jessie, of all things, which opens up a whole other can of worms that we're not going to go into here, because that way madness lies. The Spider-Man of this series makes a cameo in Across the Spider-Verse.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Medium: film
Release date: June 13, 2012
Director: Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Brilliant high school student Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is bitten by a genetically engineered spider while infiltrating the evil corporation Oscorp to discover secrets about the mysterious deaths of his parents, who worked there. After the random murder of his father figure Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), Peter uses his newfound spider-like abilities to become the costumed vigilante Spider-Man in an effort to track down the killer. Meanwhile, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), a scientist at Oscorp, old friend of Peter's late father, and mentor to Peter, injects himself with an experimental formula designed to regrow his missing arm, but which instead transforms him into the megalomaniacal supervillain the Lizard. Spider-Man must stop the Lizard with the help of his best friend and love interest Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).
Source material: This reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise once again retells Spider-Man's iconic origin story from Amazing Fantasy #15, while taking even more influence from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics series, with Peter getting his powers from a spider engineered by Oscorp and Gwen Stacy filling a similar role in this film to that which Mary Jane occupied in said series. That said, this film owes much of its premise and plotting to the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film, following similar origin story beats, with the Lizard's (who first appeared in the comics in 1963 in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 by Lee and Ditko) subplot notably mirroring that of the Green Goblin from that film.
Notes on continuity: As with the Raimi films, characters from this film prominently feature in the plot of the MCU crossover film Spider-Man: No Way Home, and archive footage from it is used in Across the Spider-Verse, firmly rooting the duology in the Spider-Verse. This film and its sequel also received video game tie-ins by Beenox, the studio who created Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, the first of which at least is well-regarded. The Amazing Spider-Man video game versions of the characters similarly cameo in Across the Spider-Verse.
Credits scenes: One post-credits scene that would never be properly followed up on due to the cancellation of this series following the second film.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Medium: video game
Release date: October 22, 2013
Director: Arthur Parsons
Rating: E for Everybody
Synopsis: After the Silver Surfer's (James Arnold Taylor) surfboard is shattered into a group of powerful artifacts called the Cosmic Bricks, a group of superheroes gathered by Nick Fury (John Eric Bentley), including Spider-Man (also Taylor), must race a cabal of supervillains led by Doctor Doom (Fred Tatasciore) to gather the Bricks before the Surfer's master, the powerful cosmic being Galactus (John Dimaggio), arrives to devour the Earth in this humorous family action-adventure game by Traveller's Tales.
Source material: LEGO playsets, of course. In all seriousness, the story is original, and the game features some 200 major Marvel characters in playable roles.
Notes on continuity: A LEGO Spider-Man universe appears in Across the Spider-Verse and is given the same numeric designation as other sources have given the universe of this game, though the aesthetics more closely resemble those of Warner Brothers' prior LEGO animated films. This game is part of a series of similar LEGO games by Traveller's Tales based on popular media properties, including LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman, and LEGO Harry Potter. The game would receive a sequel in 2017.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Medium: film
Release date: March 31, 2014
Director: Marc Webb
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Gwen Stacy (Stone) and Peter Parker's (Garfield) relationship grows strained as Peter struggles to keep his word to Gwen's father Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary) and keep her out of harm's way. Meanwhile, Peter is reunited with his childhood best friend Harry (Dane DeHaan), who is wasting away from a fatal genetic disease inherited from his father, Oscorp CEO Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper). And nebbishy Oscorp employee Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) finds himself transformed into supervillain Electro after a (say it with me) freak lab accident involving genetically modified electric eels.
Source material: This film is once again principally an adaptation of "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", though integrating the character of Electro, who debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #9 by Lee and Ditko. The story and characters also take notable inspiration once again from Ultimate Spider-Man (such as Electro's appearance) and, curiously, the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series (such as Electro's origin).
Notes on continuity: Again, characters from this film are prominently featured in No Way Home. The financial and critical failure of this film led to the cancellation of the Amazing Spider-Man series and led Sony to share the film rights to Spider-Man and some of his characters with Marvel Studios, with the character being rebooted again as part of the MCU just two years later. A Sinister Six spin-off film hinted at by this movie's ending would thus not see the light of day.
Credits scenes: None. In theaters, the film was followed by a teaser for the X-Men film X-Men: Days of Future Past, of all things.
Captain America: Civil War
Medium: film
Release date: April 12, 2016
Director: Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: In this third entry of the Captain America series and part of the MCU, a tragic accident during an international mission by the Avengers leads to the death of a number of innocent civilians. This inspires the United Nations to draft the Sokovia Accords, which would make the actions of the Avengers answerable to the governments of the world. This leads to a schism in the Avengers, and the team splits into two factions: one open to government oversight led by Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) (which includes rookie teen superhero Spider-Man (Tom Holland)), and one opposed, led by Captain America (Chris Evans). Tensions mount as Captain America goes rogue to rescue his former best friend and wanted criminal Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) from the government strike forces pursuing him, leading to an all-out civil war between the two superhero factions.
Source material: Captain America: Civil War is a loose adaptation of the controversial 2006-2007 Civil War crossover limited series by Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven and its associated tie-in storylines, with plot and character changes made both to reflect the different canon of the MCU at the time and to iron out the less popular elements of the comics event. While Spider-Man is a central character of the comics event, here he is mostly a supporting presence. As with the comic, Spider-Man is a member of "Team Iron Man", though less reluctantly and under very different circumstances.
Notes on continuity: Captain America: Civil War sees the formal introduction of the MCU version of Spider-Man, who would go on to star in his own trilogy of solo films as well as continuing to take part in the larger MCU crossover movies. The depiction of the multiverse in Across the Spider-Verse owes much to its depiction in the MCU, and the MCU Spider-Man films would be amply referenced in that movie, as will be detailed in later entries. For more on the continuity of the MCU, see that franchise's article.
Credits scenes: One mid-credits scene teasing Black Panther and one post-credits scene teasing Spider-Man's further adventures in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Medium: film
Release date: June 28, 2017
Director: Jon Watts (Clown, Cop Car)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Peter Parker (Holland) is tired of being simply a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and is desperate to join the big leagues, but his reluctant mentor Iron Man (Downey) doesn't think he's ready. He might be right, as Peter struggles to balance his super-life and his high school social life, especially when the Vulture (Michael Keaton), a flying supervillain with a grudge against Iron Man, rears his beaked head.
Source material: For once Spider-Man's classic origin story is omitted, presumably on the assumption that viewers would still be perfectly familiar with it from Raimi's Spider-Man or The Amazing Spider-Man. The film still draws the bulk of its story, tone, and characters from the early Lee/Ditko years, however, once again revisiting Spidey's high school roots and utilizing a cast principally made up of supporting characters from those years. The Vulture was one of the webhead's very first supervillains, debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #2, and his crew is made up of other early Spider-Man foes. "If This Be My Destiny..." and its iconic rubble scene even get their nod. The movie also again draws inspiration from Ultimate Spider-Man, especially with Peter getting some tutelage from Iron Man and having a "guy in the chair" in the form of a heavyset, geeky Asian best friend much like Gangke Lee is to Miles Morales, the second Ultimate Spider-Man.
Notes on continuity: The first Spider-Man solo film in the MCU, continuing on from his appearance in Captain America: Civil War. This film's version of Aaron Davis/the Prowler would make a couple of cameos in Across the Spider-Verse.
Credits scenes: Has one mid-credits scene and one post-credits gag.
Avengers: Infinity War
Medium: film
Release date: April 23, 2018
Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Sick of his various minions and proxies failing him and allowing the all-powerful Infinity Stones to slip through their fingers, galactic conqueror Thanos the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin) decides to take matters into his own giant purple hands. Thanos plans to use the Stones to destroy half the population of the universe, pragmatically believing this supreme act of genocide will save countless worlds from doom brought about by overpopulation and resource scarcity. It will take every single hero in the MCU banding together to put a stop to Thanos and his armies, and even that might just not be enough.
Source material: Infinity War is primarily a loose adaptation of The Infinity Gauntlet, an iconic 1991 crossover limited series by Jim Starlin and artists George Perez and Ron Lim, as well as that comic's lesser-known predecessor from the prior year, The Thanos Quest, also by Starlin and Lim, which depicted the Mad Titan's gathering of the Infinity Stones (or Infinity Gems, as they are known in the comics). The film also draws inspiration from various later Marvel crossover events featuring Thanos, most notably the 2013 limited series Infinity by Jonathan Hickman and various artists, which introduced Thanos's cult-like minions, the Black Order, and featured the Mad Titan and his forces invading Earth. The movie takes its title, but little else, from the 1992 sequel to The Infinity Gauntlet also by Starlin, Lim, and various other artists.
Notes on continuity: The MCU version of Spider-Man features prominently in the film.
Credits scenes: One post-credits scene teasing Captain Marvel.
Spider-Man
Medium: video game
Release date: September 7, 2018
Director: Ryan Smith, Brian Horton, Bryan Intihar, Marcus Smith
Rating: T for Teen
Synopsis: In this open world action-adventure game from Insomniac Games (Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank), an experienced Spider-Man (Yuri Lowenthal) has finally taken down the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk (Travis Willingham). However, with Fisk behind bars, a void is left in New York City's underworld, and the new crime gang The Demons, led by the supervillain Mr. Negative (Stephen Oyoung), is looking to fill it. What's more, all kinds of strange new supervillains are coming out of the woodwork, enveloping New York in an unprecedented crime wave. Spider-Man's limits are tested as he fights to defend his city while, as always, struggling to maintain a personal life involving ex-girlfriend Mary Jane Watson (Laura Bailey), mentor Otto Octavius (William Salyers), and young new ally Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter).
Source material: Likely taking inspiration from the similarly vaunted Batman: Arkham series of video games, this game serves as something of a distillation of the best elements of all prior Spider-Man adaptations, making nods to the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, The Amazing Spider-Man duology, the MCU, the 1994 animated series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, the Neversoft games, the Activision games, and more. While the story is original and features classic Spider-Man characters and plots, it also brings in storylines and characters from more recently in the comics that have rarely been adapted before. For example, Mr. Negative debuted in the controversial 2008 "Brand New Day" storyline by Slott and others in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, while Miles Morales made his debut as the second Ultimate Spider-Man in 2011 in a story by Bendis and artist Sarah Pichelli. As with the Neversoft and Beenox games before it, Insomniac's Spider-Man also features an extensive selection of unlockable alternate costumes for the wallcrawler drawn from various comics storylines and adaptations.
Notes on continuity: The Insomniac Spider-Man makes a cameo in Across the Spider-Verse, with Lowenthal reprising the role.
Credit scenes: One post-credits scene teasing Spider-Man: Miles Morales and another teasing Spider-Man 2.
Venom
Medium: film
Release date: October 1, 2018
Director: Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Struggling investigative reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) uncovers that the corrupt Life Foundation is conducting sinister experiments involving a race of dangerous extraterrestrial symbiotes. One of these symbiotes, called Venom (also Hardy), bonds with Brock, manifesting as an amorphous superpowered black suit. Together, the duo seeks to stop both the Life Foundation and the villainous symbiotes in their custody.
Source material: While the series takes some cues from Venom's origin story in a 1988 storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man by David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane, it draws the majority of its plot, characters, and characterization of Venom as an antihero from Michelinie's later Venom: Lethal Protector limited series from 1993 with Bagley and, to a lesser extent, his 1995 "Planet of the Symbiotes" storyline from various Spider-Man books. The most notable change made in adapting these storylines is, of course, the absence of Spider-Man, who plays a role in all of them to a greater or lesser extent.
Notes on continuity: After the Spider-Man character was integrated into the MCU, Sony surprisingly continued with their plans to create a shared universe of films starring various Spider-Man characters, just without Spider-Man in it. Venom is the first such film, telling the story of one of the wallcrawler's most famous nemeses while completely excising the wallcrawler himself from the narrative. Nevertheless, this new universe would wind up closely connected to both the MCU and the Spider-Verse as time wore on. This relationship begins with this film's own post-credits scene, which explicitly identifies Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as taking place "meanwhile, in another universe".
Credits scenes: One mid-credits scene teasing Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and the aforementioned post-credits scene teasing Into the Spider-Verse (which is actually just a scene from that movie).
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Medium: animated film
Release date: December 1, 2018
Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians), and Rodney Rothman
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Brilliant but directionless Afro-Latino teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) gets bitten by a genetically engineered spider from another dimension, brought over to his world as part of a series of dangerous experiments carried out by local crime lord the Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). When the one and only Spider-Man, Peter Parker (Chris Pine), tries to put a stop to Kingpin's plots, he is tragically defeated and killed by the supervillain. Now it is up to Miles to become his universe's new Spider-Man and save the world from the Kingpin himself. Luckily, he has support in the form of a group of alternate Spider-Men from other universes accidentally brought over by the Kingpin, including Miles' unexpected new mentor, a depressed and schlubby Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson).
Source material: While the general premise is derived from Slott's Shattered Dimensions video game and subsequent "Spider-Verse" storyline, the central plot focusing on Miles draws from the 2011 "Death of Spider-Man" storyline in Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis and Bagley and subsequent introduction of the "All-New Spider-Man". The idea of a team-up between Miles and Peter, with the elder Spider-Man serving as something of a mentor to the newer Spidey, comes from the 2012 Spider-Men miniseries by Bendis and Pichelli, which was the first ever crossover between the mainstream Marvel universe and the Ultimate universe. The other Spider-People featured in the film include Gwen Stacy aka Spider-Woman (who debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 in 2014 by Jason Latour and artist Robbie Rodriguez), Spider-Ham, Peni Parker aka SP//dr (Edge of Spider-Verse #5 by Gerard Way and Jake Wyatt), Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and the Spider-Man of the 1967 animated series.
Notes on continuity: While Into the Spider-Verse formally launched the cinematic Spider-Verse that would be expanded upon in its sequel Across the Spider-Verse, the film is, barring some in-joke nods to prior adaptations like the Raimi films, almost entirely self-contained. The only crossover with an earlier adaptation this film includes is a quick one with the 1967 series during the post-credits scene.
Credits scenes: One post-credits scene teasing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, introducing Spider-Man 2099 and a humorous crossover with Spider-Man 1967.
Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham
Medium: animated short
Release date: February 26, 2019
Director: Miguel Jiron
Rating: N/A
Synopsis: Included as a special feature on Into the Spider-Verse's home video release, this short cartoon in the style of Looney Tunes shows Spider-Ham's (John Mulaney) activities just before being sucked through the portal into Miles' universe, making a fool of villainous mad scientist Dr. Crawdaddy (Aaron LaPlante).
Source material: Inspired by the Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham comics of the 80s, though the plot and the character Dr. Crawdaddy are original.
Notes on continuity: A prequel to Into the Spider-Verse, with Mulaney reprising his role.
Credits scenes: None.
Avengers: Endgame
Medium: film
Release date: April 22, 2019
Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Five years after Thanos (Brolin) succeeded in using the Infinity Stones to wipe out half the population of the universe, the few remaining Avengers are doing their best to help the Earth heal. However, an opportunity to set thing straight arises when the heroes discover that they can use time travel to collect the Infinity Stones from various points in the past in an elaborate time heist and undo Thanos's actions.
Source material: This second part of the Infinity War story again draws primarily from The Infinity Gauntlet, though the time heist element seems to owe much to the 1999 Avengers Forever limited series by Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern, and artist Carlos Pacheco.
Notes on continuity: As with Infinity War, the MCU version of Spider-Man features prominently in Endgame. With its discussion of alternate timelines created by time travel, this film is the first in the MCU to begin flirting with the concept of the multiverse.
Credits scenes: None.
Spider-Man: Far from Home
Medium: film
Release date: June 26, 2019
Director: Jon Watts
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: In the aftermath of Endgame, Peter Parker (Holland) attempts to take a break from his superhero double life and enjoy a summer trip to Europe with his school friends. His second life catches up with him, however, when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits Peter to help dimension-hopping new superhero Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) - who is totally not evil, you guys - defeat a group of Earth-shattering beings from another universe called the Elementals.
Source material: While this film's plot is largely original, it owes much to Mysterio's first comics appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #13 by Lee and Ditko, as well as borrowing elements from various other comics like Ultimate Spider-Man. For instance, Peter's stealth suit here is modeled after the costume of Spider-Man Noir.
Notes on continuity: This second part of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy flirts with themes of interdimensional travel, but mostly as a backdrop for a plot very much centered on this universe's Peter Parker.
Credits scenes: One very significant mid-credits scene teasing Spider-Man: No Way Home and one post-credits scene teasing Secret Invasion.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Medium: video game
Release date: November 12, 2020
Director: Brian Horton, Bryan Intihar, Marcus Smith, Ryan Smith
Rating: T for Teen
Synopsis: After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Miles Morales (Jeter) is now the second Spider-Man swinging around New York City, and the defender of Harlem. However, when his friend and mentor Peter Parker (Lowenthal) leaves the city on personal business, Miles is left as the sole defender of New York, and wouldn't you know it, it just so happens that this is when a tech-focused criminal gang called the Underground, led by the Tinkerer, chooses to launch an assault on the shady Roxxon Energy Corporation, with Miles caught in the middle.
Source material: While Insomniac's Spider-Man universe is a conglomeration of many past iterations of the Spider-Man mythos, this game in particular takes the bulk of its inspiration and characters from Miles' early adventures in Ultimate Spider-Man, though the idea of Miles being a mentee of the more experienced Peter Parker of course comes from Spider-Men.
Notes on continuity: As the title suggests, this spin-off of Insomniac's Spider-Man video game focuses on the second Spider-Man, Miles Morales, likely benefitting from the character's newfound mainstream popularity following Into the Spider-Verse.
Credits scenes: One mid-credits scene teasing Spider-Man 2 and one post-credits scene.
What If...?
Medium: animated series
Release date: August 11, 2021
Creator: A. C. Bradley (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia)
Rating: TV-14
Synopsis: In this animated anthology series on Disney+ based on the MCU, cosmic entity the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) serves as a Rod Serling style narrator, guiding viewers through the Marvel multiverse, showing alternate timelines where the events of the MCU played out differently. Spider-Man (Hudson Thames) is a central character in one episode, "What If... Zombies!?", which imagines a version of the MCU wherein Spidey and a handful of other surviving superheroes endure a world where most of the population, including the majority of the superhero community, have been turned into flesh-hungry zombies.
Source material: What If...? draws its name and premise from the similarly titled comic series What If that debuted in 1977, though most of the individual episode stories are original. "What If... Zombies!?", though, borrows its concept from the 2005-2006 limited series Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman (creator of The Walking Dead) and artist Sean Phillips. Interestingly, while Spider-Man is one of the main survivors in this version of the story, he is a prominently featured zombie in the comic.
Notes on continuity: What If...? is relevant to the Spider-Verse in that it expands the concept of the multiverse in the MCU. It features the MCU version of Spider-Man, though without Tom Holland reprising the role.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Medium: film
Release date: September 14, 2021
Director: Andy Serkis (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: The relationship between Eddie Brock (Hardy) and his sentient symbiotic suit Venom (also Hardy) grows ever more tense, as Venom wishes to pursue their career as a "lethal protector" of the city while Eddie wants some semblance of a normal life. Venom might just get his way, however, when the serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), the subject of a series of interviews by Brock, gets a symbiote suit of his own, the powerful Carnage (also Harrelson), and busts himself and his psychotic superpowered girlfriend Shriek (Naomi Harris) out of the asylum to go on a citywide reign of terror.
Source material: While the film takes some inspiration from Carnage's introduction in a storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man in 1992 by Michelinie and Bagley, its focus on Carnage's twisted romance with Shriek and the duo's killing spree draws more from the "Maximum Carnage" crossover storyline in 1993 which was told over several Spider-Man books.
Notes on continuity: This sequel to 2018's Venom sees the first crossover between Sony's Spider-Man Universe and the MCU, as the mid-credits scene shows Venom crossing over into the main MCU under mysterious circumstances, setting up his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. This series' recurring minor character Mrs. Chen also makes an appearance in Across the Spider-Verse.
Credits scenes: One mid-credits scene teasing Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Medium: film
Release date: December 13, 2021
Director: Jon Watts
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: After his secret identity is revealed to the public, turning his world upside-down, all Peter Parker (Holland) wants more than anything else is for things to return to how they were. He just might get his wish when he convinces local sorcerer Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell erasing the populace's memories of Spider-Man's true identity. The spell goes awry, however, ripping a hole in the multiverse through which dangerous villains from other dimensions (namely the universes of the Raimi films and the Webb films) bleed into the MCU, forcing Peter and his friends to round them up and send them back where they came from, with a little bit of unexpected assistance.
Source material: While the notion of a group of Spider-Men from different universes teaming up obviously makes this the MCU's take on "Spider-Verse", curiously this film most parallels the infamous 2007 crossover storyline "One More Day" by J. Michael Straczynski and artist Joe Quesada, which controversially served as something of a reboot to the Spider-Man comics.
Notes on continuity: Seemingly inspired by the success of Into the Spider-Verse, No Way Home is the MCU's own take on the Spider-Verse myth. It is the third and final installment of the MCU's "Home" trilogy of Spider-Man films and crosses over with both the Raimi universe and the Webb universe. The events of this film are explicitly mentioned in Across the Spider-Verse, and Eddie Brock and Venom from Sony's Spider-Man Universe make a cameo appearance in the credits scene. Connecting so many installments in the larger Spider-Verse, this, along with Across the Spider-Verse, is one of the central lynchpin films of the franchise.
Credits scenes: One mid-credits scene featuring Venom.
Morbius
Medium: film
Release date: March 10, 2022
Director: Daniel Espinosa (Life)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) concocts an experimental serum using vampire bat DNA to cure a rare blood disease that eats away at both him and his surrogate brother Milo (Matt Smith). The cure works but has the unfortunate side effect of transforming Morbius into a living vampire with superhuman abilities and a thirst for blood. Morbius resists the most unsavory aspects of his new condition, but when Milo takes the miracle drug, he embraces his newfound supernatural ability and predatory nature. Morbius must rise to the challenge of stopping his former best friend before he can hurt anyone else.
Source material: While the plot and many of the characters, most notably the villain, of this film are original, Morbius himself debuted as a tragic villain of Spidey's in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 in 1971, the first issue of the series not written by Stan Lee, with Roy Thomas taking over his duties and Gil Kane providing the art. His origin story presented there is broadly similar to what the film depicts.
Notes on continuity: Morbius is the second antihero introduced into Sony's Spider-Man Universe after Venom in this mimetically bad flop from Sony. The events of Venom's films are obliquely referenced, though no characters from those movies make appearances. Curiously, the credits scenes of this film depict Michael Keaton's character the Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming being transported to the Sony Universe, seemingly as a result of the events of No Way Home. He meets Morbius and mentions Spider-Man explicitly.
Credits scenes: One mid-credits scene and one post-credits scene, both featuring Vulture, perhaps foreshadowing the flying villain and Morbius teaming up in some version of Sony's long-gestating Sinister Six film.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Medium: animated film
Release date: May 30, 2023
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami..., Soul), Justin K. Thompson
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Alright, let's do this one last time: Across the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales (Moore), the one and only Spider-Man of his universe. Like most one and only Spider-Men, Miles has difficulty juggling his pedestrian life as an ordinary student and son and his second life spent saving Brooklyn from jerks like slippery doofus "villain of the week" the Spot (Jason Schwartzman). What's more, Miles pines for the companionship of the Spider-People of other universes who helped teach him what it means to be a Spider-Man, especially his best friend and crush, Gwen Stacy, a.k.a. Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld). Luckily for Miles, one day Gwen pays him a visit and introduces him to a whole Spider Society of different Spider-People from throughout the Spider-Verse, all dedicated to protecting the Spider-Verse from anomalies like the Spot. They're led by the angst-ridden Miguel O'Hara, a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), who for some reason isn't too keen on the idea of Miles stepping foot in his or anyone else's universe...
Source material: While the film continues to draw inspiration from "Spider-Verse", the story is almost entirely original. The Spot debuted in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man in a 1984-1985 story by Al Milgrom and artist Herb Trimpe. Other prominently featured new Spider-People in this installment include Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman (the first comics character to use that name, debuting in Marvel Spotlight #32 by Archie Goodwin and artist Marie Severin in 1977, though her depiction here draws more influence from Dennis Hopeless' 2014 revival series), Pavitr Prabhakar aka Spider-Man India (debuted in Spider-Man: India by Jeevan J. Kang, Suresh Seetharaman, and Sharad Devarajan in 2004), and Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk (who debuted during the "Spider-Verse" storyline), though dozens of various obscure Spider-People from throughout the comics and other past adaptations make cameo appearances throughout the film. The movie also takes some inspiration from 2017's Spider-Men II by Bendis and Pichelli in its dénouement.
Notes on continuity: This is the film that fully established the Spider-Verse as a shared universe of all past Spider-Man adaptations. The volume of cameos and references is enormous. Here's a sampling: Spider-Man 1967 makes another speaking cameo after his appearance in Into the Spider-Verse, Videoman from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends makes a cameo, the Atari Green Goblin makes a cameo in the same scene, Spider-Man Unlimited has a silent cameo, archive footage from the Raimi and Webb films and their video game adaptations is used, the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home are mentioned, the depiction of the multiverse resembles a tree as in the MCU, the Spectacular Spider-Man makes a speaking cameo, Ultimate Spider-Man makes a silent cameo, LEGO Spider-Man has a scene, Insomniac's Spider-Man has a speaking cameo, Mrs. Chen from the Venom films has a live-action cameo, as does the version of the Prowler who appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and J.K. Simmons reprises his role as various alternate versions of J. Jonah Jameson after having played the character in the Raimi films, Ultimate Spider-Man, and the MCU, among others.
Credits scenes: None.
Spider-Man 2
Medium: video game
Release date: October 20, 2023
Director: Bryan Intihar, Ryan Smith
Rating: T for Teen
Synopsis: Players control both of New York's Spider-Men, Peter Parker (Lowenthal) and Miles Morales (Jeter), as they defend the city from Kraven the Hunter (Jim Pirri) and his city-wide hunt for superhuman individuals. Meanwhile, Peter encounters the Venom symbiote (Tony Todd) for the first time, and his long-estranged friend Harry Osborn (Graham Phillips) returns.
Source material: As with prior games in the series, Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 borrows liberally from all previous versions of the Spider-Man story while reworking them into its own unique take on the myth. Peter and Miles' partnership owes much to Spider-Men and Into the Spider-Verse, while this game's versions of the Venom story and Harry Osborn owe much to both the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series and The Amazing Spider-Man films. The game also takes some inspiration from the iconic 1987 crossover storyline "Kraven's Last Hunt" by J. M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Zeck.
Notes on continuity: The third installment of Insomniac's Spider-Man series and the second mainline installment, resolving story arcs in both Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. A peculiar hidden scene in the game sees Spider-Man travelling through an Across the Spider-Verse style portal to an interdimensional Bar with No Name, where the bartender Delilah, whose graphical style is reminiscent of the Neversoft PlayStation Spider-Man games, mentions Miguel of Across the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man's bemused reaction to all this indicates this game takes place before Across the Spider-Verse and this Spider-Man and Miguel have not met yet.
Credits scenes: Two of them, seemingly teasing a future Spider-Man game.
For more on the MCU side of the Spider-Verse, see my article on the MCU. Also check out my article on this franchise's sister series, the X-Men films.
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