There is a big clue that this is what Chris Miller and Phil Lord have in store for audiences. In Across the Spider-Verse’s closing moments, Miles found himself stuck on Earth-42. There, he ran into not only Uncle Aaron but his evil doppelganger who may have been involved in his own father’s death. Before the credits roll, we are left with the image of the heroic Miles chained to a punching bag and readying for a showdown with his counterpart.
The thing that stands out in those final scenes is that neither the Earth-42 Miles nor Aaron was surprised to meet a Miles from another dimension. This implies that other Spider-Men have ventured to Earth-42 or, more likely, Prowler Miles and Aaron have been traversing the Spider-Verse. If that’s the case, they may have been recruiting other evil Spider-Men to their cause for an eventual showdown with the Spider-Verse’s heroes.
While the heroic Spider-Variants outnumber the villains, there are still plenty to choose from. Here are four that we could see in Beyond.
ULTIMATE IRON SPIDER
First appearance: Spider-Man #234
With the Earth-42 Miles as the Prowler, what role could his dear Uncle Aaron play in Beyond? Odds are, he will follow his comic roots and suit up as the Ultimate Iron Spider.
Rocking an awesome black and gold design, he actually led his own Sinister Six. Don’t forget that they were mentioned in the movie’s closing moments, so Aaron becoming Ultimate Iron Spider adds up.
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MILES
First appearance: Spider-Man: Life Story #6
There aren’t too many Spider-Miles variants floating around the comics, and that goes double for evil Miles. However, there was a short-lived Superior Spider-Miles. In an alternate reality in which Peter Parker aged closer to real time, Doctor Octopus put his consciousness into Miles.
Although it only lasted one issue, we could very well see a version of this in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
SPIDERS-MAN
First appearance: Spider-Geddon #3
Here we have a Spider-Man who merged with thousands of hungry spiders with an insatiable appetite for blood. This is one of the creepier Spider-Variants, and he may be too scary for young children.
That probably would mean he’s too much for Sony to allow in Beyond the Spider-Verse. Still, he played an important role in Spider-Geddon, and it would not be a surprise if that crossover story were to influence the events of the third Spider-Verse film.
HUNTER-SPIDER
First appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #5
Technically, Hunter-Spider isn’t a villain, but he sure doesn’t act like a hero, either. For all intents and purposes, this Kraven/Spider-Man mashup is an anti-hero, but I could see him being used as an antagonist in Beyond the Spider-Verse. Besides the character’s cool aesthetic, being a classic Spidey villain with spider powers is enough to get him at least a cameo in the next movie.
BEYOND GOOD
What would be fitting for the final entry in the Spider-Verse trilogy is a crowd-pleasing moment when the cavalry arrives. Yes, it’s an old action/adventure trope, but it never ceases to create some awe-inspiring moments. To this day, it’s impossible not to get chills when Captain America rallies the troops for the epic battle with Thanos in Endgame.
As great as the Spider-Verse films have been, Miller and Lord could rival that moment with a huge battle sequence between Spider-Man variants that leads to the final showdown between the good and evil Miles.
