Daniel Kaluuya may not have come back for the sequel to Black Panther, but he is joining another major sequel from Marvel. The Oscar-winning star of Get Out and Nope will voice Spider-Punk in next year’s highly anticipated sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on the casting, which is only going to continue over the coming months. Producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (who confirmed Kaluuya’s involvement on his Twitter) revealed earlier this year that Across the Spider-Verse has 240 characters in it, compared to 40 in the first movie. It’ll also take place across six dimensions instead of the one from the first film. To say it’s a bigger movie than its Oscar-winning predecessor would be an understatement.
Spider-Punk has yet to appear on screen but early merchandise leaked, all but confirming his inclusion in the film. Appropriately, that merch was of a web-shooting electric guitar and Spider-Man mask with spikes on it. The character is a punk rocker, after all.
Kaluuya (who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Judas and the Black Messiah and recently appeared in Nope) joins a cast that already includes returning actors Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, and Greta Lee, as well as newcomers Issa Rae, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, and Jason Schwartzman. This time, they’ll be directed by Justin K. Thompson, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Kemp Powers.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follows the continuing adventures of Miles Morales (Moore) who once again teams up with Gwen Stacy (Steinfeld) to save not just one universe of Spider-people, but many. It’s scheduled for release June 2, 2023 and will then be followed by the trilogy capping Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse on March 29, 2024.
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