Spider-Verse 2: Jaw-Dropping Marvel Cameos Bring the Multiverse to Life

Warning – The rest of this article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has arrived and it is the biggest love letter to Spider-Man ever made.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was the live-action version of this movie in a lot of ways and was the payoff of 20 years of Spider-Man at the theaters. There was even a mention of the events of No Way Home in Across The Spider-Verse. 

But the sequel to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse goes toe to toe in paying homage to the movies of web-head’s past.

Dozens of easter-eggs, Marvel references, and animated cameos across the Spider-Verse are featured, but the seven live-action cameos are what break the fourth wall and grab the attention of the Spidey-faithful.

Live-Action Cameos in Across the Spider-Verse

Peggy Lu – Mrs. Chen

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Sony Pictures

Mrs. Chen is a key side character in the Venom franchise as a San Francisco bodega owner. Peggy Lu’s brief cameo as Mrs. Chen was a part of the marketing campaign for Across the Spider-Verse so it was not a shock, but a welcome surprise.

If fans were given the choice of which character from the Venom universe to be in this film, Mrs. Chen would receive the vast majority of the vote.

Donald Glover – Aaron Davis

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Marvel Studios

This cameo was a major shock for audiences as Donald Glover was back in his role of Aaron Davis 6 years after his first appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Moving forward, it will be tough to find a list of the best comic book movie cameos that does not feature Glover’s live-action Prowler.

The meta importance of this cameo and the seed planted for a potential reprisal in a live-action Mile Morales movie is exciting, but this cameo is bigger than the story. Donald Glover dressed as Spider-Man in the Season 2 premiere of Community in 2010. This bit inspired legendary comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis to create Miles Morales, and the rest is history.


Along with the Roger Rabbit-esque cameos from Lu and Glover, there was also a handful of cameos via archival footage from Sony Spider-Man movies from the past 23 years.

These are shown while Miguel O’Hara is explaining the key moments in every Spider-Man’s life that build the Spider-Verse Canon.

Andrew Garfield – Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Sony Pictures

One of those moments is the death of a police captain/father figure that is most often in the form of Captain George Stacy. Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker was shown experiencing this keystone trauma in a clip from The Amazing Spider-Man. 

After Spider-Man: No Way Home, Andrew Garfield fans have been pining for a non-MCU return for the Spidey-actor. This moment will surely do nothing but fuel the fire of the #MakeTASM3 movement.

Tobey Maguire – Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Sony Pictures

The other key moment displayed is the death of an aunt or uncle every Spider-Man must endure. There are a handful of shots from the iconic uncle ben scene in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. 

Any Spider-Man fan born before this century owes plenty of their fandom to Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy and these moments will surely spark a rewatch in many fans.

Denis Leary – Captain George Stacy

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Sony Pictures

These canon events not only show Peter Parker’s involvement but also the people lost in these events. Denis Leary’s Captain Stacy is shown in his death scene from The Amazing Spider-Man.

Cliff Robertson – Uncle Ben Parker

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Sony Pictures

Much like Leary’s Captain Stacy, Cliff Robertson’s Uncle Ben is shown alongside Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker in his death scene from Spider-Man. The original live-action Uncle Ben gets his moment within this decade’s Spider-Man renaissance.

Kirsten Dunst – Mary Jane Watson

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Sony Pictures

To this day Kirsten Dunst remains the only theatrically released live-action Mary-Jane Watson (Zendaya’s name in the Homecoming trilogy is Michelle).

For as many iconic moments as the Raimi trilogy has, none are more culturally relevant that the moment shown here as Mary-Jane and Peter kiss upside down in the rain.

Alfred Molina – Doc-Ock (voice only)

Spider-Verse 2 Includes 7 Shocking Live-Action Marvel Cameos
Marvel Studios

Throughout this montage of iconic Spider-Man movie moments, Tom Holland does not make an appearance. There are a few theories as to why that is (see below) but the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man was not completely absent from this trip down memory lane.

While Miguel goes through the key canon moments, Alfred Molina’s voice can be heard saying his now iconic catchphrase “Hello Peter”. Chills.

The Animation/Live-Action Crossover

The blend of live-action and animation is one of many bold swings taken in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. While there is no telling what the future holds for this revolutionary franchise, the idea of these movies transitioning into what will be the live-action Miles Morales is more prominent than ever.

There is also a very obvious and exciting lack of Tom Holland. Sony is surely saving their most valuable Peter Parker for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. 

The idea to explain why Holland’s Spider-Man is not a part of the canon-event scene in the Spider-Society is because the core of the MCU Spider-Man is diametrically opposed to the mission statement of Spider-Man 2099’s Spider-Society.

The Spider-Society’s purpose is to contain the structural foundation of the Spider-Verse by making sure canon moments keep the web strong. This includes accepting the death of some of the most important people in Spider-Man’s life to give those wall-crawlers the push they need to become the Spider-People they are supposed to be.

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker spent all of Spider-Man: No Way Home going against that idea. Despite the powerful nature of the multiverse, Holland’s Spider-Man refused to not try to save everyone.

The very ideology that turns Miles from a welcome guest to Spider enemy number one.

Related Posts

Kylie Jenner Faces Backlash For “tacky” Birthday Cupcakes With Revealing Photo

Kylie Jenner’s 27th birthday celebration has stirred up controversy due to a unique choice in her party favors. The Kardashians star, known for her extravagant style, had cupcakes adorned with a revealing photo of herself. The image, which featured Kylie …

Kim Kardashian showed off her curves as she attended sister Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila event in Malibu.

Kim Kardashian flaunted her stunning figure in a sleek bodysuit while attending her sister Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila event at SoHo House in Malibu on Thursday. The 41-year-old SKIMS founder turned heads in a form-fitting grey bodysuit that accentuated …

Kim Kardashian shows off her toned waist as she takes her kids and niece to see her new animated movie ‘Paw Patrol’

Kim Kardashian hosted a private screening of her upcoming animated film Paw Patrol: The Movie on Friday night, welcoming her children and nieces to the event. The 40-year-old reality TV star looked effortlessly chic in a beige bandeau top that highlighted …

Kim Kardashian: Paris Hilton’s maid who “wore clothes for free” is now the queen of the empire “invading” Hollywood

It turns out that the founder of the Kardashian empire – Kim Kardashian – once borrowed clothes to attend events and then attached tags to return them….

Birthday like an awards ceremony red carpet: Kim sisters are “eye-catchingly sexy”, Kylie is with a strange man and a group of powerful stars

Diddy’s birthday party brought together an incredible cast of stars such as the Kim Kardashian sisters – Kanye West, Kylie Jenner, Pharell, The Weeknd, Usher, Beyonce and…

Exclusive Peek Inside Justin Holiday’s $21.35 Million Mansion: Experience NBA Luxury Living

Justin Holiday is the sibling of Jrue Holiday, an All-Star wing for the Boston Celtics. However, the fact that Justin shares the same number of NBA championships as his younger sibling is frequently overlooked. The guard for the Denver …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *