While there’s been a surge in talk about Spider-Man: Brand New Day following the reveal of Tom Holland’s new Spidey suit and filming beginning, let’s not forget it’s not the only upcoming Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse remains in the works and is currently set for a 2027 release. Today, however, I’m pumped to learn that one of the best characters introduced in Across the Spider-Verse is getting their own spinoff movie.
Today brings word that Sony is in early development on an animated feature centered on Daniel Kaluuya’s Hobie Brown, a.k.a. Spider-Punk. In addition to reprising his role from the 2023 movie, which he’ll also be doing in Beyond the Spider-Verse, Kaluuya is writing the script with Primetime’s Ajon Singh. Deadline reports that no other deals are currently in place, and plot details are being kept secret.
Based on the character created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel, Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk hails from Earth-138, where he uses his guitar and punk rock attitude as his main weapon against the totalitarian regime in control of his world. Hobie teamed up with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, Pavitr Prabhakar and more to combat The Spot, and Hobie in particular helped Miles escape from Miguel O’Hara and the Spider Society after they’d imprisoned him. By the end of Across the Spider-Verse, Hobie was among the Spider-heroes Gwen recruited to help her find Miles in the multiverse (he ended up trapped on Earth-42, the world where the spider that bit him came from).
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about a Spider-Verse spinoff movie being worked on. Shortly before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released in 2018, Sony announced a feature focusing on three generations of Spider-heroines, including Gwen Stacy, Jessica Drew and Cindy Moon. As of 2023, that spinoff was still in development, but it’s unclear if that remains the case two years later. Given how well received Daniel Kaluuya’s version of Spider-Punk was received, I’d like to think that improves the chances of his spinoff officially being greenlit, because I’m definitely keen on seeing this.
Along with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, 2023 also saw Kaluuya making his filmmaking debut with Netflix’s The Kitchen, when he co-directed with Kibwe Tavares and co-wrote with Joe Murtagh. Looking beyond… Beyond the Spider-Verse, the actor has two A24 projects lined up. The first is co-starring in the untitled Chris Rock movie that began filming last month, and the second is the adult-focused Barney movie, which he’s producing through his 59% banner and has The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri attached.
Assuming there aren’t anymore setbacks, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will swing into theaters on June 25, 2027, and it’s hard to say how long after that the Spider-Punk spinoff would arrive if it does indeed move forward. Meanwhile, you’re welcome to revisit Across the Spider-Verse by streaming it with a Disney+ subscription.
