Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is set to swing into theaters this June and introduce a world to a multiverse of brand new Spider-People. Andy Samberg now officially joins their ranks as the fan-favorite Ben Reilly, a.k.a. the Scarlet Spider.
It’s been known for a while that Ben Reilly would appear in the Spider-Verse sequel, though Sony has mostly kept a lid on who would be playing him. It was only recently that Samberg himself via the Instagram account of his band The Lonely Island that he would be appearing in the film, with One Take News later verifying that he would be playing Ben Reilly. According to their sources, Samberg will only be playing a supporting role in the film, though not as large as someone like Issa Rae’s Spider-Woman. Those sources also speculate Samberg could have a larger role in the threequel Beyond the Spider-Verse, though it’s currently unknown if he will reprise the role.
Ben Reilly has had a complicated history in the Spider-Man comics. Reilly is a clone of Peter Parker created by Jackal during The Clone Saga. Despite believing himself to be the real Peter and not a clone, Ben struck out on his own following a fight where he was believed dead and Peter returned to his normal life, taking up the first name of his Uncle Ben and maiden name of his Aunt May. Ben has taken up the mantle of Spider-Man multiple times since his introduction, though has also had a number of identities such as the Jackal, Goblin King and, of course, the Scarlet Spider. It’s currently unclear if this version of Ben Reilly will be acting as the Spider-Man of New York in his universe, protecting Las Vegas, or doing something entirely new with the character.
The team behind Across The Spider-Verse
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson from a screenplay written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham, Across The Spider-Verse also features the voice talents of Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Jason Schwartzman, Rachel Dratch, Shea Whigham and Jorma Taccone. Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Christina Steinberg are producing the upcoming movie alongside Lord and Miller, who also worked on its predecessor.
The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse synopsis reads as follows: “Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga… After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.”
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 2, 2023. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the upcoming movie and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
