‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Nearly Had a Post-Credits Scene

Acclaimed creative duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord have yet another hit on their hands with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The multiversal spider-flick has been killing it at the box office with just about everything fans could want – a heartfelt adventure about fitting in, a perfect villain for Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) capable of breaking the multiverse itself, and plenty of Spider-people (about 280, to be exact). One thing it lacked, however, was a post-credits scene. Apparently, that wasn’t always the case as Miller and Lord told IndieWire that there initially were plans to have one final tease based around Jason Schwartzman‘s The Spot.

It was a tad unusual for Across the Spider-Verse to hit theaters without some sort of post-credits footage. Marvel films have routinely employed these sorts of teasers, but it was also present in the first film of this trilogy, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Once the credits rolled, audiences got a brief look at Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), setting up more of the massive multiverse of Spideys for the sequel. Miller and Lord ultimately scrapped the scene because they were content with the ending they already had which was enough of a teaser for the next film on its own. “Hard to beat where we left off,” Lord told IndieWire. Directing duo Joaquim dos Santos and Kemp Powers said much of the same to Collider Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub in their interview, expressing that the final scene needed to be pre-credits.

The original plan, however, would’ve tied into another scene that never made it into the film. According to Miller and Lord, the first scene would’ve had The Spot hanging out in a bar filled with Spider-Man villains, but nobody notices his presence. Lord elaborates, “And then he finally steals the drink for himself and he pours it down and it all leaks out of his holes. He’s the dorkiest villain. A great line that Chris wrote, though: ‘Trying to fill a hole in his heart with more holes.’ Not a great method.”

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The Post-Credits Scene Would’ve Showcased The Spot’s Growth in Power

Over the course of the film, however, The Spot rises from petty thief to formidable villain to finally grab the attention of Miles and the Spider Society. He learns to control his spots, making for easier travel between worlds and ultimately turning him into a threat to the entire multiverse. That would also be reflected in his design as becomes less like a goofy solid white being with spots to an abyss-like being. The post-credits scene would’ve been his ultimate “be careful who you pick on” redemption story as he would’ve returned to the villain bar and easily wiped out all the foes who looked down upon him before.

Since there was no spot for The Spot’s initial trip, that final scene never would’ve worked out, something that returning head of character animation Alan Hawkins was a bit disappointed by. “That was one of my favorite things, seeing this guy get picked on and then come back and, with just a whisper, demolishes every person that comes at him. But you have to have both of those sequences for that to work.”

Instead, the film ends only with a card promising that Miles will return for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the final entry in the Spider-Verse trilogy. The film, which is currently slated for March 29, 2024, is shaping up to be a wild conclusion with Miller and Lord promising even more new Spideys than Across the Spider-Verse. Among those web-slingers will likely be Miles’ original allies from the first film including Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), Spider-Noir (Nicolas Cage), and, of course, Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld). Miles’ trip through the multiverse also garnered some new friends who’ll be back for the sequel like Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya), Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), and Spider-Byte (Amandla Stenberg).

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently in theaters. Check out the trailer below.