The cast is already vast for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and it just got bigger with Daniel Kaluuya, who is coming off his success with Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror film Nope. He will play Hobart “Hobie” Brown, aka Spider-Punk.
Fans of the expansive comic book lore that the animated sequel and its predecessor draw from, Spider-Punk originated from Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #10. The costume of the rocker superhero was also featured in Insomniac’s Spider-Man video game, and now Daniel Kaluuya will give the character his big-screen debut.
Daniel Kaluuya joins cast of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Playing a Spider-Man variant is not the first time Daniel Kaluuya has jumped into the superhero world. The dominating genre grabbed him for Black Panther. Due to him collaborating with Peele for the second time with Nope, he will not reprise his role for the upcoming Wakanda Forever. Other roles outside of the genre for him include Judas and the Black Messiah, Queen & Slim, Sicario, and Watership Down.
The Oscar-winning actor joins Shameik Moore as Miles Morales; Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099; Haile Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen; and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman. Jorma Taccone, Luna Lauren Velez, Brian Tyree Henry, and Jason Schwartzman also star in the upcoming animated film.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Afterparty) return to pen the sequel with Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Joaquim Dos Santos (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Kemp Powers (Soul), and Justin K. Thompson (Into the Spider-Verse) direct the sequel. The second movie will be a two-parter as the third film will be helmed and written by the same people. Across the Spider-Verse was meant to release on October 7, 2022, but was delayed to swing to June 2, 2023. The third installment wall-crawls over to March 29, 2024.