Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse - Who Is Taran Killam's Webslinger?

The hugely anticipated sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" will take fans to many different multiverses, each with its own unique animation style, and introduce audiences to several new characters – including a web-shooting cowboy voiced by an "SNL" alum who happens to be good friends with the flick's directors. "Well, one fun fact is that our friend Taran gets to play Webslinger along with Widow," Phil Lord said in an interview with Ashley & Company. "He's been our old friend ever since the 'How I Met Your Mother' days." Amid this revelation, Chris Miller offered some clarity, explaining, "Taran Killam, the actor from 'Saturday Night Live' who also writes the Webslinger comics, so he got to voice him."

For those that don't know, Webslinger first appeared in "Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #9" in November 2014. The character went by the name Patrick O'Hara, a gunslinger who took his act on the road only to encounter a radioactive spider; it bit both him and his horse Widow, giving the two a telepathic connection he calls Rider Sense. After the game-changing bite, Webslinger started going by the name of Ponderosa Pete when he wasn't wearing the mask. The character is a solid fighter, as well as an expert marksman armed with web-shooting pistols that stop outlaws in their tracks. But he lacks the superior strength other Spider-people possess.

It will be interesting to see what Webslinger is up to in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," and fans should most certainly keep an eye out for the notable persona considering how invested Taran Killam is with not only the character but the entire Spider-Man franchise.

As mentioned before by Chris Miller, Taran Killam's connection to Webslinger is not limited to him voicing the character in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." The actor, known for his roles on "Saturday Night Live," "The Awesomes," "Single Parents," and "Twelve Years a Slave," also served as a writer for "Spider-Verse #4." The story follows Miles Morales as he is traversing the Spider-Verse assisting other Spider-people, and he reunites with Webslinger after their past encounters in events like "Spider-Geddon" to save his Western town from Scorpion and the Sinister Sextet after Sheriff Stacy is incapacitated.

But Killam's ties to the Spider-Verse run deeper than just Webslinger, as he has been a follower of the webhead agenda for as long as he can remember. "I'm a lifelong Spider-Man fan. In fact, the AOL email account I've had since I was twelve is a version of Spider-Man," Killam told Marvel. His passion for the franchise wasn't the only reason he was eager to work on the Webslinger project, saying, "I also love a good Western. So when the fine folks at Marvel (huge shoutout to Nick Lowe!) asked if I wanted to write a Spider-Verse issue featuring Webslinger, I said yes faster than a mustang in the eye of a cyclone." 

Ultimately, the actor was grateful for the opportunity, revealing, "It is an unbelievable honor to contribute to the Spider-Verse that has thrilled and delighted me since my youth. It was more fun than I could have anticipated."

There is no denying that Killam is crazy about Spider-Man, and fans will not want to miss the actor's run as Webslinger in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," which is in theaters June 2, 2023.