Do You Need To Watch Into The Spider-Verse Before Watching Across The Spider-Verse?

There's little denying that "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is a gorgeous, action-packed movie that should probably be on your watchlist, whether you're a fan of superhero films or animated ones. Its plethora of Spider-people, art styles, and exciting chase and battle sequences is enough to keep anyone entertained, and the film also has a surprising amount of heart in its quiet moments. In other words, "Across the Spider-Verse" is a complete package. But is it a self-contained one? 

Of course, if the movie's cliffhanger ending isn't enough of a hint for the viewer, the fact that 2024's "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" is on the way confirms that "Across the Spider-Verse" is a two-parter. However, it's also a sequel to the first "Spider-Verse" movie, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." If you haven't seen it yet and want to check out "Across the Spider-Verse" as soon as possible, sitting through a 100-minute movie can seem like homework even when said movie is amazing. As such, the question is: Do you really need to watch "Into the Spider-Verse" before "Across the Spider-Verse?"

The simple answer is that yes, you probably should watch the first movie in a trilogy before sitting down to see the second one. However, if you absolutely, positively need to see "Across the Spider-Verse" first, that can absolutely be done without getting too confused.

(Note: Mild spoilers for both "Into the Spider-Verse" and "Across the Spider-Verse" follow.)

If you go to the theater with the knowledge that "Across the Spider-Verse" is a sequel, you won't have any trouble following the plot even if you haven't seen "Into the Spider-Verse" yet. The movie is far from a standalone, but nevertheless does an excellent job of explaining the returning characters' relationships and history together, even if the viewer isn't familiar with the "Into the Spider-Verse" events they discuss. The opening scene is a fairly good example of things to come: While it makes clear that this is very much a sequel, it also establishes the movie's main players and central themes and even recaps some of the story so far. 

The biggest cause of confusion for someone who hasn't seen "Into the Spider-Verse" is likely the main villain. The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) is very open about his history and motivations, but given that his origin story is very much tied to specific events in "Into the Spider-Verse," it's hard to fully appreciate the cleverness of the whole setup without being familiar with the first movie. Likewise, certain characters who turn up but don't receive an introduction won't make much of an impact unless you've seen "Into the Spider-Verse." However, if you're prepared to ignore such details, it's perfectly possible to keep up with the story of "Across the Spider-Verse" without watching its predecessor first.