Three Ways Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Retcons The First Movie
Contains minor spoilers for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is finally in theaters, and, like its predecessor, there are plenty of Easter eggs that fans will catch on their countless rewatches. However, eagle-eyed viewers may also notice slight changes in the sequel, as Phil Lord and Chris Miller have admitted to retconning a few things between movies.
During an appearance on the podcast "ReelBlend," the creative duo pointed out that they retconned three minor details from "Into the Spider-Verse." The original movie's ending features Miles (Shameik Moore) lying in his dorm room when Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) opens a multiversal portal above him to talk. However, when audiences finally see this scene in "Across the Spider-Verse," Miles is older and in his bedroom at his parents' house, not the school dorms. Lord wanted to go back and update the final shot of the first film, but they decided against it.
Similarly, fans got a quick glimpse at Captain George Stacy in "Into the Spider-Verse," during Gwen's introduction. Some may notice Captain Stacy (Shea Whigham) is a much bulkier man in "Across the Spider-Verse," getting an updated appearance for his equally larger role in the sequel. They made a similar retcon for the film's villain, The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who is much more connected to the previous movie than people think.
The Spot was in Into the Spider-Verse
The final retcon in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" relates to The Spot's (Jason Schwartzman) appearance before transforming into the multiversal villain.
One of the biggest reveals in the sequel is that The Spot was technically in "Into the Spider-Verse" as Alchamax scientist Dr. Jonathan Ohnn – he's the one that Miles (Shameik Moore) hits with a bagel in the movie. It's hard to make out many details in his brief, unnamed appearance, but Ohnn looks like a regular guy with short hair. However, Phil Lord and Chris Miller did some retconning for "Across the Spider-Verse," showing that, before his Spot transformation, Ohnn had long hair and an equally long beard. However, his original look does appear in the sequel, located in a photograph in his apartment.
During their interview on the podcast "ReelBlend," Lord said that if he could change some details from "Into the Spider-Verse," one would be to give Ohnn a cool beard and hairstyle. The creative duo also revealed that it was not a coincidence that, in the first movie, Miles hit Ohnn with a bagel, one of the only breakfast foods with a hole in it. "It was by design," Miller said, while Lord teased similar story ideas from writer David Callaham coming in "Beyond the Spider-Verse."