Who Plays Spot In Across The Spider-Verse - And Why It's Perfect Casting
Sony's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" sequel "Across the Spider-Verse" heightens the first film's multiverse hopping with the introduction of a villain called The Spot, a researcher whose scientifically altered body is covered in portals. Each of these portals can transport either him or another entity through space-time, meaning that The Spot's abilities are well-suited to multiverse shenanigans.
The actor who voices The Spot is Jason Schwartzman, nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and frequent collaborator with Wes Anderson. Schwartzman's breakout role was in Anderson's sophomore feature "Rushmore" as its iconic lead, precocious teenager Max Fischer. While he was absent from the director's next few projects, he's plays a significant role in each of his most recent of films starting with "The Darjeeling Limited."
Other notable performances from throughout his filmography include King Louis XVI in his cousin Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette," evil ex-boyfriend Gideon Graves in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," the lead role in HBO comedy "Bored to Death," and a new character in Netflix's "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp." He even showed up in Season 3 of "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson," which premiered the same week as "Across the Spider-Verse," and just a couple weeks before "Asteroid City" which features his latest work with Anderson.
Jason Schwartzman's distinct style elevates his Spider-Verse role
The Spot isn't a traditionally menacing sort of villain. Rather, he's not even all that great at villainy at the film's start, but works as an antagonist to its various Spider-Men anyway due to his considerable power rendering him capable of plenty of mayhem nevertheless. Schwartzman, meanwhile, is a master of deadpan delivery, which is a hallmark of both his heelish characters, like Gideon in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and his baby face performances like the boy scout-esque Greg in "Wet Hot American Summer."
To The Spot, he initially brings a sort of bumbling, understated demeanor that contrasts with his villainy. This is important both to building the film's signature sense of subversive fun, as well as a character arc that eventually sees him going off the proverbial deep end into a manic state. At this point, late in the film, the style in which The Spot is animated itself becomes more sinister, resulting in a threat to the multiverse that feels more genuine than the average blockbuster movie villain.
Schwartzman is the perfect fit for his "Spider-Verse" role, then, not just because he's funny, but for the shock of his signature comic demeanor dissolving into something altogether more dangerous. Ultimately, thanks to Schwartzman, The Spot works as a unique take on a supervillain without sacrificing a sense of genuine dread.