It's Looking Increasingly Unlikely SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE Will Be Released Next March As Planned

@ShimmyShimmyYA - Considering that Lord and Miller were asking complete do-overs on fully finished and rendered scenes (big no-no in the animation field, btw.), they probably thought they would be finished with Across and could start pre-production on Beyond sooner than they did.

@The1st - my 3 kids hated the ending. I loved it.

@mastakilla39 - So...ESB is an incomplete film? Maybe should have been released the same year, but it's Hollywood so it wasn't.

@TheHumanSpider2 - I'll echo this sentiment. There has to be some middle ground where the animators are given enough time, pay, and suitable working conditions without completely losing the momentum from this film. 1st quarter of 2025 seems reasonable (so long as animators don't begin a strike as well).

@philinterrupted - It was way too busy too. Jumped all over the place. Although it was entertaining, I wasnt a big fan of it.

@Drace24 - what’s Gwen’s arc?

@philinterrupted - Gwen begins the movie looking for an escape from her relationships and responsibilities. She is still mourning the death of Peter and rather than reach out to her friends and family, she dreams of another serendipitous escape. The events of "Into the Spider-Verse" opened her eyes past the petty rebellion of being a Vigilante. Instead, now she wants to be able to flit freely wherever her heart desires, without taking any responsibility for the people that love and depend on her.

When Miguel offers the opportunity to join the Multiversal Spider-Men, she jumps on the opportunity, especially after her father appears to betray her--he was going to bring her in, seemingly confirming that she really is alone and removing her guilt to leave.

She then works with the Spider-Men, living the exciting and ever-moving life that she was chasing before. All the while, she is dodging he responsibility to her home universe.

When she gets a mission in Miles' Universe, she doubles down on these bad habits. She lies to both Miles and Miguel/Jess, ignoring all responsibility she has to either to enact her own selfish actions.

When Miles brings this to her attention, she is initially defensive, but by the end of the movie, she sees the error of her ways. She goes back to her reality, mends her relationship with her father, and resolves to do better by following Miles' example.

@Drace24 - Cliffhangers are always divisive, mostly because people want the satisfaction of a resolution. I'm with you on all your points--This was absolutely Gwen's film--but I can also see why others are a bit uneasy with the ending. There is no certainty that things will turn out okay, or that it will be well written. It's purposefully anxiety inducing to lure back the audience for the finale.

Funnily enough, this discussion about Cliffhangers/extended stories has me thinking of Dickens and how he only released stories a chapter or two at a time in a magazine. His stories could go on for years of publication, with no end every truly in sight. The moment you thought you'd get momentum, he could introduce an entirely new plot thread or cast of characters. Imagine if readers then held the same dissatisfaction held by those today about a lack of resolution.

Maybe not the most apt comparison, but the impatience shared by a greedy studio and jilted fanbase made me ponder if we can even tell stories at our own pace anymore. Deadlines must be met, after all...

@philinterrupted - You're right, she didn't choose to go back to her reality on her own--to me, that is what makes her choice to confront her problems with her father that much more meaningful and arc-fulfilling.

I don't believe Character arc and Plot do not necessarily need to be entwined. However, I would argue that she was a main focus of the plot because it is really her inciting action (or rather, her inaction) that leads to the Spot's victory. I agree that the focus shifts a lot, but I view that as a feature of an ensemble, not a flaw. I'm certain we will see the focus shift back to Miles in the next film, but I wouldn't be surprised if we don't explore more with Miguel and Peter B. Parker in the next one.

@philinterrupted - I don't think we are really disagreeing--we are just looking at this from different perspectives. Clearly this franchise is built upon Miles and he is the Hero of the story. The plot revolves around him and the actions his "nemesis" takes to get even with Miles. Don't get me wrong, Miles has a full arc as well. To me, his story resonates as a continuation of the themes from the first installment--the responsibility of power, managing expectations of your family, and pushing against preconceptions to become the hero you were always meant to be. In this movie, Miles' parents perception of their son has shifted. They used to think he was irresponsible and immature, but seeing his growth, now they worry that he is moving faster than they can keep up with. It's a compelling story of family, but not one that we see play out to its conclusion yet---that will be saved for Beyond the Spider-Verse.

While Gwen isn't the one to initiate the conversation with her father, her "action" is that she actually slows down to listen to what he has to say. She could have blown him off, the way she had been blowing off most everyone in favor of her own whims, but she chose to accept his words. It's been a while since I was a teen, but I remember wanting to shut out my parents when they were trying to reach out to me. I think the scene was handled well, but clearly Gwen has more growing to do before she is truly an adult. Again, we will see more of this in Beyond, but I think the arc of choosing Escape vs. Embrace has concluded for Gwen.

I followed up with you on this because you asked what Gwen's arc was and I hope I've shed some light on the story to help point out that she did go through an emotional journey. If she wasn't the main character to you, that's fine!--There are a lot of character arcs going on and everyone is bound to latch onto one narrative over another. But I don't think we can downplay her role for other viewers.