It was probably only a matter of time before we got word on a spin-off or two after the massive success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and sequel Across the Spider-Verse, and the news broke late last year that a new animated feature focusing on Spider-Punk is in early development at Sony Pictures.
A rumor that a "Spider-Woman" spin-off was also in the works followed, and Sony Pictures Animation heads Kristine Belson and Damien de Froberville have now confirmed that a Spider-Gwen movie is in active development along with the Spider-Punk film.
Belson declined to share many details, but said that the studio is now "active on both" projects during an interview with THR.
Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), emerged as a major standout of both Spider-Verse movies, so the fact that Sony would want to capitalize on the character's popularity is hardly a surprise.
Introduced in Across the Spider-Verse as a close friend (possible ex) of Spider-Gwen that Miles Morales was just a tad jealous of, Hobie Brown hails from Earth-138, and takes a more anarchistic and anti-establishment approach to superheroics than other Spidey variants.
Daniel Kaluuya, who voiced the character and is set to return for the final instalment in the trilogy, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is on board as a co-writer alongside Ajon Singh (Primetime). The Black Panther actor will almost certainly reprise the role for this spin-off, but nothing has been confirmed just yet.
Here's what Kaluuya had to say about the budding friendship between Hobie and Miles during a 2023 interview with THR.
"He saw that Miles does what’s right no matter what, especially in that [Mumbattan] sequence. Hobie saw that it pissed people off, and he kind of liked that. Miles also didn’t back down. He didn’t apologize for doing what he did. He was like, “Nah, I wanna do this. I’m gonna keep on doing this.” So Hobie saw that rebellious spirit, he identified with him and he wanted to support and help him. He looked at him and thought, “This kid is alright,” after he probably heard certain things about him. So Hobie knew that Miles would unravel the system or the status quo within the Spider Society."
Across the Spider-Verse concluded with a massive cliffhanger and surprise reveal which may go down as one of the most shocking twists in superhero movie history.
After managing to escape from Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 and his fellow Spideys and make it back to what he assumed was his own reality, Morales discovers that he's actually landed on Earth-42, where his father was killed in the line of duty and his Uncle Aaron is still alive.
With no Spider-Man keeping the streets in check, crime is rampant, and The Prowler is right at the center - but it's actually Miles' alternate universe counterpart, not his uncle, under the mask.
"After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most."
Beyond the Spider-Verse will feature returning voice actors Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, Brian Tyree Henry as Jeff Morales, Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, Oscar Isaac as Miguel O'Hara, Jason Schwartzman as Spot, Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, and Daniel Kaluuya, as Hobie Brown.