Soon after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse landed fans began noticing something strange. There appeared to be different versions of the movie in theaters, though the changes were so minor most viewers wouldn’t have noticed.
Theories as to what was going on abounded, with a popular view that this was a metafictional multiversal reference from Lord and Miller. Well, Across the Spider-Verse‘s home release is now here and there are even more changes. Now this mystery is solved. In an interview with GamesRadar Miller said:
“There was an international version that was made almost two months before the movie came out because it had to be translated into different languages and these French censors have to decide what the rating of the movie is in Europe. The team at [Sony Pictures] Imageworks still had some shots that they felt they could do better for the finished version. So, they cleaned up and tweaked those things.”
Lord added, “I think most of the changes are improvements.”
But just because the confusion is over doesn’t mean fans are happy. Over on r/TheMoralesSketchbook they’re leveling criticism at Lord and Miller’s leadership abilities, arguing that it’s unfair to animators to change shots at late notice. Others take specific issues with the changes made, like removing Gwen’s panicked “no no no” when she runs to check if Miles is okay in Mumbatten.
There are also those who watched the home release and greatly preferred the theatrical cut, though cruelly there’s no legal way to watch that version now. Perhaps one day we’ll get a multi-disc Blu-ray of every cut out there to contrast and compare, but even now it seems Across the Spider-Verse is still a movie in flux.
Fans are also reeling from the news that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse has been indefinitely delayed due to the ongoing Hollywood strikes, but fingers crossed they can get a final cut of that movie locked in early to avoid this whole confusing mess happening again.