Andy Samberg Talks Possible Ben Reilly Return in SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE
It’s been a long wait for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and with the film now set to swing into theaters on June 18, 2027, fans are still hanging off that brutal cliffhanger from Across the Spider-Verse.
I have a lot of questions about where the story will go next, and I have wondered whether we’ll see more of Ben Reilly, aka the hilariously over-the-top Scarlet Spider, in the trilogy’s finale.
Now, Andy Samberg has weighed in on that possibility. When we last saw him, Miles was stranded on Earth-42, while Spider-Gwen was assembling her own crew to go after him.
Meanwhile, Ben Reilly had been sent by Miguel O’Hara, also known as Spider-Man 2099, to track Miles down on Earth-1610. That plan didn’t exactly pan out. Gwen webbed him up, swiped his dimension-hopping watch, and left the clone stuck on her watercolor-soaked Earth-65.
Scarlet Spider was presented as a tongue-in-cheek riff on ‘90s superhero angst, complete with dramatic poses and self-serious narration. He was more comedic spice than central player, but a lot of fans loved Samberg’s take and want him back for round three.
Speaking with ScreenRant, Samberg didn’t pretend to have insider knowledge. "I truly know nothing," the Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor started, adding that, "[I] hope that I have more in the next one."
Samberg continued, "It seems like [Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider] should [be back] based on how the last one ends, but I never count on anything in this business. [Laughs] But I would love that if it did. If they want me, I'm there for as much or as little as they need."
That stranded-on-Earth-65 setup certainly leaves the door open. It would be pretty crazy if Ben just stayed webbed up somewhere offscreen for the entire finale, especially with the multiverse in chaos.
Financially, the Spider-Verse franchise has already proven it’s a powerhouse. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse pulled in $384 million worldwide in 2018 and snagged the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse followed in 2023 and raked in over $690 million globally, even though it didn’t walk away with the Academy Award.
At CinemaCon last year, producer Phil Lord teased what’s ahead. When Beyond the Spider-Verse kicks off, Miles is officially a fugitive, hunted across the multiverse by other Spider-Heroes.
Lord said, "Gwen and his other friends may or may not be enough to help him save the family that’s been the leading part of the entire system."
Lord, along with co-directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson, also addressed the extended delay. The team explained, "We know how important this franchise is to so many people around us. We just could not run it back. So, we decided we needed to take the time to make sure we got it just right."
Lord also promised that the next installment is going big. "It’s going to be a massive finale to the trilogy," he said, adding that the film is built for "the biggest screens. We are prepping this movie especially for your large-format screens. It looks insane."
On top of that, the Spider-Verse corner of Marvel animation is expanding. A Spider-Gwen movie and a Spider-Punk movie are officially in development, along with an animated Venom feature that’s likely separate from the Spider-Verse storyline.
For now, whether Ben Reilly swings back into action in Beyond the Spider-Verse remains up in the air. But if Samberg gets the call, he’s clearly ready to suit up again.