SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Directors Discuss Scarlet Spider and Capturing the Awesomeness of the Character

One of the more interesting Spider-Man variants set to appear in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is Ben Barnes aka Scarlett Spider. This is a fan-favorite character from the ‘90s, and the character was born out of the controversial "Clone Saga" storyline.

In the comics, Scarlet Spider is a clone of Peter Parker who takes the name Ben Reilly, inspired by the names of Peter's aunt and uncle. During an interview with CB, Across The Spider-Verse co-directors Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and Joaquim Dos Santos discussed the inclusion of the character making sure they captured the character perfectly.

Dos Santos said that they followed "the letter of the law" to embrace that era of 1990s comics, and Kemp added: "It's representing an era in comics. That's one of the key things with the character is that Ben Riley was an era when super duper ripped characters were like the (norm); and being in positions that were not physically possible....Muscles on top of the muscles on top of muscles and being in positions that were not physically possible. And we were just like we really wanted to capture that."

As of right now, we don’t know who provides the voice of the character, but director Joaquim Dos Santos previously said: "I can't wait for people to hear who voices him. It still hasn't been released, but I love our Scarlet Spider actor." 

When asked to offer a hint on who the actor is, the director shared that it’s so secret that not even the cast knows! He said: "Not even the actors know! Everyone is sworn to secrecy, and they record alone, so most of them are discovering with the public who is in the film they've been making. Their reactions have been pretty hilarious."

As for the history of Scarlet Spider, The Clone Saga was a long-running narrative that spanned several Spider-Man titles in the 1990s. It revolved around the revelation that Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, had been cloned by the villainous Jackal, resulting in the introduction of numerous clone characters, including Ben Reilly, who became the Scarlet Spider.

Ben Reilly, created as a perfect clone of Peter Parker, emerged as a key player in the Clone Saga. Initially, Ben took on the Scarlet Spider identity to assist Peter, who was grappling with doubts about his true identity and grappling with the challenges of being Spider-Man. Ben's arrival added a twist to the narrative as readers were left questioning who the true Spider-Man was.

As the storyline progressed, Ben developed a strong fan following and became a fan-favorite character. He embodied a fresh and relatable take on the Spider-Man mythos, offering a slightly different personality and approach to crime-fighting compared to Peter. Ben's costume, with its blue hoodie and red bodysuit, also set him apart visually.

However, the Clone Saga storyline eventually became notorious for its convoluted and often contradictory plot developments. The arc became mired in numerous twists, turns, and character revelations, leading to reader confusion and dissatisfaction.

Marvel eventually decided to bring the Clone Saga to an end and restore Peter Parker as the one true Spider-Man. This involved a controversial storyline that revealed Ben Reilly as the "real" Peter Parker, while the Peter Parker readers had followed for years was, in fact, the clone.

The sequel follows Miles Morales as he is “plunged into the multiverse where he joins forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-folks to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.”

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. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.”

The movie is set to be released on June 2nd, 2023!