*Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse* 2099 is back!

Spider-Man 2099 standing before the multiversal portals instantly pulled me right back in. That mashup of neon, fractures, and identity dissonance feels like Hyper Light Drifter colliding with Katana ZERO—every frame is telling you this isn’t an ordinary sequel, but an endgame built to bring everything together.

At CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas recently, Sony Pictures unveiled exclusive footage and brand-new visuals from Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. The studio also confirmed that Spider-Man 2099 will appear in this finale. For someone like me who cares more about creative expression, the most fascinating thing about this series has never been that “there are lots of Spider-Men,” but that it dares to fuse comic-book paneling, graffiti, and animated texture into an entirely new visual language.

On that note, the new footage picks up directly from the ending of Across the Spider-Verse. Miles is stopped by the evil alternate-universe version of himself, the Prowler, who clearly isn’t buying the whole “canon event” argument. Miles then escapes using his lightning powers—a really clever touch, like a crucial dash in Celeste: not just a getaway, but the moment a character takes back control.

What’s interesting is that the newly revealed material is clearly leaning harder into the weight of “family debt.” The footage includes scenes of Miles’ father and Uncle Aaron’s past crimes, along with shots of Gwen crossing dimensions and multiple Spider-People streaking through a neon cityscape. The film’s core theme has been summed up as “how to repair relationships when duty tears a family apart,” which hits harder than simply saving the multiverse, because it brings a grand idea back to the dinner table, to loved ones, and to choices.

As for the villains, Spot is back, and this time he’ll absorb the life energy around him. Kingpin has also been confirmed to return, which means the conflict won’t stay confined to the conceptual level of the multiverse. Miles’ side also has a lively lineup of allies: Spider-Ham, Spider-Noir, Spider-Gwen, Peter B. Parker, and Spider-Punk will all step up. The team feels like an indie game anthology—each character has a distinct art style, yet they still fit into the same larger picture.

That said, the wait really has been a long one. The film is slated for release in June 2027, four years after Across the Spider-Verse. Producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller previously explained that the story had grown too massive, which is why it was split into two parts. I can understand that—after all, the previous film had already spread its narrative threads out like the star map of Outer Wilds, and cutting it carelessly would only make it collapse.

Judging from the mood in the community, people are excited to see 2099 return, but they’re also worried about the pressure of sticking the landing. After all, if a character’s plea of “I just want to be taken seriously” ends up reduced to nothing more than a giant spectacle of people punching each other, that would be a real shame. My advice is simple: don’t let the trailer hype you up so much that you lose your judgment—wait for the full trailer and the reviews before deciding whether to rush out on day one. As long as it can hold on to its creative voice and character relationships, this series could still deliver one of the most stunning animated finales in recent years.