The digital release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has confirmed which version of the film should be regarded as canon after two different cuts made their way into theatres.
Shortly after the second chapter of the Spider-Verse saga hit digital storefronts, fans who downloaded the movie put out a PSA for which version of the film featured on the release, after cinemagoers spotted minor differences in the dialogue and animations across two different cuts that rolled out in theatres in June.
GamesRadar picked up on the tweets circulating on X (formerly known as Twitter), confirming which version is the real deal. One scene featuring Miguel O’Hara, AKA Spider-Man 2099, and his holographic companion Lyla ends with her taking a selfie with a bunny filter instead of pointing her finger, making that the official version.
THE LYLA SELFIE VERSION OF SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE IS THE FINAL CUT OF THE MOVIE AND WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC DIGITALLY AND PHYSICALLY pic.twitter.com/TNWJvDf7vD
— Chris (@SuperiorChris17) August 7, 2023
For everyone asking
The version of Across The spider-verse they released on digital is the one with lyla taking a selfie
Also There’s tiny changes to the digital version
A few words that was said in the theatre version has been removed in the digital version for some reason
— Spider-Man News (@SpiderMan3news) August 7, 2023
The digital release also features Ben Reilly, aka Scarlet Spider, making a remark about trapping Miles in his “well-defined musculature” rather than calling it a “sleeper hold” as observed in a previous version in cinemas, as well as a minor change to the way Spider-Gwen reacts to Miles seemingly being crushed in Mumbattan.
Some people traced the changes between the two different theatrical versions back to the moment Sony Pictures swapped out the prints to fix sound issues after viewers complained about the sound mixing and having trouble hearing the dialogue over the music, particularly in Gwen Stacy’s opening sequence.
Naturally, while viewers are combing through the digital release to identify these changes, they are also picking up on Easter eggs such as the inclusion of Videoman from the 1980s series Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and the pixelated Green Goblin from the 1982 video game Spider-Man released for the Atari 2600.
Insomniac Spider-Man with the green goblin (right) from the first ever spider-man game
From Across the Spider-Verse pic.twitter.com/3BKWXD2o9h
— Spider-Man News (@SpiderMan3news) August 7, 2023
That isn’t the only video game reference in the movie, either. Another scene shows Miles meeting up with his friend Ganke who is in the middle of a gaming session on his PlayStation 5. The footage on his screen is from Spider-Man 2, and Insomniac community manager James Stevenson later confirmed it was brand new.
In case you needed another reason to go and give the movie a watch, IGN’s review of Across the Spider-Verse gave it an 8/10, calling it “a more-than-worthy follow-up to an all-time classic” that “surges with visual inventiveness and vibrance in an undeniably strong evolution of the style established in Into the Spider-Verse”.
You can also watch the first 10 minutes of the animated blockbuster here.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
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