Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Characters & Cast

His primary motivation is to save his family and prove that he doesn't have to choose between being a good son and being a good hero. He is driven by love for his parents and a deep-seated belief in his own agency and the possibility of a better way.

Miles begins the film more confident in his role as Spider-Man but still struggles with balancing his dual life and feeling misunderstood by his parents. His journey across the multiverse challenges his understanding of heroism. Initially wanting to join the Spider Society and find a sense of belonging, he ultimately rejects their rigid ideology to save his father. His arc is about moving from seeking acceptance to defining his own path, asserting that he can write his own story, even if it means being an enemy to those he once admired. He ends the film not as just another Spider-Man, but as an anomaly ready to defy fate.

Gwen is motivated by a desire for connection and a place to belong. Haunted by the death of her Peter Parker, she is afraid of getting close to people but is ultimately driven to protect Miles, the one person she feels truly understands her. Her journey is about finding her own found family.

Gwen starts the film isolated and estranged from her father, who is hunting her as Spider-Woman. Joining the Spider Society offers her a community and a purpose, but she is torn between her loyalty to the group and her feelings for Miles. Her arc is about finding the courage to reconnect with her father by revealing her identity and, ultimately, choosing to stand with Miles against the Spider Society's deterministic rules. She goes from running from her problems to confronting them head-on, forming her own team to save her friend.

Miguel is driven by a profound sense of responsibility and a deep-seated fear of repeating his past mistakes. His motivation is to prevent the collapse of any more universes, even if it means making morally questionable decisions and enforcing tragic fates upon others.

Miguel is the stern, imposing leader of the Spider Society. His backstory reveals that his attempt to replace a dead version of himself in another universe led to that universe's complete destruction, fueling his zealous protection of the canon. He is not a traditional villain but an antagonist whose traumatic past has led him to believe that sacrificing individuals is necessary for the greater good. He is uncompromising and sees Miles as a threat to the entire multiverse. His arc is static within this film; he remains a rigid enforcer of his own rules, setting him up for a future confrontation.

Initially, his motivation is simple revenge against Miles, whom he feels created him and then forgot about him. This evolves into a lust for power and a desire to prove he is not a "villain of the week," but a truly formidable foe. His goal becomes to take everything from Miles, starting with the death of his father, to complete his arc as Miles's nemesis.

The Spot begins as a seemingly comical, B-list villain who blames Miles for his transformation. Initially, he just wants to be taken seriously as a nemesis. However, as he learns to control his powers and travels the multiverse, he discovers the ability to absorb the energy of other universes' colliders. His arc is one of terrifying transformation, from a joke villain into a multiversal-level threat capable of destroying entire realities. He becomes a dark mirror of Miles, another character whose existence is tied to a multiversal anomaly.