Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer has major No Way Home MCU reference

Cameron Frew
A still from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Tom Holland in Spider-Man in No Way Home

The new incredible trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse references No Way Home, hinting at a possible MCU crossover.

Across the Spider-Verse is the highly-anticipated sequel 2018’s beloved, Oscar-winning Into the Spider-Verse, the razzling, dazzling animated launchpad for Miles Morales and co.

The first movie acted as a part-origin story for Miles, part-unveiling of the multiverse, coming three years before its live-action team-up counterpart with No Way Home, which brought together Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire.

In the sequel’s latest trailer, we see hundreds more from the “Spider Society”, while the events of No Way Home get an eyebrow-raising reference.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse references No Way Home

In the trailer, we see Miles meeting Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, the founder of an “elite crew with all the best Spider-People in it.”

Miles asks what he needs to do to join, and he says: “You can never be part of this. And don’t even get me started on Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999.”

This is an obvious reference to the multiverse-breaking spell in No Way Home that led to multiple Spider-Men and their rogues’ gallery converging and duking it out in New York City. It’s also the first time the Spider-Verse movies have explicitly connected themselves to the MCU.

In the international trailer, shared by Sony Pictures Australia, the voices of Holland, Maguire, and Garfield can be heard at the beginning (it’s just dialogue from their movies, but still).

What is Earth-199999?

Earth-199999 is where the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe takes place.

It’s also been referred to as Earth-616 by Kevin Feige in the past, but this isn’t strictly correct. Earth-616 is the main universe in the comics, but as Ms Marvel star Iman Vellani pointed out, that doesn’t add up.

“I have this argument with Kevin every time I meet him in person. It’s not all 616, the MCU is definitely 199999,” she said, as per Deadline.

“You can’t take it from the Marvel comics canon, that was the main comics canon where all the main events took place. In that canon, Kamala is an inhuman, there’s Lockjaw, House of M took place with X-Men — where’s all that with MCU if it’s 616? I rest my case. Why was Mysterio in the MCU right about the 616 he mentioned? Why would he know anything? He’s an actor.”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swings into cinemas on June 2, 2023. Find out more here.

About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, and Oscars enthusiast. He loves Invincible, but he's also a fan of The Boys, the MCU, The Chosen, and much more. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.