‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Cut a Joke About the Ill-Fated Broadway Musical

When Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse swung into theatres in December, fans were treated to a movie that was incredibly self-aware, knowing exactly what type of property it was. Between being chock-full of self-deprecating jokes and an amazing post-credits scene, Spider-Verse ended up being a hit with critics and fans alike.

The Oscar-nominated flick nearly almost included another Spidey-themed joked but was cut because of time, according to Spider-Verse producer Chris Miller. Speaking with SYFY Wire, Miller said that at one point, there was a joke about the failed Spider-Man Broadway musical of the early 2010s in one early cut of the movie.

“There used to be a Turn Off the Dark joke in the movie, but there just wasn’t time for it. There was a moment before Miles [Morales] came back to Aunt May’s, after he found out about the Prowler,” Lord said. “They’re all hanging around waiting for him and they’re all talking about Spider-Man in their various different universes. And Peter B. Parker said, ‘Yeah, there’s a crazy musical that Bono did in my universe,’ and they’re all like ‘that’s crazy!’”

Of course, Turn Off the Dark is a dark time in Spider-Man history as the musical is considered one of the largest flops in Broadway history. Featuring music from Bono & The Edge, Turn Off the Dark notoriously got off to a rocky start after cast members were injured in the show’s acrobatic stunts.

Having to push the official open back months, the show eventually ended up setting the record for the longest preview period in Broadway history with a whopping 182 performances before the show officially opened. The show, at the time, had the biggest price tag for any show at a staggering $75 million. Upon its closure on January 4th, 2014 after three years running, the show reportedly ended up losing investors upwards of $60 million.

Needless to say, Turn Off the Dark was in the days of Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man duo of movies and with the introduction of Into The Spider-Verse, an agreement with Marvel Studios to have Peter Parker in the MCU, and a Venom flick that grossed a wad of cash, it’s safe to say the property is healthier now than it’s ever been.

What was your favorite joke in Into The Spider-Verse? What’d you think of Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Into The Spider-Verse is now in theatres.