Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Designer Reveals Cut Jack Kirby-Inspired Universe

By Jamie Lovett

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse visited man alternate dimensions, and one cut universe was inspired by Jack Kirby, the co-creator of the Marvel Universe whose style defined the Silver Age of comics. That style is clearly present in the early concept designs for the "Kirbyverse" shared on Twitter by production designer Aymeric Kevin. There's an image of a Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen inside what appears to be a ship, and another that shows a wider look at the Kirby-infused world they would have hailed from. Kevin clarifies that these images aren't connected to any particular story beats, but a visual study of how the world would have looked. You can see the artwork below.

Kirby is a legend in the world of comics, having co-created the concept of the Marvel Universe and many of its iconic characters, including the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, and the X-Men. While Steve Ditko is credited with co-creating Spider-Man (along with Stan Lee), Kirby claimed he had created Spider-Man after Lee approached him about developing a spider-themed character. However, Ditko's Spider-Man bears no resemblance to Kirby's design. While Kirby never drew the Spider-Man comics, he did draw Spider-Man (with Ditko's design) on the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15, the character's first appearance, which remains an iconic Spider-Man image frequently riffed on and homaged by other artists.

Jack Kirby's Disputes With Marvel

Marvel and Disney recently release a Stan Lee documentary that largely retold Lee's history with Marvel Comics as he himself remembered and retold it throughout the years. Lee's version of events has long been disputed, with claims that Lee claimed too much credit for himself and awarded too little to the artists he collaborated with, most notably Kirby and Ditko. Kirby's estate (the artist himself died in 1994) released a statement in response to the documentary. In part, the statement reads:

"The newest Stan Lee documentary is another example of regurgitating falsehoods and repeating long debunked ideas into the creation of these beloved Marvel characters. Jack and Stan were an amazing team, whose combined talents ushered in an entire universe of superheroes that have inspired generations," reads the statement, released on Facebook. "The Jack Kirby Estate has and will continue to ensure that comic book and pop culture fans understand the importance of Jack in the creation of the Marvel Universe. This continuation to push a challenged narrative hurts the legacy of Stan Lee as well, and continues the disregard towards Jack in the creation of these iconic characters."

Miles Morales returns to the big screen with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse now playing in theaters after premiering on June 2nd. Miles (Shamiek Moore) reunites with fellow heroes Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) for another web-swinging adventure through the multiverse, finding himself at odds with the Spider-Society led by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). Other new heroes include Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), while new villain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) also enters the fray. The sequel to Sony Pictures' hit 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, and written by the team of Chris Miller, Phil Lord, and Dave Callaham.

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