Introducing new characters is no easy feat, especially in long-running franchises. Still, 2023 had some absolutely dynamite debuts in the world of film. Not just solid debuts, but multiple characters who left audiences craving more immediately. That probably seems like the name of the game for any of these massive movies, but it can really be hard to have the impact imagined from the moment a film gets pitched. There were space deities, costumed heroes, role-players, contract killers, and one plain old weirdo amongst the field of “scene-stealers” this year. So, there was a lot to choose from, as the theatrical experience continues to evolve after 2020. This year yielded some real bright spots about the state of this industry, and where it could go next. Every single movie didn’t earn the eye-popping box office numbers that many releases saw from 2019. But a lot of projects, some of these included, managed to create an appetite for these characters to get another moment on the big screen. If that isn’t the definition of a “scene stealer,” I don’t know what is.
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And the winner of the 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Scene Stealer is…
Spider-Punk/Hobie Brown in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse!
From the moment you hear that very first guitar riff in Across the Spider-Verse, you can tell that something is wildly different. Spider-Punk was here to change the game and inject some much-needed chaos into the film’s narrative about “following the rules.” Up until that point, Miles Morales had been agonizing over doing the right thing and following his gut to find his friends. Then, in bursts Hobie Brown to stir the pot in a major way.
Credit to Daniel Kaluuya, who just turned the cool dial on his sleeve all the way up to 11 and broke the knob off. Some comics fans cringed when they heard that Spider-Punk would be in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but they came out of the theater elated that Kaluuya managed to get to so much of what makes the comics version of Hobie so beloved. In essence, that man is going to stand on business, no matter what’s standing in front of him. For about two movies now, we’ve gotten the “Spider-Person explains their origin by telling the story quickly” gimmick, and Spider-Punk tries his best to subvert that expectation as well. He’s not out here in the multiverse, trying to be a hero for hero’s sake. Instead, he obviously has an axe to grind when it comes to this story.
Hobie Brown Slams The Themes Home
One of the most satisfying parts of rewatching Across the Spider-Verse is paying attention to Spider-Punk in the background, noting all the little things he does to help Gwen and Miles by the film’s end. Entranced by the idea of an “Elite Spider Strike Team?” Well, let’s unpack that a bit to see what you’re really fighting against, shall we? Need a bit of advice on how to handle your electricity powers that most of these Spider-People don’t have? Use your palms, mate.
That’s before we even get to the delightful critiques of how Peter B. Parker and Gwen help Miles (put forth by writers like Omar Holmon), and how solidarity is what’s going to see Miles through to his goal to save his father and home world. Ally ship when it’s convenient is not going to cut it, something Hobie seems very cognizant of. Heck, Hobie’s actions in building a prototype universe-jumping watch even help Gwen realize that Miguel O’Hara and his Spider-Society cannot be trusted. It’s no coincidence a lot of the Gen Z and younger audience gravitated towards both Miles Morales and Spider-Punk in droves when Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters. (Canon Event made the words of the year, to put a bow on this point.) Spider-Punk didn’t just come in rocking that guitar like some version of Haruko Haruhara with Wicks. He slowly walked into the frame to ask Miles — and the viewer themselves — if they’re sure about what they’re seeing. Yeah, they might be “saving” the world and it might be the “way things are supposed to happen.” But, as the MCU’s version of Spider-Man learned much more quickly than his predecessors, there’s usually another way, and it basically hits you in the face if you slow down to take stock of the situation.
All this to say is that it’s been hard to think of another Marvel animated character that immediately cried out for a full-blown solo treatment since the first Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did it for Gwen, Spider-Man: Noir and others. Judging by how popular this movie was, here’s hoping Hobie gets to spend at least a decent chunk of the forthcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse kicking some more truth. Spider-Punk came here to crash the party, and he’ll definitely get the chance to stretch his legs while he’s here. Daniel Kaluuya deserves all the props for helping bring him to life. Hobie might hate the AM and the PM, but everyone loves him now.
The nominees for the 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Scene-Stealer are:
Adam Warlock (Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
Hobie Brown / Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) — WINNER
Shimazu Akira (Rina Sawayama, John Wick: Chapter 4)
Xenk (Rege-Jean Page, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)
Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon, Barbie)
