Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Trailer References No Way Home and the MCU

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse got a new trailer that directly referenced the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer sees Spider-Gwen taking Miles Morales into the Spider-Verse, to a place where Spider-Mans from across the multiverse congregate. The best of them serve on an elite team of Spider-Mans. The group is headed by Miguel O'Hara, a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099 due to the future year of his original timeline. Miguel is not keen on letting Miles into the group, and he seems even more irritated by Doctor Strange and the Spider-Man of Earth-199999.

Spider-Man 2099's line in the trailer is a clear reference to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse international trailer is even more upfront with clips and lines from Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Toby Maguire's respective Spider-Man movies.

What is Marvel Earth-199999?

Fans of the Marvel Universe in any of permutations may remember that the various Earths of the multiverse get numerical designations. The main continuity of the Marvel Comics universe occurs on Earth-616. Earth-199999 is the designation given to the main universe the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This might be confusing for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans since the Marvel Cinematic Universe refers to itself as Earth-616 within its stories. That choice was likely an Easter egg, but it makes a certain sense. There's no governing body determining which universe is which, and it makes sense that some universes would have inconsistent numbering within their understandings of the how the multiverse works. Also, it's all made up.

What's Doctor Strange got to do with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?

Miguel drags Doctor Strange's name into his complaint about Earth-199999. That's because the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-199999 had something to do with Spider-Man's multiversal shenanigans.

Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Peter Parker seeking Doctor Strange's help in making his secret identity a secret again. Peter got noncommittal at the last minute and the spell went haywire, summoning villains from across the multiverse (and by multiverse, we mean past Spider-Man movies). Luckily for them, other Spider-Mans (Maguire and Garfield) also came through and help the Spider-Man of Earth-199999 put things right. 

When does Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse release?

In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, "After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most." 

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson are directing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse from a screenplay by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham. The voice cast includes Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, and Oscar Isaac. The film opens in theaters on June 3rd.