Spectacular Spider-Man Showrunner Doesn't Sound Thrilled About Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Inclusion
Fans of the short-lived animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man were excited yesterday to discover that the lead character will apparently be making an appearance in the forthcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The showrunner, though, is not quite sure it's really going to happen. In a social media post, executive producer Greg Weisman said that appearing in a massive crowd scene on a poster, doesn't necessarily mean the character will actually appear in the movie. He said that no one had talked to him about a potential cameo, and he does not know whether anyone has approached actor Josh Keaton.
Weisman doesn't sound like he's upset, more like he has nothing to say until there is some more concrete information to go on. Given that there's no such thing as set-spy photos on animated movies, that additional context will have to come from the studio.
Weisman replied to folllow-ups on Twitter, responding that he is not involved in the movie, and would not expect to be just because his version of the character scored a cameo. Responding to one concerned fan, he said, "I'm not owed royalties. Acknowledgment might be nice."
If it's true that the Spectacular Spider-Man really is coming back, this is not the first time recently that Weisman-produced series have gotten some love. Gargoyles, the beloved animated series he created for Disney back in the early 1990s, recently made a comic book comeback at IDW Publishing, with Weisman writing. Weisman is also one of the showrunners on Young Justice, which was cancelled in 2013 and later revived on DC Universe in 2019. The series has been airing on HBO Max since DC Universe stopped creating new TV content, but it is not clear presently whether it will continue past its most recent season finale, which aired in June.
The Spectacular Spider-Man aired from March 2008 until November 2009 on The CW and Disney XD. Set in Peter Parker's high school, the series was based primarily on the Stan Lee/John Romita, Jr. era of the comics, and featured a mix of action and humor, along with more mature themes that surprised audiences given the "young" look of the show. The series was originally planned for five seasons, but conflicts between Disney and Sony led to it ending before season 3 could begin. It was succeeded by Ultimate Spider-Man, which ran for five seasons on Disney XD beginning in 2012.