Did you catch all those MCU references in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? The film Across the Spider-Verse is packed with references to Spider-Man comics, animated cartoons, live-action movies, and even popsicles. If you blink, it’s easy to miss a reference, as they are quickly shown on-screen or mentioned by a character. While adding brevity to the film, these references also indicate how the Spider-Verse films fit into the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe.
All MCU References in Across the Spider-Verse
We counted seven MCU references in Across the Spider-Verse, though there could be more in the film due to its fantastic ability to squish them in every scene. We will continue to update this guide as we discover more MCU references.
Doctor Strange and the Nerdy Kid from Earth-199999
This was a seemingly innocent line from Miguel in Across the Spider-Verse that references the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. During the scene, Miguel states: “Don’t even get me started on Doctor Strange and that little nerd back on Earth-199999. It is the only reference to Doctor Strange and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man from the MCU.
Donald Glover as Live-Action Prowler
When Miles Morales first visits the Spider-Society, we see a ton of different Spider-Man villains from various entries in the franchise that have been captured. One of these villains was a live-action version of Prowler from Spider-Man: Homecoming. He is wearing the purple prowler suit meaning that his version of Uncle Aaron is the prowler of his universe, not Miles.
Spot Visits Mrs. Chen
When Spot realizes he can travel through the multiverse, he accidentally visits a live-action version of the convenience store owned by Mrs. Chen, the same one we see Tom Hardy’s character visit in Venom. This hilarious interaction shows Mrs. Chen is not surprised or impressed by Spot due to the hijinks of Venom in the film when Venom wants to eat her.
The Same Multiverse
When Miguel explains how the multiverse works to Miles, it looks identical to what we see in Avengers: Endgame and Loki. This confirms that the multiverse seen in the Spider-Verse animated films is the same one as the MCU, which can lead to even more references in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
The Guy in the Chair
Miles runs late for school when he traps Spot during their initial battle. This causes him to trap Spot in the web and sneak into his apartment. After doing so, he asks Ganke to call the police so they can collect him, but he refuses and states that if he does so, he will become Miles’ guy in the chair. This refers to Ned from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, who takes on that role and isn’t shy to tell everyone.
Palm of My Hand
During Across the Spider-Verse, when Spot is learning to harness his power, he mentions the power of the multiverse in the palm of his hand. This statement is the same thing that Doc Ock says in Spider-Man 2, who mentions having the power of the sun in the palm of his hand.
Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire’s Cameos
When Miguel discusses, the importance of cannon events and the entire goal of the Spider-Society is to ensure they happen so the multiverse remains stable. This explanation shows brief scenes of both actors in their franchises. These scenes show when Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker) is holding a dying Denis Leary (Captain Stacy) and Toby Maguire (Peter Parker) holds a dying Cliff Robertson (Uncle Ben).
