Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Spider-Verse 2: Was Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider Disappointing? Some Fans Think So

Noah Nelson

Published: Jun 5, 2023 01:38 pm

Ben Reilly, otherwise known as Scarlet Spider, appears as one of Miguel O’Hara’s (Spider-Man 2099) main henchpeoples to track down Miles Morales near the end of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. While it was great to see Scarlet Spider and have a few key moments with him, was his use in Across the Spider-Verse disappointing? Some say yes, but I don’t think so.

Debate Over Ben Reilly in Across the Spider-Verse, Explained

While there are thousands of Spider-People/Animals across the Spider-Verse, one of many people’s favorite is Ben Reilly. This clone of Peter Parker has been taken into a very different direction in Across the Spider-Verse, and many fans aren’t too happy.

As @AbsoluteEngine says, they were not happy that Ben Reilly was reduced to “an avatar for ‘weren’t the 90s dumb'” in Across the Spider-Verse.

I will say that as massive Ben Reilly fan, I was not happy with what they reduced him to in Across the Spider-Verse.

Like, the jokes weren't bad but it felt a bit disrespectful to just use him as an avatar for "weren't the 90s dumb". pic.twitter.com/KBkjwxNK7S
— 𝕶𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖊 (@AbsoluteEngine) June 2, 2023

What they mean by this is that Ben Reilly is a normal quirky and funny character like all the other Spiders in the comics However, in Across the Spider-Verse, Ben Reilly is a hilariously dark and brooding Spider-Man that narrates his own moves and comments on his bulging muscles, which is very different than the Ben Reilly fans know and love.

@PK_LanTern commented that the same thing that’s happened to Ben Reilly in Across the Spider-Verse is the same thing we saw with Spider-Man Noir in Into the Spider-Verse. Using these Spider-Men as quick side characters isn’t what the die hard fans want, but it is a lot better than how Marvel comics, and Marvel movies, are treating these beloved characters so far.

Y’all are overblowing the Ben Reilly Across The SpiderVerse situation,the same thing happened to Spider-Man Noir. It is still infinitely better than how marvel comics is treating them rn. pic.twitter.com/fmNIE4uTLa
— PK⨂ (@CaptKrakoa) June 4, 2023

As a casual fan of Spider-Man, I love seeing Ben Reilly, Spider-Man Noir, and all the other fun Spider-People/Animals throughout Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse, and eventually Beyond the Spider-Verse.

I know it’s painful when a character you love gets adapted into a version that doesn’t match the source material or what you had in mind, but in the case of Ben Reilly, I think it’s good for us to see him. Each Spider-Person/Animal could have their own standalone TV show or movie, but in the Spider-Verse trilogy, we’re experiencing Miles Morales’ story — the Spider-People/Animals on the side are nice bonuses.

I think we’ll see more of Ben Reilly in Beyond the Spider-Verse, and if we don’t, that’s when we can riot. For now, I enjoy Ben Reilly in Across the Spider-Verse, understand the disappointment, and am hopeful for more.

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Author

Noah Nelson

From his early days of blog-style music, movie, and game reviews to working as the Esports Writer at Coastline Community College, Noah Nelson now works fulltime as a Staff Writer for Attack of the Fanboy and PC Invasion. He has been helping gamers everywhere with Destiny 2 god rolls, Warzone 2 DMZ missions, and collectibles in any indie game for over a year and a half. His Bachelor's Degree in English Rhetoric and Composition with a minor in Journalism from CSULB has shaped him to be a strong writer and editor. His fondest gaming memory is playing Sly Cooper 2 after begging his mom (for hours) to play it before his birthday and he still cries myself to sleep remembering the time he accidentally saved over his 99% completion save file in Kingdom Hearts 2.