Who's who in the new Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse trailer

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is clearly not your run-of-the-mill Spider-Man movie. It focuses on Miles Morales, a Spider-Man from another universe who meets up with an older Peter Parker when their dimensions collide. But, as teased in a new trailer, Miles and Peter aren't the only spider-beings caught up in this crossover.

If you already know the backstories and histories of these Spidey spin-offs, you're all set. But for those of you who raised an eyebrow once or twice, here are a few short breakdowns of the new spider-people (and one spider-pig).

Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen

In the mainstream Marvel continuity, Gwen Stacy was one of Peter Parker's earliest love interests. Unfortunately, she died after the Green Goblin tossed her off a bridge and, in an attempt to save her, Peter accidentally snapped her neck when his webbing suddenly stopped her fall.

This Gwen Stacy, however, comes from an alternate reality where Peter Parker wasn't the one bitten by a mutated spider - she was. She's much younger than her main timeline counterpart, and plays drums in a band called the Mary Janes. In her universe she's known as Spider-Woman, but her comic series (which is excellent, by the way) is titled "Spider-Gwen," and that's the name she's known by to fans.

Spider-Man Noir

Spider-Man Noir debuted in a self-titled mini-series published by Marvel in 2009, but he's shown up in several stories since. He's a bit rougher around the edges than the Peter Parker we know, as he's inspired by hardboiled detective stories. (Side note: you can actually play as Spider-Man Noir by unlocking his suit in Spider-Man PS4 - check out our Spider-Man PS4 suits guide to see how)

Interestingly, Spider-Man Noir in this film is being portrayed by Nicolas Cage. Cage previously played another Marvel hero, Ghost Rider, in both the self-titled 2007 movie and a 2011 sequel. He was also, at one point, slated to play Superman in a live-action Tim Burton adaptation - that project never manifested, but Cage did get to play Kal-El in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.

Peni Parker

Along with Spider-Gwen, Peni is the newest member of the spider-family, having only made her debut at the tail end of 2014's Edge of Spider-Verse comics. She hasn't seen much action since, but her origin story plays off a lot of mecha anime and manga tropes: she pilots a large robot known as "SP//dr," which uses a radioactive spider as part of its central processing unit (comics are weird).

In the comics, Peni's suit closely resembles the Evangelion units from Neon Genesis Evangelion (though much smaller). However, the SP//dr mech seen in this trailer appears a bit less intimidating, more in line with something like D. Va's mech from Overwatch. It even has digital sunglasses! Deal with it.

Spider-Ham, aka Peter Porker

Undoubtedly the strangest addition to the bunch, Spider-Ham is a cartoon, anthropomorphic pig with all the spider powers you'd expect. He's goofy and quips just as much as the Peter Parker we know, and is constantly aware of just how weird and silly it is for him to be interacting with three-dimensional beings.

"So, he's like Porky Pig, but got bitten by a radioactive spider?" you may be asking. Nope! He was a spider who got bitten by a radioactive pig. And the wildest part? He's not even the only Spider-Ham! There are multiple offshoots, clones, and successors to the name - heck, there's even a Miles Morhames on Earth-14094. And yes, he knows the marks at the tip of his snout look like eyes. Is that really what you're going to get hung up on when a 2D, anthropomorphic, talking pig shows up in your universe?

Get the best games and entertainment news, reviews, tips and offers delivered to your inbox every week by signing up to the GamesRadar+ newsletter today.  

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.

Latest in Action Movies
Ben Affleck in Air
Ben Affleck isn't in The Odyssey, but he plans to visit the set anyway to watch Christopher Nolan work: "He's one of the greatest filmmaking architects to ever live"
Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League
Ben Affleck reflects on the "excruciating experience" playing Batman in the Zack Snyder movies: "A lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations"
Wanda in Doctor Strange
Scarlet Witch star Elizabeth Olsen is one of the first Marvel actors to say she's not in the next pair of Avengers movies
Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
Paul Rudd is still thinking about that one Thanos and Ant-Man fan theory: "I often wonder, though, could he really have stopped Thanos in that way?"
Street Fighter
Almost a year after losing Talk to Me directors, Sony's Street Fighter movie has been pulled from the studio's release schedule
She-Hulk on Disney Plus
Tatiana Maslany canceled a Comic Con appearance due to "filming commitments", and it could mean She-Hulk is in the next Avengers movie
Latest in News
Lunar Remastered Collection
"Will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?": JRPG icon Kei Shigema says he was thrilled to see Lunar getting a remaster even after all this time
Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us episode 3
The Last of Us season 2 showrunners tease a "gorgeous" episode akin to season 1’s Emmy-nominated Bill and Frank story: "Just you wait"
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
CD Projekt boss says "cutting-edge single-player games" – you know, like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 – will "continue to enjoy great popularity" despite industry shifts
Cyberpunk 2077
Despite releasing exactly zero new games, CD Projekt bagged $120 million in profit for 2024 – the Witcher and Cyberpunk studio's third-best result ever
Muse
Daredevil: Born Again midseason trailer teases Matt Murdock’s violent fight with Muse, including a gory scene straight from the comics
Batman looking over the city during Batman: Arkham City, one of the best PS3 games.
The PS2 Batman Begins game was considered such a "disaster" that Christopher Nolan turned down a Dark Knight-inspired game