Miles Morales’ Spider-Man may not be part of the MCU canon, but thanks to some nifty casting decisions, Black Panther star Daniel Kaluuya has now found himself swinging through the multiverse and into the upcoming animated movie Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
Among the many, many Spider-Man variants expected to premiere in the Sony-Marvel collaboration, 34-year-old Kaluuya will play the part of Spider-Punk aka Hobie Brown, the mohawked British lad from Camden. As it turns out, Kaluuya shares a real-life connection with the web-slinging superhero, one which he calls “cool as f**k.”
Kaluuya explained that he was “gassed” to find out he landed the role, recalling to Empire Magazine how he thanked writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, as well as director Kemp Powers, for giving him the part, if for no other reason than allowing him to finally act in his native tongue.
“I was gassed. I turned to Lord, Miller and Kemp and said, ‘Thank you for letting me be a part of it, because this is cool as fuck.’ I’m a voice in Spider-Verse with a wicked character that sounds exactly like me, from where I’m from. Come on! You go to the younger people in your family and flex: ‘I’m getting on, but don’t forget!’”
As he explains it, Kaluuya was “born and bred” in Camden, meaning he’s well-versed in the punk movement that so heavily influences his character’s personality, not to mention all the “London-isms” that come so naturally to him. The experience left him feeling “really respected” as an actor because he was able to bring more to the table than just a voice for lines.
“I’m Camden born and bred, and this character is from Camden which is very much associated with the punk movement, so I think they wanted to lean into what they have for free with me. They were like, ‘What do they speak like?’ and I said, ‘Like me!’ I think it gives it that authenticity, like me saying, ‘Man like Pav! [Indian Spider-Man Pavitr Prabhakar] Big steppa!’ I felt really respected.”
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is touted as having just as much heart, if not more, than its predecessor, and not only because it involves a love story between Miles and Gwen Stacey. When the pair finally reconnect, it’ll be after Gwen has spent a significant amount of time with Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk. According to Empire Magazine, “There’s jealousy there,” and even a little bit of a love triangle.
Fans won’t have to wait much longer to see Kaluuya in action. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is scheduled to premiere in theaters on June 2.