‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Directors Knew There Was Only One Man Who Could Voice Spider-Punk

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has quickly become everyone’s favorite superhero movie. Yes, it is that good. Much of the love comes from the vastly different Spidey characters in the movie. There are so many Spider-Mans from different dimensions, it can be hard to keep track of them all. However, a few of the new Spideys featured in the film have broken through and are already fan favorites, including one very specific Spider-Man variant.

I am talking, of course, about Spider-Punk. Also known as Hobart “Hobie” Brown of Earth-138, Spider-Punk takes cool to a whole other level. He’s part of the Spider Society and worked with Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy before meeting Miles Morales. Hobie’s Spider-Man suit is punked out with leather and spikes. When he removes his mask, he has several piercings and somehow looks even cooler. Plus, every quip he delivers is said with the kind of British accent American punks adore. So who is the voice of our new favorite Spider-Man?

Who plays Spider-Punk?

As a character from the Marvel comic books, Spider-Punk already had a decent fanbase (myself included). He’s an anarchist punk Spider-Man from a world where evil corporations are the ultimate threat (wait, I guess it’s not so different from our world). Hobie literally fights against the man as Spider-Man, and figuratively in his punk band. How can we not be in love with this guy? Yet bringing the character to life on the big screen required more than replicating his image and witty dialogue. The Across the Spider-Verse team had to find the perfect voice to fully realize the character.

The man picked for the job was Daniel Kaluuya. From Black Panther to Get Out to Judas and the Black Messiah, Kaluuya is scene-stealingly good in everything he’s in. That’s probably why Kaluuya has an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and two BAFTA Awards. The combination of his voice and the creative animation makes Spider-Punk stand out from the Spider-People crowd in the best ways possible. However, American audiences may find it surprising to learn that Kaluuya is using his regular British accent. We are familiar with Kaluuya in roles where he plays Americans, sans his usual articulation.

For directors Justin K. Thompson, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Kemp Powers, Kaluuya was always part of their take on Spider-Punk. During an interview with Discussing Film, they said Kaluuya’s voice was used in test animations even before casting him in the role. “I remember that first animation test when it was just a Daniel Kaluuya interview on TV,” Powers said. “I was like, ‘Well, I really hope we can get Daniel Kaluuya to voice this character because now we’re really building this thing around him.'” I’m glad we live in the universe where this all worked out. We can’t wait to see more Spider-Punk in the third installment of the series, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

(featured image: Sony Pictures Animation)