Film & TV Film & TV News

Who is the villain in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?

Miles Morales as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Credit: Sony

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hit cinemas today and fans are excited to see the new inter-dimensional web-slinging adventure. Anyone who saw the first animated Spider-Verse movie will know to expect a lot of different Spider-People in the new film. However, the question of “who is the villain in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?” is a little more unclear.

In this sequel, the story continues sixteen months following the events of Into the Spider-Verse. A more mature Miles finds himself grappling with the challenges of juggling his responsibilities as Spider-Man alongside the demands of his home and school life. Furthermore, he deeply misses the presence of Gwen, also known as Spider-Woman from Earth-65, who had returned to her own universe at the end of the previous film.

Little does Miles know, Gwen has been enlisted into a Spider-Society consisting of Spider-People from different parallel universes. Leading this organisation is Miguel O’Hara, also known as Spider-Man 2099. He has a dark and mysterious demeanour with unclear motivations.

At the start of the movie, Miles encounters a seemingly innocuous villain known as the Spot as the latter attempts to rob a convenience store. The Spot has the ability to open portals; however, they don’t always work as intended. Unfortunately for Miles, as the Spot’s powers grow, so does his ability to traverse the portals and the multiverse.

So, who is the main villain in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?

Who is the villain in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - the Spot
The Spot in Across the Spider-Verse. Credit: Sony

Who is the main villain in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?

Who is the main villain in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? Like most superhero movies, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse features multiple villains. However, the movie’s main villain is the Spot, also known as Dr. Jonathan Ohnn (Jason Schwartzman).

The Spot blames Miles Morales for his transformation into a supervillain. At the end of the previous film, the Alchemax super collider exploded while Dr. Ohnn was still inside. This disastrous event severely altered the scientist’s appearance and covered his body in inter-dimensional portals (known as “spots”).

Created by writer Al Milgrom and artist Herb Trimpe, the Spot made his first appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man #97 in 1985. Over the years, he has become a recurring villain within the Marvel Universe, consistently presenting a challenging and unconventional threat to the friendly neighborhood hero.

The movie’s secondary villain is Miguel O’Hara, Spider-Man 2099. While not a clear cut bad guy like the Spot, Spidey 2099 is willing to make dark and difficult decisions to protect the multiverse. This includes imprisoning Miles and allowing the deaths of his fellow spider-peoples’ loved ones.

What did you think to the Spot as the main villain in Across the Spider-Verse? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…

Sam Harby

About Author

Sam is one of the editors and founders of Downtime Bros and an accredited critic. As a lifelong fan of video games, his favourites are Metal Gear Solid and The Last of Us. With years of knowledge and critical analysis under his belt, he has written hundreds of articles - including news, guides, and reviews - covering video games, movies, TV, and pop culture. Follow him on Twitter and check out his reviews on OpenCritic.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *