When ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ was released in 2023, it not only opened up the multiverse but also changed the way animated superhero narratives could be told. Fans were amazed, emotional, and wanted more.
Of course, anticipation of its sequel, ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’, was high. So, the sudden delay was not something fans were happy about. However, the wait to see Miles Morales’ next adventure no longer feels like a loss, now that the largest animated sequel news of 2025, ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters 2’, has confirmed a similar multi-year gap in production.
‘Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse’ Being Pushed Could Be A Blessing In Disguise
At the time when Sony Pictures Animation announced ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’, the prospect of the trilogy being completed in a year after Across the Spider-Verse was exciting to fans. However, with the development of production, it became evident that the bar was set too high even for one of the most ambitious animation teams in Hollywood. The release of the film was initially delayed to an unspecified date in March 2024
Related: Sony’s ‘Spider-Punk’ Is The Spider-Verse Spinoff That Can Reinvent Superhero Genre
Fans were not sure when they would finally get to see the continuation of the story of Miles and Gwen. Sony would not announce a June 4, 2027, release until later. To most of us, that was a long wait. However, when Netflix’s ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’, another graphically spectacular animation, adhered to almost the same schedule, things started to fall into place. ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ was a worldwide hit. It became the most-watched movie in the history of Netflix.
Its follow-up, planned for release in 2029, will also require fans to wait 4 years before they can see it. That schedule is not accidental. It recognizes how long it actually takes to create an animation of that quality and emotional depth. Similar to ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’, ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ is based on elaborate visual art, experimental lighting, and multi-layered motion design. Each frame is carefully designed, and it is an exciting and time-consuming process. It establishes that good animation needs time.
The Film Needs Time To Conclude One Of The Most Compelling Animated Trilogies
Animation has always been a tedious art, and projects such as Spider-Verse bring that to a different level, literally. Every scene in the franchise is a combination of various artistic styles: graffiti-inspired comic-book textures, hand-drawn overlays, and frame-rate variations that reflect the emotional tone. These factors do not occur overnight; they are developed over years of development and experimentation.
In case you missed it: Hailee Steinfeld Shares Exciting Update On ‘Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse’
These details are what distinguish a good animated movie from a masterpiece, as ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ has shown. The movie was not only a visual success, but also a very emotional one. Should the creators require additional time to provide Miles Morales with the ending he deserves, that patience may become frustration turned into fulfillment. The animation industry is not an exception, and it appears to be learning this lesson.
‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ was a success that demonstrated that people are ready to wait when the final product is good. Fans no longer desire sequels. They desire sequels that count. And in ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’, there could not be higher stakes. The third movie is not a continuation of the previous one; it is the conclusion of a contemporary animation revolution. All the character lines, all the dimensions, all the musical notes, all these should be united. That is time-consuming, and the creative team is aware of it. The long delay between releases, in any case, means ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ will not be forced into production anarchy.
