Across the Spider-Verse Played in Two Different Cuts in Theaters, With Different Jokes and Dialogue

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was confirmed to have been showing two different versions circulating throughout movie theaters. At first I heard of a new version of the film being sent out just for audio issues, but after seeing the movie again I noticed a few big differences, and the film's associate editor Andy Leviton confirmed that there were actually at least two different versions of the movie with different jokes and different dialogue. People were just seeing different versions of it in theaters.

I suppose it's a kind of A and B testing of jokes, like when the movie Clue released in 1985 with one of three different alternate endings, a marketing gimmick that failed, so on the home release and TV airings they merged all three together into three back to back to back alternate endings. These Across the Spider-Verse alternate cuts don't appear to be any kind of marketing gimmick, but rather either updates the animators made in the days after the film's initial release, or just an inside joke among the film's production. Here is a breakdown of all the changes I found between the two versions.

A Vulture Fight Scene Swaps a Fist Bump for a Selfie With a Bunny Filter

Early in the movie when Miguel is fighting the Vulture, his AI assistant Lyla pops up asking if he wants her to call for backup. He resists at first, then caves, and she says she already did. In version A, Lyla says "but I enjoyed that" and extends a fist bump. In version B, Lyla says the same line but instead takes a selfie with Miguel with a bunny rabbit filter over his face.

Maybe they changed it because for Lyla to take a selfie with Miguel, she'd logically need some kind of camera function in her floating AI projection to record his face. Or maybe they just didn't want to make too much of a mockery of the movie's villain in this opening scene.

Miguel's Vampire Fangs Get a Bigger Buildup in One Version

The next difference also comes up in this scene. In version A there's a big lead up to Miguel retracting his mask, showing his vampire fangs, those fangs reflecting in Vulture's eyes, Vulture screaming in fear, and then the helicopter arriving so Miguel holds back on biting. In version B we don't see any of that build up, just Miguel about to bite the Vulture before the helicopter shows up.

Maybe the change was made because the film doesn't really explore Miguel's animalistic side, and in the re-edit they didn't want to set it up as much. But Gwen and Miles do still call him a vampire later when swinging around the city.

Jefferson Davis Reacts Differently to Being Pulled Into the Portal

When Jefferson Davis chases after his son Miles fighting the Spot in the street, Jeff gets pulled into the portal as well. In version A, Jeff reacts and the portal closes for just a few frames. In version B, there's a slightly longer beat where Jeff groans and looks around, keeping us in Jeff's point of view a bit longer.

This longer version sets up the great beat when Jeff needs to make a leap of faith into the portal and instead chickens out and runs down the stairs, just like his son did in the 2018 film.

The Spot's Line About Vaporizing People Hints at a More Sympathetic Character

Later, when Gwen goes to Jonathan's apartment to digitally reconstruct the moment he built a mini collider to produce dark matter, the Spot says sticking his finger in the dark matter should work or vaporize everybody in the building. In version A he ends up saying "eh, what the heck." In version B he ends up saying "which would not be good."

I think this is a significant change because in one version the Spot is completely carefree about who he hurts in his pursuit, but in the other he recognizes the recklessness of his behavior and expresses at least a small amount of concern that he might hurt other people. I think the Spot is going to be revealed as a more sympathetic, redemptive figure in the next film, and I think that's why they made this change.

Miles Reacts Differently to Being Corrected by Pavitr Prabhakar

When Miles meets Pavitr Prabhakar on Earth 50101, Pavitr corrects Miles for saying "chai tea" since chai already means tea. In version A Prabhakar says "would I ask you for a coffee, coffee with room for cream, cream," and Miles responds "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" while dropping his head in shame. In version B, Miles responds "I'm sorry, sorry man" a bit more defensively.

It's a subtle distinction, but I think it shows how Miles, as a teenager accustomed to correcting people over things like "ATM machine," would push back just a bit against someone who hasn't been a Spider-Man as long as he has.

A Text Label Now Identifies Hobie Brown for Audiences Who Can't Understand Him

When Hobie crashes Miles's moment at the mural, in version A Miles pops his head out from behind the computer terminal asking about Hobie with no text over his head at all. In version B they add a little "Hobie" label above his head.

Maybe before they felt Hobie Brown smashing text into his intro was enough of an introduction, but common feedback has been that many people outside the UK could not understand what Hobie was saying, or even really what his name was, because the letters flash on screen popping off with cut out newspaper text. So maybe now, for everyone who needs it, they precede it with a clarification.

Gwen Stacy's Panicked Lines Are Cut From the Bridge Rescue

After the Spot's attack in Mumbattan comes to an end and Miles swoops in to save a police officer and a kid on the bridge, all of them get caught under rubble. In version A, Gwen rushes over frantically, grasping and saying "Miles, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, please no, come on," before thankfully finding him and the kid alive. In version B they removed all of Hailee Steinfeld's lines here, and she just stays silent as she lifts the rubble.

I'm not sure why they changed this one. One version makes Gwen more likable, worried she's about to lose another friend like she lost her Earth 65 Peter. But after the change, you could say it sets up Miles later feeling betrayed that Gwen wasn't really trying to save him, she was just trying to prevent a canon event from being disrupted.

The Spider Society's Joke Text Boxes Change Color From Yellow to Blue

When they head to the Spider Society and Miguel O'Hara asks anybody spotted the Spot, Jessica Drew responds "ah, very funny, anybody else got jokes." In version A, every nearby spider person's joke comes in with a yellow text box. In version B, the text boxes are colored blue instead.

Yellow has always been the text box color for Miles in his monologue in this movie and in the 2018 movie. Coloring these blue makes Miles feel like more of an alienated outsider, like he's not in on the joke with all of them. It's not what's inside his head, it's what all of them are saying.

Ben Reilly's Sleeper Hold Line Gets Replaced With a Joke About His Muscles

There's another change with Ben Reilly when they're all chasing Miles outside the Spider Society building. In version A, Ben says "this is called a sleeper hold, I'm using my bicep to constrict" before Miles zaps everyone off. In version B, Ben says "I've got you trapped in my well-defined musculature, so don't even" before getting cut off.

The new line draws even greater attention to the vein that pops out of Ben's bicep and the way 90s Marvel Comics were often drawn. Considering how mean everyone is to Miles in this movie, maybe they also just don't need Ben Reilly cutting off oxygen to his own brain.

Some people have claimed Miles's line "sorry man, I'm going home" as he zaps Miguel on the train was cut, but I confirmed he actually says that line in both versions. Do you think these changes were necessary, or did the animators just do this to give us all a Mandela effect in a Multiverse?