As Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse prepares to introduce Daniel Kaluuya’s new animated Spider-Man hero, the Black Panther actor revealed what to expect in the highly-anticipated sequel.
Black Panther’s Daniel Kaluuya joined the stellar voice cast of Spider-Verse 2 as Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk, who is a homeless teenager that becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his universe.
It is unknown how Spider-Punk will factor in Spider-Verse 2‘s Multiverse mission, but producer Amy Pascal confirmed that a love triangle between Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and Hobie Brown would be pushed to the forefront since the latter two have history.
Daniel Kaluuya Opens up About Spider-Verse 2 Role
In an interview with Empire Magazine, Black Panther actor Daniel Kaluuya talked about his experience in voicing Spider-Punk for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
In the sequel, Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk is a British, plaid-clad mohawked Spider-Man variant from Camden. Interestingly, the MCU actor is a Camden native which makes him the perfect choice for the role.
Kaluuya admitted that he was “gassed” upon learning that he’s joining the Marvel sequel, noting his excitement in voicing “a wicked character that sounds exactly like [him]:”
“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!’”
The Nope and Get Out actor also shared that lending his voice to Spider-Punk was a chance for him to channel himself due to his Camden roots:
“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.”
Kaluuya then shared his approach to how he voiced the character:
“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.”
Alongside the confirmation that Spider-Punk is from Camden in the movie, official merchandise of the sequel reinforced that idea by describing the character as being British.
What Is Spider-Punk’s Role in Spider-Verse 2?
Daniel Kaluuya’s excitement about finally unveiling Spider-Punk to the world in Spider-Verse 2 is fitting.
In fact, the Black Panther actor’s Camden roots combined with his enthusiasm to lend his voice to the Spider-Man variant allows the character to stand out amid its stacked cast.
Aside from the love triangle plot point in the sequel, Spider-Punk appears to be part of the Spider Society that Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara assembled to protect the Multiverse.
It’s possible that he’s a key member of the group and Miguel trusts him better than Miles Morales. As a result, a riff between Miles and Hobie Brown could also be highlighted, presenting more challenges for the sequel’s titular protagonist.
Fans can catch Daniel Kaluuya’s performance as Spider-Punk when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse premieres in theaters on June 2.
