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As expected, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse features a ton of cameos, and while it's impossible to catch every single one, here are a few of the notable ones that I picked up on.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The first cameo was a subtle one. When Miles (Shameik Moore) enters his college dorm, I believe that on the little TV on a desk, you can see that the Spider-Man Playstation game is on. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it deal, but a cool one to catch.
A few cameos have been revealed ahead of time such as Andy Samberg as Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider, and we knew that Rachel Dratch was cast in a role prior to the release. Dratch plays Miles' guidance counselor, and while not a very big or significant role, she's always great and the character captures her essence incredibly well.
There are a lot more cameos once we get to the Spider-Society HQ. The biggest cameo has to be Donald Glover, who reprises the role of Uncle Aaron from Spider-Man: Homecoming. He is in live-action form, and this time around, he's wearing the Prowler outfit. It's surreal for Miles to see his uncle in this form, but Aaron quickly reminds him that it's “rude to stare.” We get another glimpse of him later when people begin booing Miles and he joins in.
Archival footage of other live-action characters like Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Peter Parkers is also shown. We see them both crying over the deaths of Captain Stacy and Uncle Ben in their respective movies, and I believe that it's just archival footage and nothing more. It feels inevitable that Tom Holland shows up in the next one.
As a kid who grew up in the early 2000s, seeing the Spectacular Spider-Man make his appearance was phenomenal (though I think people knew he was returning coming into the film). That's still the standard for Spider-Man animated series — please make one more season! — and not only is he shown via archival footage like Garfield and Maguire, you see the character on his own amongst the other Spider-Men as well (albeit a lot smaller than them).
But he wasn't the only iconic animated Spider-Man to make it in. The Spider-Man from the 1967 series attempts to stop Miles head-on, but we quickly realize he's a 2D figure and paper-thin. Needless to say, he doesn't catch him and I believe he said he hurt his hamstring during this chase. Neil Patrick Harris' Spider-Man from the old MTV show — one that my parents made me turn off as a child — makes a quick appearance as well. Lego Spider-Man also made an appearance, and I wish I could place the voice behind the mask.
The last big cameo was J. Jonah Jameson is heard a number of times throughout. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, this person really nailed J.K. Simmons' voice!” before realizing in the credits that Simmons' name was, in fact, there. If I am correct and didn't misread the credits, Simmons has now played that role in three different Spider-Man franchises (Raimi's trilogy, the MCU, and the Spider-Verse).
I'm sure that bigger Spider-Man and comic book fans could spot even more cameos and easter eggs than me — and I hope to see even more when I rewatch the film. But even from what I got in my first viewing, there is a lot of attention to detail and care from the filmmakers that want to reward hardcore fans, casual fans, and those in between like myself.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales once again as he teams up with some of the Spider-Society including old pals like Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and some new ones like Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), who do not see eye to eye with him, against a new threat: The Spot (Jason Schwartzman).
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be released on June 2.