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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse might have its own Mandela Effect. The sequel’s opening sequence, revolving around Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacy recounting her story, involves a comic book-style nod to her origins. The trouble is, no one remembers it being in the movie – and we don’t recall seeing it either.
The moment in question – as you can see below – features Gwen being bitten by a spider, drawn with a slightly more Silver Age look than her contemporary Spider-Gwen style.
Wait wtf I don’t remember these??? https://t.co/Oq51JxUdxs pic.twitter.com/cxye7sTjR8August 7, 2023
"They weren’t in my version either," one said on Twitter. "I swear they weren’t there in the theatre and I saw it twice," another wrote.
"I'm a 100% sure they weren't there in the theater version," one user remarked.
Some, though, aren’t convinced. "Don’t try to make a Mandela effect, I remember it clearly," one replied. Another gets to the crux of the divisive issue, stating, "I saw this version of the movie, really surprised to hear how much of this wasn't in some showings of the movie."
Hands up, we didn’t notice it at the time either. The plot thickens, too, when you see a side-by-side comparison of the original cinema release and the new digital release.
Since people doubt me https://t.co/Ph1M9jvmfA pic.twitter.com/iOmwVtIcj7August 8, 2023
So, what gives? The truth is likely not as exciting as everyone forgetting a major movie en masse. It’s actually all down to a second version of Across the Spider-Verse being released in cinemas – thanks to reported audio issues. That also featured some minor changes, including dialogue tweaks and new animation.
Thanks to the digital release, we now know that the second, updated version of Across the Spider-Verse is 'canon'. And that includes these new comic book frames of Gwen – something which you might not have seen if you only saw the film during opening week.
Across the Spider-Verse is now available on digital storefronts. For more, swing on over to our list of Across the Spider-Verse Easter eggs, then thwip through to our breakdown of the Across the Spider-Verse ending.
