Deeply emotional first reaction: ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ composer on the finale
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse just got its first review, and the film’s composer is hinting there’s a heavier heart beating at the center than you might expect.
Composer Daniel Pemberton says he’s already watched a rough, work‑in‑progress version of Spider- Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse — and it hit him hard. Speaking at Deadline’s Sound & Screen event, he said the early cut, still in animatic form, had him tearing up more than once.
“The last cut I saw made me cry multiple times. And when something can do that when it’s an animatic, and it’s still early, it’s like – I think everyone’s going to be in for a real treat.”
Pemberton’s reaction carries extra weight because he’s been behind the franchise ’s sound from the start, scoring both Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. His blend of hip‑hop textures, orchestral muscle, and glitchy multiverse sonics has been a defining part of Miles Morales’ on‑screen world.
Sticking the landing
He’s also been candid about the pressure of wrapping up a trilogy that’s redefined big‑screen animation. In an earlier chat with GamesRadar+, Pemberton said the team is aiming for something timeless and invoked The Godfather as a cautionary tale — shorthand for not stumbling on Part Three.
When online rumors flared in September 2024 claiming major sections had been scrapped, Pemberton pushed back, urging fans not to treat every viral post as gospel. Around the same time, trade outlets were already signaling the finale wouldn’t arrive until at least 2026 .
- 2018 — Into the Spider-Verse opens and wins the Oscar for Animated Feature.
- 2023 — Across the Spider-Verse ends on that cliffhanger with Miles confronting a Prowler version of himself.
- Originally slated for 2024 — the Beyond follow-up was delayed.
- At least 2026 — trades indicated the earliest likely debut.
- 2027 window — some reports now point to a later target, though nothing is official.
Story‑wise, Beyond is set to pick up right where Across left off: Miles stranded in an alternate dimension, face to face with his own Prowler variant, while Gwen Stacy and a reformed Spider‑team scramble to find him.
There’s still no confirmed U.S. release date for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Sony has not announced a new date.