After years of development, Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, and Rodney Rothman's Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse absolutely blew minds when it debuted back in December 2018. Hailed by many as one of the best films of the year, it received a near-universal warm reception, and became a must-see big screen event. This is actually still the case, as the movie is still playing in many theaters nationwide, but soon fans will be able to take the experience home with them, as the digital, and physical media dates have been announced, along with the surprise that the release will soon be getting a new Spider-Ham short film.
This news was revealed by Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse producer Chris Miller on Twitter, noting that digital downloads will be available on February 26th, while 4K, Blu-ray and DVD copies will hit stores on March 19th. A promised “Kingpin-sized ton of extras” will come along with all purchase options, and apparently that includes a new little bit that will star John Mulaney’s fan-favorite character from the blockbuster.
Sadly not much is known about the plot of the Spider-Ham short film, how it will utilize its central character, or even if it will be in-canon with the events of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. However, it’s also rare that we can be truly surprised by pop culture in this modern era, so maybe this is a case where it will be fun to go into watching it without knowing anything at all.
Hailing from a much more cartoon-y universe (Earth-8311) than the one inhabited by Miles Morales or any big screen version of Peter Parker, Spider-Ham made his big screen debut in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, but has been making readers laugh since he was introduced into that pages of Marvel Comics in 1983. He was originally a one-off character, but immediate popularity resulted in an on-going series, and he has been making regular appearances ever since.
Contrary to expectations, Spider-Ham began life as an anthropomorphic spider named Peter Porker who was dramatically transformed forever when he was bitten by a radioactive pig. Like most webslingers in the multiverse, he is a strong believer in “with great power comes great responsibility,” and as a result has done battle with villains like Eelectro, Mysteriape, and the Green Gobbler. Perhaps the short will give us more of him living in his own universe?
For what it’s worth, John Mulaney has already been out there pitching his vision for a Spider-Ham movie. Last year the comedian suggested putting the character in a plot akin to All The President's Men or Spotlight - following Peter Porker as he investigates a heavy story for the Daily Beagle. We don’t expect that this idea has anything to do with the short that we will soon get to see, but it’s still a fun idea to think about.
It won’t be long until we have all the details, as you may have noticed that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’s digital release date is just a little over a week from today. It’s a release we’re tremendously excited for here at CinemaBlend, and will be covering in depth, so stay tuned for more updates and cool behind-the-scenes stories about this wonderful blockbuster in the coming weeks – and you’ll be able to watch it compete in the Best Animated Feature category at the Academy Awards next Sunday, February 24th.
