About 
A Complete Unknown is far from the worst thing you'll see this Christmas season, and many people will probably like it simply because of the various performances.
Posted in: Movies, Sony | Tagged: sony, sony pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, spider-man: across the spider-verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Spider-Punk "Needed" in the Story
Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, is the breakout star of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but he was "in and out of the picture" until Daniel Kaluuya took on the role.
To be a breakout character in a movie like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, when there are so many characters running around, is something to be commended. So many good characters are running around in that movie, from Jessica Drew to Pravitr Prabhakar to the villainous Spot. However, there is one that has taken the internet and all our hearts by storm: Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, voiced by the always fantastic Daniel Kaluuya. In a movie featuring so many different forms of animation that are realized so perfectly, Hobie's style stands out, and his place and attitude within the story have made him a star. It seemed like he was always meant to be there, which is what makes it all the more surprising that he wasn't always there. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, writer-producer Phil Lord explained that Hobie was "in and out of the picture" when they were initially working on the movie.
"He was in and out of the picture for a little while because we weren't sure which elements we were going to stick in this part and which were going to migrate to the next movie," explains Lord. "When we met Daniel Kaluuya, we realized that he had to be Hobie Brown, no matter the cost. And Hobie had to be in the movie because that personality needed to be part of the story."
It turns out that people weren't so keen on having yet another character running around this movie because, to be fair, there are a lot of characters in Across the Spider-Verse. However, writer-producer Chris Miller said that once Kaluuya became part of the picture, they had to make sure that Hobie was in the film, and they rewrote the part specifically because of what Kaluuya brought to the role.
"Some people were like, 'Is there a way to simplify this? There's so many characters. Do we really need Spider-Punk?'" adds Miller. "But once we got to know Daniel, we rewrote the part so it became more necessary."
Hobie is cool, and even Miles is blown away by just how cool Hobie is when he removes his mask. If there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that Hobie is, without a doubt, cool, and that ended up being a bit of an issue for the team when it came to creating this character. Miller describes it as "The challenge is that Miles is a really cool character — one of the coolest Spider-Men that you can think of. Coming up with a character who is even cooler somehow is a really fun challenge." There are a lot of really awesome characters in this movie, so coming up with someone who is above all that but isn't coming across like a jerk is a fine line to walk.
For director, Kemp Powers links it back to the fact Hobie is "a catalyst for so many things in this movie, which is why I think he ended up being such a breakout star. No matter how cool the character design looks, he really earned his way into this film because every character has to be in service of Miles' story." Some of the best parts of the movie are the subtle pieces of rebellion that Hobie does within the system of the Spider Society, being there isn't anything more punk than being anti-authoritarian and wanting to tear down the systems of oppression. Hobie wants a little chaos; he wants a little anarchy because that is something that many punks have been fighting for for many years.
Director Joaquim Dos Santos specifically cites the scene where Hobie is the one who gives Miles the information he needs to break out of the prison the Spider Society has put him in, and Hobie is just living for it. "There was a version of that scene that didn't have Hobie in it, but he really pushed that scene over the edge," Dos Santos explains. "We were trying to figure that out for a very, very long time, and he was the chaos element who told Miles not to fall in line. He really saved the day." In the final moments of Across the Spider-Verse, we find out that Hobie helps Gwen travel through the Spider-Verse so she can gather a team to go and rescue Miles and hopefully stop the Spot without Miguel getting in the way. We can only hope that means we'll see more of him, and director Justin K. Thompson seems to be teasing good news with, "Anything is possible, but I think it's fair to say you'll see Hobie again for sure." Power to the people.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Summary, Cast List, Release Date
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time friendly neighborhood, Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson with a screenplay by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, and David Callaham. It stars Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, and Oscar Isaac. It was released on June 2, 2023.
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
