Month: January 2022

Learn why pillows turn yellow or brown, and how you can tell whether they’re safe to sleep on.

Why do pillows turn yellow sooner or later? It’s something we all notice (and maybe pretend we haven’t seen, and compensate for by popping on an extra pillowcase), but what’s the story behind it? As you might expect, it’s largely the result of what your pillow is exposed to during the night.

We’re here to spill all the info on what’s making your pillows turn yellow, as well as to explain how you can tell whether your pillow’s a healthy sleep surface. Bottom line: if you’ve had your pillow for more than a couple of years it’s almost certainly past its best, and if it’s covered in horrible yellow or brown patches as well, that’s a sure sign that it’s time for a sparkling new one; fortunately our best pillows guide can point you right at the best options available now.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, because we’re sure you want to know all the details about what causes those yellow stains on your pillows, and what you can do about them. And if you’re more interested in getting rid of the stains than understanding how they happened (we can’t say we blame you), head instead to our expert feature on how to wash a pillow and how often. 

Why do pillows turn yellow?

There are a few possible causes behind yellow stains on a pillow, but the most likely culprit is sweat. You’re probably not even aware of it but most us sweat a little in the night, and this can wick through your pillowcase and on to your pillow. It might not amount to much in one night, but over time it can build up and eventually cause yellow staining.

(Image credit: Getty/Wavebreakmedia Ltd)

And it’s not just sweat that makes your pillows turn yellow. Other forms of moisture such as your skin’s natural oils, not to mention skin and hair product that you might not have washed off before bedtime, can all end up on your pillow and contribute to those unsightly yellow stains. And if that’s not enough ghastly detail for you, take a look at our guide to what happens to your pillows when they aren’t washed regularly.

It’s the same with mattresses, so if yours is over seven years old and covered in stains (and shows other signs of wear and tear), consider upgrading. Our best mattress guide can help, and our roundup of the latest mattress sales can find you the best price when you buy.

To recap, the most common reasons why pillows turn yellow are:

Sweat
Natural body oils
Drool
Wet hair
Hair products
Cosmetics
Oil-based serums and moisturisers

Are pillows with yellow stains ok to sleep on?

If your pillow is over two years old and covered in yellow and brown stains, we’d recommend buying a new one. This is especially true if you haven’t washed your pillow since buying it and don’t use a pillow protector. 

Chances are, the pillow has a build-up of other things besides sweat, oils and dead skin: dust mites might be lurking, as well as other allergens. Moisture from sweat and oil can also breed bacteria. And if your pillow is causing you neck pain or has lost its shape, then it’s definitely time to replace it. 

Dr Karan Raj went viral on TikTok for explaining why you need to replace your pillow at least every two years and what happens when you don’t. Here’s what he said…

@dr.karanr

♬ Steven Universe – L.Dre

How to stop your pillows turning yellow

There’s nothing you can do to stop yourself from sweating completely in bed, but you can better protect your pillows from yellow stains. The most effective way is to cover your pillow with a pillow protector. These are an inexpensive way to add an extra barrier between sweat, oils, moisture and your pillow. 

Pillow protectors can be washed weekly along with the rest of your bed linens, making them low maintenance. We’d recommend having a few in rotation so that you always have one on standby. 

Try not to sleep on wet hair as otherwise all that water will seep through and turn your pillow yellow over time. Also, avoid wearing heavy oil-based serums and creams to bed, and remove your make-up before hitting the hay. 

So to recap:

Use a good quality pillow protector
Dry your hair before going to bed
Try to avoid heavy oil-based products
Remove your make-up before sleep

View all pillow protectors at Amazon

Can you remove yellow stains from a pillow?

You can’t remove yellow stains completely (especially older stains that have really bedded in), but there are ways to reduce them. Now, whenever we talk about cleaning bedding, including how to clean a mattress, we always recommend reading the care instructions first.

(Image credit: Getty)

Your pillow should have a small fabric tag sticking out the side – that’s where you’ll find guidance on how to wash your pillows and how to dry them (never cover damp pillows with linens as otherwise they could develop mildew). 

Spot-treat stains before machine washing your pillow (if it can be machine washed). Stain removal sprays and creams are potent but effective, while mixing your own paste of baking soda and water offers a natural approach.

Some cleaning experts recommend using a mix of bleach and washing detergent to remove stubborn yellow stains, but you need to be very sure that the materials used to make your pillow can withstand such a tough treatment.

Are you sleeping on the wrong pillow? Expert shares test to help you tell
What builds up on a mattress that isn’t cleaned regularly

Why do pillows turn yellow: The bottom line

For the most part, pillows turn yellow because of sweat and oils seeping through your linens to the pillow itself, but cosmetics, hair products, water (from damp hair) and drool can also cause yellow stains on pillows. 

The best way to reduce staining is to cover your pillows with a waterproof, anti-allergen pillow protector. These safeguard against moisture and dust mites, and help your pillow to reach its full lifespan, saving you money in the long-run. If you are looking to upgrade and fancy an adjustable pillow that can be customized to your sleep style, read our Layla Kapok Pillow review.

On that note, consider investing in the best mattress protector to safeguard your mattress from stains, spills and allergens. Depending on how deep they are, you could even place one over your mattress topper to keep that safe too.

Are you sleeping on the wrong pillow? Expert shares test to help you tell

Read More 

The next iPad mini could land in 2023. Here’s what we want from it and what we’ve heard about it so far.

Will there actually be an iPad mini (2023) model, or will we have to wait until 2024 to see a new compact tablet from Apple?

That’s the main question we have right now, as it’s been around two years since the iPad mini (2021) launched, so a new model should be due, but there’s disagreement over exactly when we’ll see it.

The iPad mini (2023) or (2024) will be the seventh model in the range, so the iPad mini 7 in other words, though one leak suggests it could land as the iPad mini Pro.

Whatever name you call it though and whenever it lands, we’re starting to hear some rumors about it, and you’ll find those below, along with our thoughts on the likely release date and price.

Then further down we’ve included a list of things we want from Apple’s next compact slate, in order to make it even better than the iPad mini (2021).

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next small iPadWhen is it out? Possibly late 2023 or early 2024How much will it cost? Maybe slightly over $499 / £479 / AU$749

iPad mini (2023): expected release date and price

Whether the iPad mini (2023) will land in 2023 or 2024 is currently unclear, with the latest iPad mini 7 release date rumor pointing to a launch somewhere between now (that being October 2023), and July 2024.

That’s broadly in line with other leaks, as we recently heard from another source that the iPad mini (2023) might land before the end of 2023, while another leaker claimed slightly earlier in the year that the next iPad mini would arrive alongside the Apple Watch 9. That of course didn’t happen, but Apple’s latest wearable didn’t launch long ago at the time of writing, so we could still see the iPad mini (2023) soon.

Prior to that, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the iPad mini (2023) would land in late 2023 or in the first half of 2024, following that up later with a claim that early 2024 was most likely, and that it might land alongside a foldable iPad.

With 2023 now almost over and there not being many iPad mini (2023) leaks yet, we’d say 2024 is looking most likely.

As for the price, one source claims that the iPad mini (2022) will be slightly more expensive than the iPad mini (2021), which starts at $499 / £479 / AU$749. But we wouldn’t think Apple would push the price up by much.

The iPad mini (2023) might cost slightly more than the iPad mini (2021) (Image credit: TechRadar)

iPad mini (2023): news and leaks

One very early iPad mini (2023) leak detailed many of the possible specs. Apparently, the tablet will have an 8.3-inch 120Hz screen, an A15 Bionic chipset (like the current model, though with a slightly higher 3.23GHz clock speed), 4GB of RAM, and a starting capacity of 128GB, up from 64GB on the current model.

However, as the source doesn’t yet have a track record and as this is now quite an old leak, we’d take this with a pinch of salt.

More recently we’ve heard that the iPad mini (2023) might have a new chipset but a similar design to the current model, so it may not be a huge upgrade.

Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously made a similar claim about the iPad mini (2023), and we’ve also heard elsewhere that the iPad mini (2023) will simply have a spec bump.

iPad mini (2023): what we want to see

The iPad mini (2021) is a great slate, but with the following changes the iPad mini (2023) would be far better still.

1. Better battery life

In our review we found that the iPad mini (2021)’s battery life was solid but not special. It would last around 8 hours with intensive use, and potentially even less when the Apple Pencil was added to the equation.

The size of the slate may be a limiting factor here as there might simply not be space for a much bigger battery, but the fact is that the likes of the iPad Pro 11 (2021) offer better life, so we’d like Apple to try and make some improvements here for the iPad mini (2023).

2. More power

The iPad mini (2021) isn’t exactly lacking in power. After all, it has the same chipset as the iPhone 13. But it only has 4GB of RAM, and while its chipset is good, it’s no match for the M1 in the latest iPad Pro models.

This is of course a balance for Apple – supercharge the iPad mini too much and the price will inevitably go up, but we imagine there must be a market for a powerful slate with a small screen, so we’d like to see Apple lean into that for the next model, even if it also launches a less powerful version.

3. A stylus in the box

We’d like the next iPad mini to come with an Apple Pencil (Image credit: TechRadar)

The Apple Pencil is an important accessory for the iPad mini, with the 2021 model even having a connector and charger for it on the right edge of the slate, yet the Apple Pencil doesn’t actually come with the tablet.

Instead, you have to buy it separately, and at quite a high cost. This isn’t so surprising when you consider that none of Apple’s tablets come with a stylus in the box, but the need to buy one makes the overall price of the iPad mini (2021) much less appealing.

Plus, some rival slates such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 do come with a stylus included, so we’d love to see Apple do the same for the iPad mini (2023).

4. Face ID

Despite sporting a reasonably modern design (with no home button) the iPad mini (2021) still relies on a fingerprint scanner – one built into the power button on the top edge.

This isn’t a terrible option, but we’d love to see Apple add Face ID for the iPad mini (2023). If it can keep the fingerprint scanner as well so users have options then all the better, but that’s unlikely to happen.

5. mmWave support

The iPad mini (2021) optionally comes with 5G support, but what it doesn’t have is mmWave support. This is a high frequency form of 5G that offers far higher download speeds, and it’s perhaps not that surprising that it isn’t supported, as most countries have little to no mmWave infrastructure, and even in the US it’s very limited.

But support for it would be handy for those areas that do have it, and it would help future-proof the slate, as mmWave coverage is likely to improve over time. So we want to see this offered by the iPad mini (2023).

Check out the best iPad apps

Read More 

Here’s what we know, and what we want to see, in the next generation of OnePlus Nord smartphone.

The OnePlus Nord 3 is an exciting prospect for fans of best OnePlus phones. It’s expected to be the next big mid-range handset from the company, after many budget spin-offs and alternatives to the OnePlus Nord 2.

It’ll also be a more affordable take on the OnePlus 11, letting people get a new Android phone without paying to-shelf prices. Saying that, we don’t really know when the next top Nord will land.

The Nord brand is OnePlus’ family of affordable and mid-range Android phones; designed to offer useful features that people actually want, tailored to budgets which don’t stretch to the company’s pricier powerhouses. 

We’ve seen the original OnePlus Nord and Nord 2 joined by a whole host of spin-offs; including the OnePlus Nord 2T, OnePlus Nord CE 2, OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, OnePlus Nord N10, OnePlus Nord N200 and more. But the Nord 3 is expected to be the next big addition to the range, expected to arrive in the middle of the year.

So far, we haven’t come across that many rumors or leaks concerning the OnePlus Nord 3, so we don’t yet have a complete picture of what to expect. However, that’s starting to change, not to mention we’ve got a good idea of what we’d like to see, based on past mobiles and the current state of the Android phone market. As such, while we wait for more news, we’ve shared what we’ve learnt about the phone so far, as well as our feature wish-list, below.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The third generation of mid-range OnePlus phones

When is it out? Likely mid-2023

How much will it cost? Probably around £399 (about $550, AU$750)

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

OnePlus Nord 3: release date and price

Based on precedent, we’ll likely see the OnePlus Nord 3 announced and released in the middle few months of the year. The original and second-gen models were both unveiled in July of their respective launch years, so that seems like the obvious month to expect the Nord 3; it could be a little earlier or later, however.

When we get nearer to July, we’ll likely hear some rumors regarding specific dates but in the meantime, the phone’s been spotted on various certification sites by way of MySmartPrice, which many believe means it’s nearly ready for prime-time, set to debut soon.

In terms of price, we’ll also have to wait until nearer the time for some leaks, but we can look at past performance for a good idea. The Nord and Nord 2 launched for £379 (around $480, AU$680) and £399 (about $550, AU$750) respectively, so a price in that ballpark remains very likely.

The previous phones in the family series never launched in the US or Australia though, so don’t hold your breath for releases in those regions.

OnePlus Nord 3: design and display

We haven’t heard much about the hardware and software the OnePlus Nord 3 will pack in, but one leak has revealed many of the possible specs, including a 6.7-inch 1080 x 2412 display.

Known tipster Max Jambor (who admittedly was a little off his game with regards to OnePlus rumors, recently) previously suggested that the Nord 3 would essentially be a repackaged version of the China-exclusive OnePlus Ace 2V for global audiences, potentially with less RAM and a more modest chipset.

If true, this would suggest a straight-side design, along with a flat display and a mostly-flat glass back, with subtle rounding at the edge where the glass meets the phone’s metal frame. OnePlus’ signature physical alert slider features the on the Ace 2V, so we’d hope it would carry across to the Nord 3 too, while display and resolution specs match up with those previous rumors.

OnePlus Nord 3: specs and features

As for what’s going on inside the Nord 3, those same spec leaks from all the way back in March 2022 pointed to an upper mid-range Dimensity 8100 chipset, 12GB of RAM and an in-screen fingerprint scanner, among other things.

While the chipset could differ, there is a world in which the Nord 3 retains the Ace 2V’s top-shelf MediaTek-made Dimensity 9000 SoC, which is a little longer in the tooth at this stage.

As for software, based on the recent exclusive confirmation to TechRadar of OxygenOS 13.1 debuting on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, there’s every chance that the Nord 3 will also run on this same Android 13-based user experience out of the box.

OnePlus Nord 3: camera and battery

A triple-lens rear camera seems likely, continuing the trend of its predecessors, with the last batch of leaks pointing to an impressive-sounding with 50MP main sensor, accompanied by 8MP and 2MP sensors; presumably ultrawide and depth snappers, respectively, however, that’s guess work on our part. A 16MP front camera is also said to feature and if like the Ace 2V’s will appear as a punch-hole sensor, set into the top-center of the Nord 3’s screen.

When it comes to the battery, like the Nord 2T and the Nord 2 before it, the Nord 3 is thought to pack in a 4,500mAh cell, this time paired with impressively-fast charging. One early rumor claimed speeds of up to 150W, which would coinciding with talk of a  forthcoming OnePlus phone promising such speeds. However, this would also make the Nord 3 the fastest-charging OnePlus phone out there at launch; outpacing even the company’s flagship OnePlus 11, which seems unlikely.

Further dispelling this notion are those aforementioned certifications, which as well as suggesting an impending release, also reference 80W fast charging. This is still impressively rapid – especially for a mid-ranger – even beating out recent flagships, like the Xiaomi 13, with its 67W fast charging.

OnePlus Nord 3: What we want to see

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

1. A higher display refresh rate

Display refresh rate refers to how many times per second a smartphone’s display updates. While 60Hz (or 60 times per second) used to be used in basically all phones, the last few years has seen a move up to 90Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz and in some rare cases, even higher; for a select few mobiles.

When a refresh rate is higher, on-screen interaction and motion looks smoother, which is beneficial for streaming content and playing games, but even just for swiping between menus and home pages.

Now, many budget and most mid-range and premium phones use at least 120Hz, but the previous OnePlus Nord phones have been outliers; sticking with 90Hz.

We’d like to see the OnePlus Nord 3 make the jump to 120Hz, to match other mobiles at the same price point, and just so the phone feels more premium and more responsive to use.

2. Some Hasselblad camera tricks

For its flagship series, OnePlus currently partners with camera company Hasselblad; granting its top devices optimized camera experiences with extra features, modes and filters that make them fantastic for photography. We’d like to see the fruits of this relationship come to the Nord series too.

Examples include the Hasselblad Pro Mode, which captures in a higher color profile and saves in a version of RAW which is more space-efficient, compared to your phone’s standard ‘Pro’ mode or equivalent.

Even if the mid-range Nord 3 can’t handle flashy and intensive camera tricks, we’d like to see some camera features which elevate the phone over same-price competitors.

3. No app throttling

OnePlus found itself in hot water in mid-2021 when users discovered that the OxygenOS user experience found on its phones secretly throttled popular apps (this means it reduced how much of the phone’s processing power they could access). 

Some of the few apps not throttled were benchmarking apps (which tell you how much processing power a phone has), and the company didn’t admit this was happening until it was caught out, which obviously wasn’t a good look for the brand.

The eventual resolution of the furore was that a toggle was introduced in the settings so you can turn off throttling if you like, but it’s still turned on by default, so most people won’t ever notice and will just think they have a slow phone.

We’d like the company to remove this throttling feature, or at the very least have it off by default (OnePlus says having it on saves battery life, something disputed by user reports).

(Image credit: Srivatsa Ramesh)

4. An easier-to-buy range of colors

You could buy the OnePlus Nord 2 in blue, gray or green (as well as in a weird Pac-Man design) but there was a catch – not all versions were available in all regions.

Green was exclusive to India, while blue was only available paired to certain memory configurations; at least in the UK.

We’d like to see OnePlus embrace the bright, colorful and energetic, as Samsung did with the Galaxy S20 FE‘s huge range of vibrant hues. Let’s see reds and oranges, and yellows, or maybe something a little weird like the color-changing gold and blue of the Vivo V23 from OnePlus’ sister company.

5. Another crossover

As we mentioned, the OnePlus Nord 2 was available in a Pac-Man edition with a dot-patterned rear which glowed in the dark, as well as software full of Easter eggs for the popular vintage game.

That’s not the only crossover OnePlus has enjoyed either, with multiple Cyberpunk 2077 devices and McLaren editions of some of its phones too.

We’d like to see the Nord 3 get something fun too, and maybe more recent than the ancient Pac-Man or maligned CyberPunk 2077. What about Starfield? Or The Witcher?

For more tech news sign up to the TechRadar newsletter

Read More 

Harry Vanderspeigle is trapped between worlds after snubbing his deadly mission. Here’s how to watch Resident Alien season 2 online and stream the show from anywhere.

Resident Alien season 2 is online and ready to stream all over the world. After growing attached to the rural town of Patience, where the locals are just as curious as the alien doing a pretty poor job of pretending to be a human doctor, it suddenly dawns on Captain Hah Re that his people are still hell-bent on the total annihilation of the planet, including Asta! What’s an alien mercenary with a soft side to do? Read on to find out how to watch Resident Alien season 2 online wherever you are.

Okay, so he talks to an octopus from time to time, almost always says the wrong thing, and is at war with a child… but overall Dr Vanderspeigle seems to have successfully assimilated. 

Deputy Liv has her suspicions, but after the memory wipe there’s no way she’s unmasking his true identity now…

With police and psychotic government activity increasing in town, Asta decides it’s best to whisk Harry away to New York City, where the sight of an alien prancing down the street wouldn’t elicit a second glance.

However, while evading detection on Earth, he also needs to find a way to assuage the appetite for desctruction that has consumed his home planet.

A fish-out-of-water comedy that’ll stir your feelings when you least expect it, read on as we detail how to watch Resident Alien season 2 online where you are.

Watch Resident Alien season 2 for free

How to watch Resident Alien online from outside your country

If you’re abroad when Resident Alien season 2 airs, you won’t be able to watch the show as you normally would at home, because of annoying regional restrictions.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to stream it online no matter where you are. It’s a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Resident Alien season 2 from anywhere

How to watch Resident Alien season 2 online in the US

Watch Resident Alien season 2 in the UK

Resident Alien season 2 aired on Sky TV in the UK. You can still watch all 16 episodes on demand through your Sky box and through Now.

If you’re not already a Sky customer but fancy dipping your toe in the water, there are plenty of Sky TV deals and packages that might just take your fancy.

Alternatively, you can grab a Now Entertainment membership, which costs £9.99 a month.

Read More 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is still planned for release later this year. Here’s what we know about it so far.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is still on track for release later this year. We now have a slightly better idea as to when we’ll be playing it, though for now Sony is keeping the full release date under wraps.

Since its reveal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 hasn’t been shown off all that much by Insomniac. In fact, we’ve still yet to get a second trailer, and aside from some developer comments, very little info has been revealed.

While there’s still a lot to learn about the highly-anticipated sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, we have heard a bit from the developers over at Insomniac. There’s been a brief teaser trailer as well, which gave us a glimpse as to what we can expect once the game launches.

While we wait for more info on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, this page will stay up to date with all of the latest news related to the game. Hopefully we’ll hear more sooner rather than later.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: cut to the chase

What is it? The sequel to the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man

When can I play it? Fall 2023 (September 1 – November 30)

What can I play it on? PS5

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: release date and platforms

(Image credit: Sony)

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is due to release in Fall 2023 exclusively for PS5, completely skipping PS4. This was confirmed via a Tweet by PlayStation (opens in a new tab). Rumors had suggested that we would be getting a release date imminently, so it was great to have it confirmed. For now, Fall 2023 is the closest we have to a final date. We’ll update if we hear more.

While not confirmed, it’s possible we could see Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 coming to PC at a later date. We’ve seen Sony bringing more and more of its first-party titles to PC recently, with Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales already on the platform. We wouldn’t expect Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to be available on Steam at launch, but a PC release later down the line looks likely.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 trailer

Latest trailer

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was revealed with a trailer at the September 2021 PlayStation Showcase. The trailer is only around one-and-half minutes long, but it offers us a fair amount of details. For one, we see both Peter Parker and Miles Morales taking fighting goons, suggesting we may get to play as both Spider-Men this time around.

At the very end, we got a surprise appearance of the infamous Spider-Man villain Venom – an outer-world symbiote with a passion for violence – so we expect he’ll be one of the sequel’s main villains.  Unfortunately, there was no gameplay to analyze, but we briefly see a shot of Peter getting a power surge with his Iron Spider arms, suggesting suit powers may be making a return. 

We also hear an ominous voice talking over the trailer, suggesting Peter and Miles will have yet another villain to face off against. Based on their speech about looking for a challenge and formidable opponent we’d put our money on it being Kraven the Hunter – a classic Spider-Man villain in the comics. Check out the trailer below:

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 news

(Image credit: Sony)

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS Store listing
A PlayStation Store page for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 momentarily went live on December 12, 2022, suggesting more details on Insomniac Games’ next web-slinging adventure could be shared imminently. This was eventually followed up by confirmation of a Fall 2023 release window.

Noted by Twitter user Wario64, a dedicated listing for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 briefly went live on the PlayStation Store in the UK, allowing players to wishlist the upcoming PS5 game. Since Wario64’s tweet, the page has been taken down. You can, however, still see the page listed on Google.

Following this, developer Insomniac Games’ Community Director, James Stevenson tweeted a gif lifted from the game’s official trailer, depicting the two spider-men Peter Parker and Miles Morales standing side by side. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: what we want to see

(Image credit: Sony)

Marvel’s Spider-Men
The trailer seems to suggest we’ll be playing as both Miles and Peter, and the ending of Miles’ solo game would back that up but we don’t yet know for sure. We certainly hope we do get to play as both Spider-Men though, as it would give Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 way more story and gameplay options (and give us twice the web-slinging action).

The Spider-Duo are seen performing combo moves during the PlayStation Showcase 2021 teaser, which indicates we might be able to play as both at the same time at various points in the game, but given that it was all just a cinematic there’s no way to know for sure.

A scarier side of Spider-Man
With Venom and (potentially) Kraven the Hunter making an appearance in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac looks to be gearing its story towards the scarier villains in Spider-Man’s rogue’s gallery.

We hope Insomniac delves even deeper into this and includes several other frightening characters like the Lizard, Morbius (or other Marvel vampires like Morlun), and maybe even the Jackal. We wouldn’t be surprised if Green Goblin or Hob Goblin showed up either.

Curt Conners, the human scientist who transforms into the Lizard, already appeared in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales suggesting his villainous side could very well show up in the sequel. The same is true of Norman Osborn who was a key character in the first Marvel’s Spider-Man game so it might not be long before he becomes the Green Goblin.

Based on the ending of Marvel’s Spider-Man’s DLC, it looks like Venom could be Harry Osborn (Norma’s son) in this series. If Harry befalls some terrible fate – seemingly at the hands of Spider-Man – that could be what drives Norman Osborn to become a villain.

We’ll admit that Jackal and Morlun make a lot less sense, as they tie into much longer stories like Spider-Man’s Clone Saga and Spider-Verse that would be deserving of their own dedicated game, but we’ll have to wait and see.

A world beyond New York
While Spider-Man is known for being an NYC hero, we’d like to see our wall-crawler take a trip to new locations in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 before the city starts to feel stale. While the teaser seems to suggest we’ll definitely be in a New York-like city at some points, thanks to the PS5’s SSD storage and power Insomniac would be able to load in other large locations to explore too.

One option – especially if they take the horror route – could be to include a character like Doctor Strange who could transport us into fearsome realms, or we might see our heroes go on the run if they find Kraven the Hunter too deadly a threat to handle. Heck, we could even go to visit Symkaria the home of Silver Sable, and a location that Peter was visiting in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

New York definitely works great as a setting for Spider-Man games thanks to its looming skyscrapers that are perfect for web-swinging, but given that it’s already featured in both of Insomniac’s previous titles we’re worried it’ll grow boring eventually. 

These are the new PS5 games we have our eye on

Read More 

Diablo 4 is coming out later this year. Here’s what we know about the game so far including all of the latest news.

Diablo 4 is planned to arrive in June, having finally received a release date towards the tail end of last year. From what we’ve seen so far, the game appears to be more in line with the first two in the series, with a more grounded visual style.

The main difference between Diablo 4 and its predecessors is the fact that it’s being released on the latest generation of consoles. Because of this, the map is larger, and offers up more of an open-world experience. You can even adventure across it with friends in tow.

Diablo 4 received a round of previews last year, allowing us to go hands on with the beta for 10 hours. We concluded that Diablo 4 drags the series’ demon-slaying, loot-harvesting delight into the 2020s. Now that we have plenty of info on Diablo 4, here’s everything we know about the game so far.

As new details are revealed in the run up to launch, this page will be updated. Read on for the latest news.

Diablo 4: Cut to the chase

What is it? The next installment in the beloved RPG series

When can I play it? June 6, 2023

What can I play it on? Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S

Diablo 4 release date and platforms

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Diablo 4 will launch on June 6, 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This was revealed during The Game Awards 2022, where a new trailer was shown off. This puts the game among some stiff competition, with Final Fantasy 16 also launching that month.

Fans are no doubt delighted to hear that they don’t have too long to wait to play Diablo 4. The game had been known about for years before finally being announced, and then there was a hefty wait to get a release date. For now, Blizzard is targeting June 6, 2023, but this is obviously subject to change. If it does, this page will be updated. In terms of Xbox Game Pass, Diablo 4 is not planned to launch on the service, but could arrive some time after release.

Diablo 4 trailers

Latest trailer

The latest trailer for Diablo 4 was shown off alongside the announcement of an upcoming beta period. It’s actually the intro cinematic for the game, giving us an idea as to what we should expect from the main story.

Whereas previous Diablo 4 footage has focused on setting the tone of the game, this intro is actually ripped straight out of the opening hour of the game. Most interesting is the fact that your in-game character will actually be the one in the cutscene. This is a new feature for the Diablo series, and should hopefully help to give things a more personal touch depending on the player. Check it out below:

More trailers

We’ve included some key Diablo 4 trailers throughout this article but you can find all the Diablo 4 trailers that have been release to date on the game’s official YouTube channel.

Diablo 4 story and setting

For those who haven’t been following along in the in-game events, Diablo 4 will be set after Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls. 

The gates of heaven have been closed after Malthael, the Angel of Death, destroyed much of Sanctuary. It’s through Heaven’s ignorance of the events transpiring in Sanctuary that Lilith is set lose from her prison. 

In an interview with AusGamers Diablo 4′s Game Director Luis Barriga and Art Director John Mueller have given an insight into the big ambitions the team has for Diablo 4 and its expansions. With Lilith acting as the main villain, rather than Diablo, Mueller has suggested that there will eventually be more to tell than this, with more characters and stories that could be told in expansions: 

“Diablo IV is like the first chapter of a book. We want to tell a big story and we want to tell it, hopefully, for a very long time. Treating this like the first chapter of a book and Lilith as a key character in this story, it feels great knowing that there are still all these other characters that could come back in the future. Or, new characters that we haven’t seen before.”

We also know Diablo 4 is moving away from the conversation panes of Diablo 3. Instead, it’s using a mixture of tool-generated and choreographed camera angles, which should improve both simple and complex NPC interactions. Diablo 4 also makes use of real-time cutscenes for some of the game’s more important narrative moments, alongside a more seamless transition back to player-controlled gameplay. 

Diablo 4: gameplay

Diablo 4 takes an open-world approach, where players travel between hubs. There’s five unique regions with a day/night cycle and ever-changing weather. Missions are non-linear and you’re free to take them on however you’d like. Players can join each other at any time in the same world. 

We had an interview with Diablo 4’s art director John Mueller and lead designer Joe Shely at BlizzCon 2021. This provided the chance to find out more about the series’ shift to an open world and how it’s going to work, especially with “each of its five regions being up to 10 times bigger than any of those in Diablo 3.”

There’s a Camp system which sees players find camps in the open world populated by different kinds of enemies. Mueller stresses that “every camp that the designers have done has been unique – there’s always cool little scriptures, lore bits, that kind of stuff”. Defeating the enemies in these camps frees residents of Sanctuary with knock-on effects that show off this reactive world. There’s also mounts, which help players move around the open world quickly.

Like previous entries, you’ll spend a lot of time in dungeons – all of which will be randomly generated in a similar way to Diablo 3. 

During BlizzCon 2021, we also received a deep-dive into some of Diablo 4’s PvP elements. PvP is accessible in the Fields of Hatred, areas integrated seamlessly into the main game’s open world with a mix of PvE and PvP gameplay, and it’s optional. Upon entering these areas, there’s . While you can kill one another, players have monsters to contend with too, and it’s possible to team up. 

The aim of the Fields of Hatred is to gather shards of hatred. These can be earned through killing other players or monsters to less violent acts.  These shards can be lost if you die, you’ll have to take them to an altar to purify them, locking them in. Shards of Hatred are currency once purified, spendable at special vendors, so there is an incentive to collect them. Getting them is a high-risk, high-reward process. 

Diablo 4 classes

As for character classes, Diablo 4 has five at launch. The Barbarian returns and can wield both double and single-handed weapons, packing four weapon slots. The Sorceress has AOE attacks that control the battlefield, turning into a ball of energy to incinerate enemies. The Druid has both animal companion NPCs and the ability to shapeshift. The Rogue allows for both melee and ranged builds, while the Necromancer can raise skeletal allies to overpower enemies.

We also know Diablo 4 will make big changes to skills and talents. Within the skill tree, all the branches contain skills and skill upgrades, while the roots hold powerful passive effects. As you level up, you’ll earn skill points that can be spent in the upper ‘Skills’ section of the tree. This unlocks new skills and additional functionality for them, alongside unlocking Passive Points on the lower Passive section.

Diablo 4 beta

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Blizzard has now announced a beta period for Diablo 4. Those who’ve pre-ordered the game can get access on March 17 – 19. Everyone else will be able to jump into the open beta on March 24 – 26. The beta includes the Prologue and first Act of the game.

Diablo 4 news

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Leaked screenshots reveal a skippable campaign option
At the beginning of October, 2022, a Twitter user posted screenshots that appeared to be of Diablo 4. They have since been taken down, but the most interesting thing that could be gleaned from them is an option to skip Diablo 4‘s campaign. It’s unclear as to whether this relates to multiple playthroughs, but if it does it could be a response to the backlash from Diablo 3 players who were unhappy about having to clear the campaign with each new character.

Here’s some other games to get excited about in 2023

Read More 

Fable 4 is officially in the works, though we haven’t heard all that much about it. Here’s what we do know.

Fable 4 is the next mainline entry into the beloved RPG series. It was announced a couple of years back alongside a cinematic trailer, and for now is simply called Fable. Since the announcement, there hasn’t really been an update on development. For now, we’re waiting on the basic details like gameplay and release date.

The next entry into the beloved fantasy franchise is being worked on over at Playground Games, the team behind the Forza Horizon series. While this may be an odd fit at first thought, Playground Games is a great studio with a real knack for creating realistic and dynamic environments. This is surely something that the Fable series can benefit greatly from.

As we get closer to a potential release date for Fable 4, Microsoft will hopefully reveal more on the game. As new info is released, this page will be updated. 

For now, here’s what we know about Fable 4, including all of the latest news and rumors. You’ll also find the reveal trailer below, which helps give a glimpse at what the tone could be for the game when it finally launches.

Fable 4: cut to the chase

What is it? The fourth installment in the mainline Fable franchise

When can I play it? There’s no release date yet but don’t expect it soon

What can I play it on? TBC, but it’s an Xbox exclusive

Fable 4 release date and platforms

(Image credit: Microsoft)

No release date or release window has been set for Fable 4 yet. The earliest we’d expect it is late 2023, though 2024 is more likely.

At the very least, Phil Spencer hinted during an IGN podcast that we’ll get it before The Elder Scrolls 6, though that game doesn’t have a release date yet either and isn’t expected to land until sometime after Starfield’s release (which has since been delayed to 2023). That’s backed up by the June 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase focusing on games launching “in the next twelve months,” and Fable wasn’t present. 

We do, however, know the platforms we can expect Fable 4 to land on. As an Xbox exclusive, Fable 4 will release for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC, where it’ll be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one. It’s unknown if it’ll arrive on Xbox One consoles, but we’re not holding out hope as Microsoft hasn’t confirmed anything.

Fable 4 trailer

Latest trailer

Right now, only one Fable trailer has been released: the world premiere announcement trailer. 

The trailer doesn’t reveal a whole lot, but does suggest that the game could be set well before the later entries in the series as we don’t get as much of a sense of a Victorian-style industrial revolution as we did in Fable 3‘s setting. Instead, it appears that Fable 4 will have a medieval fantasy setting perhaps more like the original game, with the trailer showing a sword, fairies, overgrown toadstools and greedy toads. Check it out below:

Fable 4 news

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Xbox boss explains lack of news
Development is still underway on Fable 4 but after the game didn’t make any appearances during the Xbox showcases at both Summer Game Fest and Gamescom 2022 fans have been wondering when they’ll hear more.  

Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, acknowledged the lack of news during an interview at PAX West 2022 but explained that the game will only be shown when developer Playground Games is ready to show it. 

“Every time I see something, I say ‘We should show this’… because there’s a lot of cool stuff,” said Booty. “The team has made it very clear that I’m not going to be able to show anything until it’s ready.” 

Booty went on to express support for Playground Games, saying that while choosing the studio predominantly known for Forza Horizon to work on Fable 4 might seem like “a little bit of a head scratcher”, they “get it” and he’s “excited for when the time comes to be able to show more.”

These are the upcoming games in 2023 that we’ve got our eyes on

Read More 

We dive into everything Paramount Plus from pricing plans and availability, to new releases!

Paramount Plus is your home for all things CBS, along with networks like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, Showtime, Paramount Pictures and MGM Pictures. Launched in 2021, this streaming service delivers thousands of hours with a vault of movies and shows you already love, along with new releases, and Paramount Plus Original programming.

While it doesn’t have a library to contend with Netflix or Disney Plus, Paramount Plus has a library with over 30,00 streaming hours to dive into. This includes great new shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the iCarly revival, and Yellowstone prequel – 1883. They also add new content regularly, and new additions include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a hefty James Bond collection, the Rocky films, Paranormal Activity movies, along with classics like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, just to name a few. 

Paramount Plus: sign up for a 7-day free trial now

Also the place to live stream NFL, Paramount Plus has amassed more than 39.6 million subscribers, and is now available in Latin America, Canada, and Australia, Europe and the UK with plans to expand even further. Stay tuned for more on how to watch it, how much it costs and what else is on, or check out our lists of the best Paramount Plus movies and the best Paramount Plus shows for even more information.

Where is Paramount Plus available?

Paramount Plus is currently available in the US, Latin America, Canada, Australia, and European countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy, and France, and Nordic countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Late 2022 saw it arrive in the Caribbean, and there are still plans for expansion across Africa and Asia.

Is there a free trial for new Paramount Plus subscribers?

For those looking for a Paramount Plus free trial, head to our guide where you can learn about how new subscribers can enjoy a seven-day free trial.

Alternatively, Walmart Plus subscribers can get Paramount Plus thrown in for free with their subscription.

What is Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus is the rebranded platform of CBS All Access service. Outside the US, most countries don’t have CBS All Access, meaning ViacomCBS has little in the way of a streaming footprint. So, while the rebranding part is important for US customers, the global ambition is what matters here on a wider level. 

Paramount Plus draws on a deeper well of content from the parent company’s portfolio, with a library of older shows and movies alongside a selection of originals. CBS All Access featured news and sports content, like UEFA matches – whatever US customers enjoyed on CBS All Access now forms a key part of Paramount Plus.

Paramount Plus features over 40,000 episodes of TV shows and more than 2,500 movies, as well as a whole host of original shows to get stuck into.

Internationally, the content will vary depending on current licensing deals. For example, Amazon has the rights to show Star Trek: Picard outside the US as it stands – so don’t expect to see an identical library globally.

Paramount Plus cost: How much are plans?

This is how Paramount explains the difference in pricing tiers. (Image credit: Future)

The Paramount Plus price is $5.99 with ads or $11.99 per month without ads.

Paramount Plus Essential delivers tons of great on-demand originals and library content, NFL games, UEFA Champions League, and 24/7 Live News from CBS. This tier includes ads.

Paramount Plus with Showtime delivers tons more content for the upgrade in price. You’ll only find ads on live TV and a few select shows, Live TV with CBS and college football, and the ability to download your favorite shows and movies. This tier also gives you full access to Showtime, which lets you check out Yellowjackets, Billion, and reboot Dexter: New Blood. 

You will find a nice little discount if you opt to pay annually for Paramount Plus. Paramount Plus Essential will run you $59.99 per year, and Paramount Plus with Showtime comes out to $119.99. That’s an 18% saving overall, making the essential plan $5 monthly, and the Plus with Showtime $10 monthly.

Paramount Plus apps: which devices are compatible?

(Image credit: Paramount Plus)

Paramount Plus is available on the following supported devices, according to this help page:

Apple TV (‘Supported versions’ on 4th Gen and 4K)Android TV (including Nvidia Shield, Sony Bravia TVs from 2015 onwards, Hisense Android TVs, TCL 3-Series Smart TVs)Android phones and tabletsChromecastCox Contour boxFire TV (including Fire Stick and Fire Cube)Google TViPhone and iPad (iOS 11+)LG TVPortal TVPS4 and PS5Roku (most models)Samsung TVVizio TVVIDAA TVWeb browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari (Max OS X 10.10+) and Microsoft EdgeXbox Series S and XXfinity X1 & Flex 

Paramount Plus shows, movies and originals

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is at home on Paramount+ (Image credit: Paramount+)

Promising “live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment,” Paramount Plus is already brimming with fantastic TV shows, movies, and live coverage, including exclusive, original shows like Yellowstone prequel, 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. They even have exclusive Paramount Original movies like Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. 

In 2022, the platform saw the arrival of Halo, based on the popular games of the same name, which feels like the closest the service has to a massive The Mandalorian-type show. Frasier fans can binge the original seasons before diving into the new revival. 

Sports on the service include UEFA soccer, PGA golf, NFL, NCAA basketball, The Masters, and the National Women’s Soccer League.

In terms of movies, your kids will be pleased with the likes of SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, exclusive to the service. The same goes for Star Trek and Indiana Jones movies, which were available at launch. There are also options for slightly older kids, like Monster High 2, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Avatar the Last Airbender. With plenty of Nickelodeon content, you won’t need to worry about them having shows they’ll enjoy.  

After they’ve made their paid TV debut, Paramount Plus has also made a deal to be the streaming home of MGM’s new movies, like No Time To Die, House of Gucci, and Creed 3. 

Other movies span a range of genres and eras, from newer titles like Top Gun: Maverick, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, Transformers 7, Dungeons and Dragons to older favourites such as Scream, Minority Report, Interstellar, The Wolf of Wall Street and tons of others.

Paramount Plus: What’s new for 2023?

There is a huge cohort of movies and shows joining the platform in early 2023. Below, we list the Original shows and movies, followed by movie and show titles that will already be familiar. 

New to Paramount+ in late 2023: Originals

Lawman Bass ReevesDe La Calle Colin from Accounts Louis Tomlinson: All Those VoicesBargainMonster High 2The Caine Mutiny Court MarshallPet Sematary: BloodlinesPainkiller: The Tylenol Murders Frasier VindictaMilli Vanilli Fellow Travelers

New shows to Paramount+ in late 2023:

Ink Master (Season 15)Isle of MTV: Malta Air Disasters (Season 1-7)MTV Crivbs (Season 19)Reno 911! It’s a Wonderful Heist 

New movies on Paramount+ in late 2023:

The list of new movies coming to Paramount+ is enormous, and whittling it down to a ‘best of’ list still left us with a huge range of titles, so strap in tight!

Airplane ! & Airplane II: The Sequel Akeelah and the BeeAlmost Famous BabelCarrie Casino Royale Clerks Father of the Bride  Fiddler On the Roof For Your Eyes Only Good BurgerHalloween VIII: ResurrectionIn the Heights Malcolm X Minority ReportParanormal Activity 2, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4Rambo IIIShaftShakespeare in LoveShirley ValentineStar Trek BeyondMegavilleNight of the Living DeadOctopussy Playing Mona LisaQuantum of Solace Return Of The Pink Panther Robocop Rocky, Rocky Balboa, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V Scrooged Semper Fi ShowgirlsSmokey and the Bandit 1, 2, and 3Skyfall The Alamo The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Defiant Ones The Dirty Dozen The Host The Living Daylights The Original Kings of ComedyThe World is Not Enough Tomorrow Never Dies Train to BusanVampire in Brooklyn View To A Kill 

Interested in other platforms? Check our our guide to the best Netflix shows to stream right now.

Read More 

Here’s everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is less than three months from launching in theaters – and, we don’t know about you, but we can’t wait for it to arrive.

The follow-up to 2018’s award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – one of the best superhero movies – has been a long time coming. But, like all spectacular (see what we did there?) things, this joint Sony Pictures-Marvel film will be well worth waiting for.

While we wait for Across the Spider-Verse to thwip its way into cinemas worldwide, there’s plenty of reading around the subject you can do. First, read our Spider-Man movies in order guide to see where it’ll fit in the webslinger’s cinematic timeline. Then, read on for more details on the sequel itself, including its release date, trailers, cast, plot, and more.

Full spoilers follow for Into the Spider-Verse. Some potentially big spoilers are discussed for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, too. We’ll forewarn you once we get to those, however, if you’re avoiding them pre-release.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse release date

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will reunite Miles Morales and Gwen Stacey. (Image credit: Sony Pictures Animation)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse arrives in theaters on June 2. The film was originally supposed to wallcrawl its way into cinemas last April, but was pushed back to October due to the pandemic.

It was later delayed again, with executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller telling Deadline: “We could try to get it out at the original date and it would be fine. But the expectation for this film is it has to be as ground-breaking and special and wonderful as the first one was. So we thought ‘let’s make it great.'”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s first official trailer debuted in December 2022, with the teaser showcasing the incredible amount of other Spider-People from across the, well, Spider-Verse among other crowd-pleasing and thrilling moments.

It might not be long until we get a second trailer, either – industry insider Grace Randolph saying a new teaser could debut ahead of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which releases on April 5. Here’s hoping the trailer swings its way online on that date, too.

Missed the first teaser in December 2021? Check it out below:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cast

Spider-Man 2099 is one of the new main cast members in Across the Spider-Verse. (Image credit: Sony Pictures Animation)

Here’s the confirmed cast list for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse so far:

Shameik Moore as Miles Morales/Spider-Man
Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen 
Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 
Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man 
Issa Rae as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman
Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart ‘Hobie’ Brown/Spider-Punk
Jason Schwartzmann as Johanthan Ohnn/The Spot
Bryan Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis
Luna Lauren Velez as Rio Morales
Greta Lee as Lyla, Spider-Man 2099’s AI assistant
Shea Wigham as Captain George Stacey
Jorma Taccone as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture
Rachel Dratch as Miles’ school counselor

Moore, Steinfeld, Johnson, Henry, and Velez will reprise their roles from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. 

Oscar Isaac co-stars after cameoing in the first movie’s post-credits scene. Lee also returns as Lyla from that end credits scene. Issa Rae (Insecure) will play Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, who’ll be pregnant in the film

Three other characters were confirmed alongside Rae’s Drew. Shea Wigham (Boardwalk Empire, True Detective) is voicing Captain Stacy, the father of Steinfeld’s Spider-Gwen, in his first-ever voice acting role. Jorma Taccona (The Lonely Island) will play the Earth-65’s version of The Vulture.

Jason Schwartzmann (Fargo, Moonrise Kingdom) has been cast as The Spot. A lesser known Spider-Villain, The Spot – real name Johnathan Ohnn – is a scientist who tried to mimic Marvel superhero Cloak’s superpowers (in the comics, anyway). Unsurprisingly, the experiment goes awry, with Ohnn’s body becoming covered in giant, black spots. However, Ohnn realizes these are portals to other dimensions and begins using them for nefarious means.

The Spot is the primary villain for the next two animated Spider-Man movies. (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

With Across the Spider-Verse continuing to explore the Spider-Man multiverse, The Spot seems like the perfect villain. Per co-director Kemp Powers, Valve’s iconic videogame series Portal was a key influence on The Spot’s aesthetic (via IndieWire). Additionally, a new toy leak (thanks to Reddit for the, erm, spot), reveals “If The Spot can realize the true power of his abilities, he could become a threat to entire universe”. Sounds ominous.

Daniel Kaluuya (Black Panther, Nope) was cast as Hobart ‘Hobie’ Brown, aka Spider-Punk in November 2022, while Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live) plays an unnamed counselor at Miles’ school.

Potential spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s cast follows.

Spider-Woman is one of many new Spider-People in Across the Spider-Verse. (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Other Spider-People from the previous film could return, including Kimiko Glenn’s Peni Parker and John Mulaney’s Spider-Ham. However, Nicolas Cage hasn’t been asked back as Spider-Man Noir (via ScreenRant). Yuri Lowenthal, who voiced Peter Parker in Sony’s PS4/PS5 Spider-Man game, hasn’t been tapped to appear, either (per ComicBookMovie.com).

Cyborg Spider-Woman and Ben Reilly, aka Scarlet Spider, should make their movie debuts. They’re part of a puzzle set (per Twitter user MCU Campus), so this seemingly confirms they’ll show up. During a YouTube Premium trailer afterparty, Phil Lord and Chris Miller also confirmed some other prominent Spider-People who’ll appear, including Peter B. Parker’s child, aka Mayday, and Spider-Man India (i.e. Pavitr Prabhakar). The latter will apparently be voiced by Deadpool’s Karan Soni (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Here are other Spider-People we noticed in the first trailer:

Armored Spider-Man
Bombastic Bag-Man
Doppelganger
Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man (PS4 and PS5 version)
Manga Spider-Man
Otto Octavius’ Superior Spider-Man
Spider-Cop
Spider-Man (PS1 version)
Spider-Man Unlimited
Spider Monkey
Spinneret
Wolf-Spider

Additionally, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s official poster has spoiled some Spider-People’s appearances, such as Spectacular Spider-Man, Lady-Spider, Spider Byte, and Spiderling. Scarlet Spider and Spider-Byte were officially confirmed to appear via the film’s line-up of Funk Pop figurines, which Miller also tweeted about.

Live-action stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon have also expressed interest in appearing. Speaking to Collider, Lord and Miller declined to comment on the trio cameo-ing, but The Cosmic Circus and CanWeGetSomeToast claim Holland will appear.

Other Spider-Men alumni in Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield could feature, too. The duo had supporting roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home but, speaking to Variety (via Fandom), Lord said of those rumors: “It’s a high bar to clear. The gauntlet has been thrown [by Spider-Man: No Way Home]”, before Miller added: “All things are possible in the multiverse.” Watch this space, then.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse plot

Miles Morales will continue to explore the Spider-Man multiverse in the animated sequel. (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Here’s the movie’s official synopsis: “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 neighbourhood 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.”

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly (EW) in 2021, Lord and Miller explained why the next chapter in Miles’ story is being told over two movies. “Miles’ story is an epic,” Miller and Lord said. “We wrote what we thought the story needed to be, and to our surprise we realized it was two movies instead of one.” The pair have also described the follow-up film as “The Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy” (via Empire).

Originally, Across the Spider-Verse was going to be an Avengers: Endgame-style movie, with a two-and-a-half hour runtime. Speaking to The Direct, though, senior animator Ere Santos confirmed splitting the film up into two movies gave Across the Spider-Verse room to breathe.

Per Empire, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s story will comprise six main universes – each with their own signature animation style. Two are seen in the 2021 teaser – Mumbatten, the Indian-inspired Earth-50101, and Nueva York, which is Spider-Man 2099’s world and based on Syd Mead’s neofuturistic illustrations. We’ll also visit the worlds of Miles (Earth-1610), Spider-Gwen (Earth-65, which is a watercolor-inspired realm), and Spider-Punk’s New London (Earth-138). According to a separate Empire article, the final universe is being kept tightly under wraps, likely due to some major spoilers.

Miller doubled down on exploring other realities with Collider, saying: “The idea that we’d be going to different dimensions really opened up an opportunity artistically to have each world have its own art style, and to be able to push the folks at [Sony Pictures] ImageWorks to develop a way to have each dimension feel like it was drawn by a different artist’s hand. Seeing the development of that stuff is breath taking, and really, it’s the reason we keep doing it, because it’s so hard to get it right.”

Speaking to IndieWire, co-director Joaquim Dos Santos revealed the team worked closely with real-life Marvel artists, including Spider-Man 2099 creators Rick Leonardi and Kris Anka, to bring their work to life. “Comics are the R&D and the foundation for all these franchises,” Dos Santos said. “But oftentimes the creators barely get a mention in the credits, so making sure they’re a part of this is super important.”

Elsewhere, Lord and Miller also hinted it might tie into the MCU. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Miller said: “The multiverse is big and wide, and all things grow. Why would you think [that in] a multiverse, in which many things are possible, that [those things are] not related?”

Lord added: “The writers and directors [on No Way Home] are all buddies of ours, so we sort of have been in the loop as far as what’s going on [in other movies]. And we are always trying to make sure we’re not stepping on each other’s toes and telling different types of stories, and different themes, and all that stuff – because people want an original story that feels new and interesting. It’s our job to give it to them.”

It sounds like Gwen Stacy will have a big role to play this time around. Not only does she appear to be torn about events that play out, co-director Kemp Powers also teased (per Total Film): “[This film explores] the unique dilemma of being Gwen Stacy. She’s a vigilante seen as responsible for the death of her world’s Peter Parker. [And] the cop in charge of tracking her down is her father.”

In fact, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be full of emotional story beats. Lord and Miller revealed there’s one Spider-Gwen scene that’ll really tug at our heartstrings. Based on the plot synopsis, we’ll see Miles grappling with what it truly means to be a Spider-Man in this film as well.

Where The Spot is concerned, Powers told Cartoon Brew: “From the very beginning, he just seemed like endless potential visually and the arc of the character. His arc really complements the journey of Miles in this film really well.”

Meanwhile, co-directer Justin K. Thompson revealed 17 new tools were created to help The Spot’s various ink-style spots function fluidly. So it sounds like The Spot won’t just be a tragic villain of sorts, but one as visually spectacular as the movie’s other elements. Thompson and Powers also told Cartoon Brew that we’ll see more family-based drama play out between Miles, Gwen, and their respective parents, so maybe you’ll want to bring a pack of tissues with you to your screening next year.

With those official comments out of the way, what can we determine from what we’ve seen of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?

Potential story spoilers follow.

Initially, we thought Spider-Man 2099 would be Miles’ new mentor. However, with Peter B. Parker confirmed to return, plus Spider-Man 2099 grappling with Miles in both trailers, it seems they’ll end up clashing. The latest trailer and story synopsis make out that a Spidey civil war is on the way, so maybe Miles and Spider-Man 2099 become the figureheads of each faction, with Gwen caught in the middle. Speaking to EW, Miller teased: “He [Spider-Man 2009] is not the villain of the movie, but he’s sort of an antagonist to Miles because they both think that what they’re doing is the right thing.” 

Is that really the case, though? Speaking during the trailer afterparty, Phil Lord surprisingly revealed Spider-Gwen is actually recruited by Spider-Man 2099 to join his Spider-Force/Spider-Society team. Miles, though, doesn’t, and she can’t tell him why. The plot thickens…

As for Spider-Woman, Chris Miller explained her movie look is inspired by a “comic run when she’s pregnant during Secret Wars”. Could we see elements of that comic series used in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? Regardless, Spider-Gwen has a great relationship with Spider-Woman, someone she sees as a mentor figure. 

Spider-Woman isn’t the only Spider-Force person that Spider-Gwen is close to. She’ll also have a tight bond with Spider-Punk, with the pair’s penchant for music a particularly cool shared interest. Understandably, Miles is jealous of their friendship.

And what of fans who have been shipping Gwen and Miles since 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse? Can they expect a romance to finally blossom in this film? According to Lord: “It’s… complicated. Long distance relationships are hard”. However, Amy Pascal, one of the movie’s executive producers, has described Across the Spider-Verse as a “love story between Miles and Gwen” (per Empire). Maybe romance-laced sparks will fly after all.

Lastly, given the secrecy around the live-action Spider-Man stars’ appearances and Across the Spider-Verse‘s final universe, will this movie actually cross over with Sony and Marvel’s live-action Spider-Man universe and the MCU? Industry leaker Daniel Richtman suggests we will. If these worlds collide, expect fans (us included) to lose our minds over the unprecedented crossover.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sequel

When will Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse land in theaters? (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s sequel, titled Beyond the Spider-Verse, is expected to land in cinemas on March 29, 2024. Its release date was revealed alongside Across the Spider-Verse‘s revised launch date, although Beyond the Spider-Verse‘s arrival could change if it needs additional development time.

Very little is known about this movie. Given its title, though, could we see Miles and company make the jump into live-action and potentially appear in the MCU (that’s if they don’t do so in this film, anyway)? It would be a hugely crowd pleasing moment if that happened, but we’ll have to wait and see how Across the Spider-Verse ends first.

For more Spider-Man content, find out which Spider-Person will be the first to receive a live-action show on Prime Video, plus the second Spider-Person who’ll follow in their footsteps on Prime Video. Additionally, read our Spider-Man movies ranked piece.

Read More