Who Plays Spot In Across The Spider-Verse

The Spot isn't a traditionally menacing sort of villain. Rather, he's not even all that great at villainy at the film's start, but works as an antagonist to its various Spider-Men anyway due to his considerable power rendering him capable of plenty of mayhem nevertheless. Schwartzman, meanwhile, is a master of deadpan delivery, which is a hallmark of both his heelish characters, like Gideon in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and his baby face performances like the boy scout-esque Greg in "Wet Hot American Summer."

To The Spot, he initially brings a sort of bumbling, understated demeanor that contrasts with his villainy. This is important both to building the film's signature sense of subversive fun, as well as a character arc that eventually sees him going off the proverbial deep end into a manic state. At this point, late in the film, the style in which The Spot is animated itself becomes more sinister, resulting in a threat to the multiverse that feels more genuine than the average blockbuster movie villain.

Schwartzman is the perfect fit for his "Spider-Verse" role, then, not just because he's funny, but for the shock of his signature comic demeanor dissolving into something altogether more dangerous. Ultimately, thanks to Schwartzman, The Spot works as a unique take on a supervillain without sacrificing a sense of genuine dread.