Spider-Punk was the biggest scene-stealer in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse but how did Daniel Kaluuya find the perfect voice in his portrayal of Hobie Brown? The Black Panther star discussed how the director of the animated sequel helped him play the Earth-138 Spider-Person.
Daniel Kaluuya on Finding Spider-Punk's Voice in Across The Spider-Verse
Daniel Kaluuya recently spoke to GamesRadar to promote Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. During the interview, the Get Out actor revealed he listened to Spider-Punk playlists on Spotify to understand the character.
Kaluuya pointed out that he already had a cool connection to Hobie Brown as a Camden native. That's exactly what the directing trio Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Justin K. Thompson wanted to see in Across the Spider-Verse's Spider-Punk.
“They sat me down and were like, ‘we want you, so we want you to bring you to it’. They asked me ‘what would you say here, what is the real word that would be used here’, giving me free rein and allowing me to use my background in improv,” Kaluuya said.
“We were exploring the voice as there hasn’t been a narrative version of Spider-Punk before in film or television,” he added.
“So, it was a discovery, and we found something that was a melting pot of all that London is but also the attitude that someone who was a punk or from Camden would have, without being watered down or becoming too commercial,” Kaluuya stated.
For his part, Daniel Kaluuya chose to use Hobie's slang and tone to give viewers an insight into the character's music.
“I wanted to make it feel like a song, something coming from a rich place. We tried a version where it was normal when he was talking and then another version where he was rapping, but in a punk style,” he said.
“That’s the version we used which had this staccato, a different energy. But if he spends most of his days playing music and singing songs, that’s what it would be like, especially when he’s speaking about his history,” Kaluuya continued.
It all worked out beautifully and Spider-Punk became the coolest character in Across the Spider-Verse. With that in mind, we can't wait to see more of Hobie Brown in the next film.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now screening in theaters worldwide.
Related: Hailee Steinfeld Reacts To Possible Live-Action Spider-Gwen Movie
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