Nicole Chung - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, an animated film adaptation of Marvel’s superhero
comic book character Miles Morales and sequel to its previous film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, serves as a groundbreaking interpretation of
the classic Spider-Man principle, "With great power comes great responsibility." The film follows the main protagonist, Miles Morales, as he discovers the existence of the Spider-Verse, the multiversal connection between the different iterations of Spider-Man, and the concept of canon events, which shape and define each Spider-person. As Miles interacts with the Spider-Verse and learns how it functions, he slowly comes to the realization that perhaps instead of following the determined canon events that supposedly come with being Spider-Man, he must instead follow his own path and redefine what it means to be Spider-man.
Miles and his mother, Rio, watch the Brooklyn skyline, with a literal and figurative distance between them as Miles struggles with reconciling his identity as Miles Morales and his identity as Spider-Man.
Miles attempts to escape from the hundreds of Spider-people chasing him through the Spider-Verse headquarters as he rejects his fated canon event and decides to follow his own path.
Film's Significance
While the film largely explores the concepts of the Spider-Verse and canon events and what they entail for Miles, the film also does significant work in expanding Miles' character and the conflict that emerges from his identity as Miles Morales — an Afro-Puerto Rican teenager struggling to connect with his family — and his universes' Spider-Man — a superhero, anomaly, and disruptive force in the Spider-Verse. Across the Spider-Verse expands on the themes of coming of age, belonging, identity, and self-discovery — themes that are explored in its prequel, Into the Spider-Verse — while also highlighting themes of family, fate, and responsibility through its exploration of the action, superhero, and science fiction genres. Entrenched in a variety of experimental artistic styles, cultures, and musical genres, the film also emphasizes the representations of a wide variety of social groups. In doing so, it complicates the world of the Spider-Verse and reflects the complexities of our own world onto the big screen while also further pushing the boundaries of the animation industry. In its exploration of the character of Miles Morales, the film offers a new and more nuanced perspective on what it means to be a hero — and what it means to be Spider-Man.
Discussion Questions
The intersection between Miles' two identities as a normal teenager and a superhero is a common trope in the superhero genre. How does Miles' identity as an Afro-Puerto Rican complicate this intersection, and what does this entail for his personal relationships?
There is a wide variety of cultures and social groups that are represented in the film, but this representation does not necessarily dive into the various nuances and issues that are present within these groups. Does this detract from the film and its potential social impact at all? Why or why not?
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