Miles Morales, A Spectacular Hero
May 24, 2023
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE opens June 2nd
Heading to your local AMC Theatre to watch a brand new superhero movie has been quite the norm for many years now, but few of the films in the genre have been as widely beloved as 2018’s blockbuster, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. The animated film debuted first at the box office, becoming the best December opening ever for such a movie, and went on to win the Academy Award® for Best Animated Picture. As such, fans have been eagerly awaiting the next adventure in the life of young Marvel hero Miles Morales, and that time is now nearly upon us.
Everyone will finally be able to watch the new sequel, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, soon, and the film will see Miles continue his journey with Gwen Stacy, Peter B. Parker and a whole host of new Spider-People as he finds himself at odds with his fellow Spideys when they have to decide how to face a new threat. As we prepare to watch one of Marvel’s most daring and adored Latinx heroes return to the big screen, let’s take a look at what’s so great about Miles, his journey so far, and what we can expect from this highly anticipated sequel!
Fans of superhero stories have always come from a variety of cultures, and, like those who love tales of any kind, they want to see themselves represented in that genre as much as possible. This is one of the reasons that Miles Morales is one of our most enduring, popular and important Latinx superheroes.
The character, created in 2011 by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli for the comic “Ultimate Fallout #4,” is the Brooklyn, New York born son of a Puerto Rican mother, Rio Morales, and an African-American father, Jefferson Davis. Hailing from Earth-1610, Miles is an amazing representative of both of his cultures. He and his family frequently mix English and Spanish (something commonly known as Spanglish) when speaking, and audiences got to see him being both a regular kid who had to deal with things like the challenges of attending a new school that takes him away from his community, while also learning to use his newly acquired Spidey powers and figuring out how to meld his two worlds so that he can be the best hero, and person, possible.
As such, Miles quickly became an everyman (Everyteen?), who allowed even more superhero movie fans to see themselves in a character who was coming of age as both a young man, and as Brooklyn’s high-flying hero.
If it’s been a while since you checked out the thrilling and funny adventure that is SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, never fear! You can get all caught up before heading out to one of 2023’s biggest upcoming blockbusters.
INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE introduced audiences to Miles Morales, as the teenager’s predictable life is thrown into disarray once he’s bitten by a radioactive spider. Not long after, he comes upon Spider-Man’s battle with Prowler, Green Goblin and Wilson Fisk’s goons, as the hero tries to stop the mobster’s collider from opening a portal to parallel universes, which will destroy the city. As Spider-Man is dying, he hands over the method of stopping the collider again to Miles, should Fisk make another attempt.
After watching the fatal consequences of Spider-Man’s heroics, Miles then ventures out to become his city’s new savior, and a chance meeting with Peter B. Parker, a Spider-Man from another dimension who was transported over when Fisk’s collider was briefly operational, leads to Miles getting the training he so desperately needs. This is especially true as they will both soon find out that Peter isn’t the only Spider-Person from across the Spider-Verse trapped on Earth-1610, and that all of these recently relocated heroes are decaying by not being in their home dimensions. Also, Fisk’s collider still has the potential to doom the city.
Miles and his new friends managed to save the day once before, and he will have to join forces with them to do it all again in SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE. While many of the movie’s joys are still unknown to us, the presentation from Sony Pictures Entertainment at CinemaCon 2023 doubled down on the promise of many additional characters coming into the story, while also showing just how deeply emotional this leg of the journey will be for Miles, his family and his returning friends. From the footage that was shown, the heart of the film appears to be the relationship between Miles and Gwen, and also that of the super-teen and his mom, Rio, as she realizes that her little boy is becoming a man.
We only have a short while now to see for ourselves how everything will turn out for Miles, his loved ones and allies when SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE comes to an AMC Theatre near you!
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE opens June 2nd
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