Parallel Spiderman Universes collide to embrace diversity of heroes everywhere

Vanessa Guillen Matheus

@ItsVaneGuillen

Decades ago, people of different backgrounds appeared to live separate lives, in separate worlds. Each culture had their own folk tales and their own role models, and the realization that we belong to a single-yet-multifaceted society has been dormant and slow. Marvel’s new animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, is a warm reminder that different cultures and genders do not have to exist in parallel universes.

The newest onscreen iteration of one of the most beloved superheroes is Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teen from Brooklyn inspired to take over from the late Peter Parker, Queens’ friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Along the way, heroes from different dimensions enter Miles’ life, including a jaded version of Parker, Spider-Woman Gwen Stacy, the dark Spider-Man Noir, and parody pig Spider-Ham.

As Miles was learning the superhero ropes, actor Shameik Moore was performing as a voice actor for the first time. “This is my first animated film where I am leading. We recorded for two years, which is a longer time than I thought it would be. Seeing the movie was the best part of the experience, because I was going to voice sessions for five hours, three times a month, which allowed me to do other projects,” Mr. Moore said at the Spider-Verse augmented reality experience in Brooklyn, NY.

Kathryn Hahn has worked in animated films before, but said that “I am super proud of playing this role in this particular time. I never thought I would be part of the Marvel Universe, especially playing Doc Ock [a traditionally male villain]. To be in the world that the writers have created, with this kind of storytelling, diversity, empathy, and confidence-building. Especially for families to be able to say that they are part of something, when a child is empowered to tell their own authentic story and truth using their authentic voice, which is their own superpower. It gives me goose bumps.”

            Mr. Moore has a message to Latinx children everywhere, “You can do whatever you put your mind to. If you believe it can happen, figure out a way to do it. There is a black Spider-Man that is also Puerto Rican in 2018. That’s wild.  Twenty or thirty years ago, that would have been just as wild as jumping 500 feet from one roof to another. Think about it.”

            The interesting realization is not that Spider-Man’s audience is greater now than it ever was. It is that all the versions of Spider-Man in the Spider-Verse can speak directly to more fans than ever before. We are all Spider-man. We all have great power, and we all have great responsibility.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse in theaters nationwide.