The following contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, now playing in theaters.
The second chapter of Miles Morales's Spider-Man saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, included hundreds of different versions of Marvel's webslinger. Miguel O'Hara brought them together to combat anomalies that threaten the multiverse. However, the reveal that the first anomaly is Miles Morales himself feels like a meta-commentary on what led to the creation of the first Black Spider-Man. The notion that he doesn't deserve his power or belong in the mask is one that still persists amongst the most close-minded fans.
The commentary begins with the way Across the Spider-Verse introduces the in-narrative concept of "canon." Normally, the word refers to dusty old books and Pachelbel's ubiquitous holiday tune. To fans of comics or long-running sagas like Star Wars, the term is used to organize the myriad stories in their history. In Across the Spider-Verse, a "canon event" refers to the foundational narrative moments that tie the disparate stories together. Being bitten by a science-enhanced spider, losing a beloved uncle, and other events tie them all together. But Miguel reveals to Miles that the spider that bit him was from a different dimension. "You were never supposed to be Spider-Man," he tells Miles, sounding just like some of the character's early haters.
Miles Morales' Creation Challenged the Idea That Spider-Man Had To Be White
When Sony Pictures decided not to move forward with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4, the search for a new Peter Parker got underway. Screenwriter and journalist Marc Bernardin, co-host of Fatman Beyond with Kevin Smith, wrote an essay for Gizmodo saying "the last thing" Sony should do is cast a white guy as Peter Parker. Unbeknownst to the Splinter director, Marvel and Sony were renewing the licensing agreement for Spider-Man. In 2015, Sony fell victim to a massive leak of emails, including that finished agreement. It listed two sets of requirements for Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Neither character could be gay, but the agreement also demanded Peter Parker only be depicted as white.
Interestingly, as that contract was being put together, Brian Michael Bendis drafted a story that killed Peter Parker for Ultimate Spider-Man. He introduced Miles Morales, a half-Black, half-Puerto Rican kid who took over for the deceased Peter. Bendis did this so as not to "change" Peter Parker by introducing a new character. One of the actors inspired by Bernardin's piece was Donald Glover. He openly campaigned for the role, including donning a Spider-Man shirt in an episode of Community.
Bendis credited this as his inspiration to create Miles. Glover went on to voice Miles Morales in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon before appearing in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Across the Spider-Verse as (Uncle) Aaron Davis. Yet, the contemporaneous reaction from some fans was predictably problematic. In trying to dispel the idea that the outrage was simply born from the fear of a Black Spider-Man, they, like Miguel, cited the sanctity of "canon." Miles Morales was never supposed to be Spider-Man. Across the Spider-Verse takes that ridiculous notion and makes it integral to the film's plot.
Across the Spider-Verse Reaffirms Miles Morales Is Spider-Man
There is also a bit of meta-irony at play in Across the Spider-Verse as well. Miguel O'Hara is the one who tells Miles he isn't supposed to be Spider-Man. But the webslinger of 2099 was also a bit controversial. He was the first "canon" Spider-Man not to be Peter Parker (or at least a clone of him). He's also the first character of Latin heritage to don the mantle, with an Irish surname to suggest a version of Star Trek's culturally blended future. Miguel's obsession with canon is given a narrative justification. He believes that if enough canon events are disrupted, the entire multiverse will fall apart. Like the fans who are so rigid about what a character should look like or how they should behave, Miguel's whole position is based on fear and uncertainty.
Thankfully, after a dozen years of stories, only those who are deliberately outrage-trolling pretend to have any problem with Miles Morales. He is his own character, and he shares only the important characteristics of Peter Parker. He's smart, a little awkward and possesses almost limitless compassion. Miles may be even more relatable to fans than Peter. Like them, Miles grew up loving Spider-Man. The tease from longtime Spidey producer Amy Pascal about a live-action Miles Morales movie is the clearest indication that each of his doubters was wrong.
Into the Spider-Verse brilliantly tells a story about how anyone can wear the mask. The way Across the Spider-Verse's conflict challenges that notion is reminiscent of the close-minded thinking that led to the character's creation. No matter what Miguel O'Hara does in Beyond the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales took his rightful place in the Marvel pantheon long ago.
To see how it comments on Miles' creation, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters.