What to expect from Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

Earlier this month, Sony Pictures dropped the latest trailer for their upcoming animated movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, which has been in the works since 2014. Unlike previous teaser trailers, this one gives the viewer a better insight into the film’s basic plot, which is going to involve various different incarnations of the web-slinger, all of whom will be familiar to fans of the comic books. However, from the looks of things, it will be Miles Morales’ Spider-Man who will be at the heart of the movie. The character first appeared in the 2011 comic Ultimate Fallout #4, where he took up the Spider-Man mantle from Peter Parker, and has since featured in both the Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man comic series and Ultimate Spider-Man animated show on Disney XD. He will be voiced by up-and-coming actor Shameik Moore, who stars alongside the likes of Nicholas Cage, Hailee Steinfeld, Liev Schreiber, and comedian John Mulaney.

The trailer shows Morales as part of the ‘main trio’ of the film, alongside Peter Parker’s Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Woman, who appear to be taking the roles as mentor figures to the new superhero in-training. They will also be joined by Peni Parker (also known as SP//dr), Spider-Man Noir, and Peter Porker the Spider-Ham; three perhaps lesser-known comic book heroes, as well as various other comic book regulars, such as Peter Parker’s Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and villains like the Kingpin. Each of the main characters brings a new side to the famous figure, which should prove to be an interesting and entertaining experience for viewers, whether they are a long-term fan, or relatively new to the franchise.

One of the stand-out features of the film looks to be the style of animation. Whilst staying true to Sony Animation’s typical style, it also has clear influences from the comic books themselves, making the overall aesthetic of the film just like a comic strip come to life. The interesting mix of animation style also appears to include some elements of Japanese anime, particularly in relation to character Peni Parker, suggesting that the variations in style may be indicators of the multiple different universes that the Spider-Folk of the film are all from. It should be interesting to see in more detail when the film comes out how the settings of the multiple universes are made to look different, or even if they are all shown on screen. Spider-Man may have had several different movie and television remakes over the years, but it is clear that the unique aesthetic of this film alone is sure to help it stand out from the crowd.

Despite the stereotype of animated films being mainly for children, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse looks overall to be a film that has something for everyone, and I currently have no doubt that it will do very well at the box office when it comes out this December, despite the fact that its release date coincides with that of rival comic franchise DC’s long-awaited Aquaman movie. It features a diverse range of characters, an intriguing plot, and enough references to the original comics to keep any fan happy, whilst also catering for new viewers with its modern twists. Hopefully, it should also be light-hearted enough to console any Spider-Man fans still reeling from the events of Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War… Hopefully.