Spider-Man is a hero that I’ve always loved. For years, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought us so many heroes for people to look up to, Spider-Man was the one hero I embraced. He was my dad’s favorite, my brother’s favorite, and eventually, I ended up loving him, too.
Fast-forward about twenty years, to when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was in theaters, introducing me to Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino alternate version of Spider-Man that truly took my world by storm and ended up becoming my favorite version of the superhero. Now, the sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has released and somehow, Miles has gotten even cooler and his character has changed in so many interesting ways, even though it hasn’t been that long since we’ve seen him.
Today, I’m going to go over the five ways that Miles’ character has changed, in comparison to how he was in the first movie. Let’s get into it.
His Humor Has Matured
Something that I’ve always been a big fan of when it comes to Spider-Man is that he seems to be the quippiest of all the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are certain iterations of him that I believe do it better, such as Andrew Garfield’s version of Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man, but I have to say that Miles’ humor was one of the main things I loved about him in the first film.
He just sort of had that goofy kid humor because that’s what he was – a kid who really didn’t know how to use his powers that well and used humor to deal with the crazy lifestyle change he was going through. I still remember when he sang “Sunflower” while stuck to the ceiling during that scene with Peter B. Parker. That’s hilarious.
One thing I did notice is that Miles’ humor has not only gotten funnier, but almost more mature in a way. You can tell that he’s been at this superhero-thing for some time at this point in the movie, especially in the beginning, when he is first facing The Spot, and the way he addresses the main villain of the story at first is honestly hilarious. I can’t get over him just casually eating a meat patty while watching The Spot mess up stuff in the bodega – gets me every time.
His Confidence Has Improved Immensely
I mean, this is something that anyone could imagine would happen with time, but man…that confidence of his has grown.
I almost feel like a proud sibling seeing how much his confidence has changed in not only being a hero but just who he is in general. Granted, it's been a year and four months between the first film and this one, so Miles does look a little older – and the fact that he is looking into colleges already speaks many volumes.
In the first movie, something I did enjoy about Miles was how he had that bumbling energy of a teenager – awkward and sort of trying to adjust to the world around him as he entered not only a new school but a new life. This time around, he has that swagger that I just can’t help but love. Even the way he speaks to Gwen after not seeing her for some time is so much better, because you can tell that he at least has some confidence in himself now, which is beautiful to see.
His Powers Have Only Gotten Stronger
Again, we could have assumed this would happen, since it’s been some time since the first film but man, I freaking love seeing Miles and his powers.
There are so many incredibly powerful heroes in the Marvel universe, whether you’re talking about The Scarlet Witch and her abilities or even Thor, but to me, Spider-Man’s powers have always been the most impressive and the most grounded. They’re simple and straight to the point, and Miles’ version of the characters only elevates it with his Venom Blast, as well as his invisibility.
He has such a good handle on his powers now, whether it was using his different skill set against the Spider-People or using his invisibility to follow Gwen without so much as even blinking an eye, easily turning invisible in seconds. Don’t you remember when Miles said he couldn’t even do it on command? Talk about a stark change. I love it so much.
He Also Works Much Better On His Own Now
When Miles first got his powers in Into the Spider-Verse, it was a blessing in disguise for him to have all these different versions of Spider-People around him to help. While none of them had his exact power-set, they were all essential parts in his growth as not only a superhero but just as a human in general, guiding him in the right direction and helping him learn how to become a better version of himself.
In Across the Spider-Verse, I will boldly say that Miles doesn’t need anyone like that anymore. Does he still want them? Of course. You can obviously tell he still cares deeply for Gwen as well as Peter B. Parker, and even some of his other former allies, but when he realizes that no one is going to help him with trying to save his father, he is all on his own.
And you know what? He thrives. Miles may not be as experienced as some of the other Spider-People, and certainly not as experienced as Miguel O’Hara (voiced by Oscar Issac), but he knows his worth and how he can use his powers to his advantage, which is what makes him such a great character.
His little line of, “Nah, imma do my own thing,” had me smiling from ear to ear in the theater, because yes, Miles, go against fate. In the words of Kratos from God of War: Ragnarok, “Fate only binds you if you let it. Do what is necessary. Not because it is written.” That moment was everything and more for his character development.
His Value For Family Has Grown Despite His Responsibilities
Something that I’ve always really loved about Spider-Man overall is that he really does care for family, more than any other hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if we’re being honest. He suffers some of the worst losses, from girlfriends to uncles to fathers to everything else in-between, and Miles so far is no exception to that.
You could tell he cared about his family in the first movie, but that has only grown so much in the sequel. While Miles has his own responsibilities now, he still tries to be there for his parents and do as they ask; to do well in school, and support them. Even though he was late for his father’s promotion party, he did try to get the cakes there in one piece. And he feels bad about not quite being able to do it.
This is even further proven later on when Miles attempts to tell his mother his secret, before he realizes that he’s in the wrong universe, which is a major moment. And of course, the obvious – going against every other Spider-Person so that he can save his dad. The love and appreciation he has for his family has only grown, and you can’t help but adore him for that.
I’m not sure what Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is going to bring to the table in terms of Miles Morales’ character development, since that is going to be a direct continuation of Across the Spider-Verse, but one can only hope for great things. Until then, I’ll re-watch this movie and spot every little Easter Egg there is while loving Miles even more everyday.
