It wasn’t necessarily the web-slinging heroism that made Miles Morales an instant fan-favorite. Rather, we can’t help but love the youngster when he sings along playfully to Post Malone’s “Sunflower” throughout 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. While Marvel has yet to announce a live-action Miles Morales joining the MCU, it’s something that will surely happen eventually, especially when there are, right now, many up-and-coming actors who should play him.
Shameik Moore made headlines for his voice-acting performance as Miles Morales in Into The Spider-Verse, and we can’t wait for the two sequels, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) and (Part Two), which are set to be released in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In the original film, we follow along as Miles enjoys being a teenager who hangs with his friends and manages his awkward crushes, while also managing to grapple with his new reality as a web-slinger. The portrayal of Miles is a brand-new iteration of Spider-Man, while still maintaining a certain level of awkwardness so key to the character. Here’s a closer look at why Miles’ on-screen presence needs to be taken to the next level with a live-action MCU movie.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Miles Morales: Origins of the Character
Columbia Pictures
Miles Morales is an alternate version of Spider-Man created in 2011. He is introduced as a biracial teenager who develops superpowers similar to Peter Parker’s after he’s bitten by a radioactive spider. Although Peter had long become synonymous with the Spider-Man persona at that point, Marvel fans took very well to Miles.
Even in the comics, Miles isn’t like what we typically think of in a Spider-Man superhero. In his universe, there was already a Spider-Man, as Peter Parker had already taken up the role. However, Peter ends up dying at the hands of a villain, leaving the city defenseless against all of his enemies who are now running rampant through the streets. When Miles is bitten by a spider and finds that he has similar powers to Peter, he takes on the mantle for himself and works on defending the city — as any Spider-Man would.
Miles really grew in popularity once Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released. The animated film introduced a new sensibility from all the Spider-Man movies, trying to imitate the drawing style of a comic book as they brought several Spider-Heroes to life. Even with all the other web-slingers around, Miles is still the main character, as the movie takes place in his universe, showing us his origin story and how he grows into the Spider-Man mantle.
Upcoming Sequels, Spin-offs to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Of course, as Miles becomes more and more popular, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse isn’t his only appearance outside of comics. He appears in the series of video games for PS4, beginning with Spider-Man, for example. The series was then followed by a smaller in-between game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, with a full sequel in production.
Miles is also referenced in Spider-Man: No Way Home, believe it or not. Shortly after his defeat, Jamie Foxx’s Max is able to look upon an unmasked Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man and comments that he was surprised Spidey wasn’t Black. He further commented that the way Spidey always helped poor people, he just assumed under the mask was a Black kid. This is a direct reference to Miles and the character’s role as Spider-Man. Miles is also referenced earlier on in the Homecoming trilogy. The first was in Spider-Man: Homecoming itself in a deleted scene, where Donald Glover’s character Aaron Davis references his nephew as “Miles.”
The beloved character is confirmed to return in animated form in upcoming sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and is due for release on October 7. The first film won an Oscar, so our expectations couldn’t be higher for the future animated installments — especially as we await a live-action turn from Miles.
Breathing Fresh Life into a Franchise Reboot
“I don’t want to be responsible for holding back the next young person that comes in who deserves it just as much so," Tom Holland once told People Magazine. “I would love to see a future of Spider-Man that’s more diverse — maybe you have a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman. We’ve had three Spider-Mans in a row; we’ve all been the same. It’d be nice to see something different.”
Miles’ stories feel closest to the spirit of Spider-Man’s 1960s origins. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s teenaged hero began as a story of a low-income social outcast trying to make his way through the world and high school, while also living up to the memory of his deceased uncle. His problems were small, but felt monumental. The villains he faced were either blue collar or enemies of the working class. And rarely could a superhero team or billionaire benefactor save him.
In terms of a live-action possibility, last year a fan suggested Clickbait star Camaron Engels for the Spidey role on Twitter, revealing that he’s been actively trying to manifest it into reality. “Watched #clickbaitnetflix, really engaging show,” the tweet read. “Super bingeable, had a great time watching it. My biggest takeaway though is that Camaron Engels would make a great Miles Morales.” Engels replied with appreciation, calling it one of his “dream roles.”
Space Jam: A New Legacy star Cedric Joe also has his eye on joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the actor declaring his desire to portray the first live action Miles Morales. Having now tackled LeBron James on the court, Joe has his sights set on suiting up and tackling characters of the supervillain variety, and he has been playing close attention to the world of Spider-Man.
It’s clear, then, that a fresh, diverse face for the Spider-Man franchise is a hot topic that should be seriously considered. And what better way to achieve a unique story than by taking Miles’ journey to the next level. Your move, Marvel!
