Entertainment
The Greatest Superhero Movie of All Time Is Now Dominating on Netflix
Marvel’s supremacy over cinema has been long-standing, but there is only one film that has elevated the superhero genre above everything else. In 2018, Marvel Studios released Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The animated feature was separate from Tom Holland’s MCU portrayal but didn’t invalidate it. Instead, it was the first cinematic depiction of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), another hero by the name of Spider-Man.
Just like the beloved Peter Parker, Miles also gets bitten by a spider, gaining similar spider-adjacent powers. The film was lauded for its breathtaking animation and for delivering long-awaited characters who appeared in the Into the Spider-Verse comic by Dan Slott. It accepted the challenge with grace and delivered one of the best superhero experiences of all time. This has been proven time and time again as fans flock to the movie’s new streaming home on Netflix.
‘Into the Spider-Verse’ Captures Everything Fans Love About Spider-Man
Especially in the golden age of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there is nothing fans love more than Spider-Man. The recent MCU venture demonstrates what makes Peter Parker a true hero. He is selfless, empathetic, and genuinely believes in what is right, despite life continuing to kick him in the teeth.
Eight years before that, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse communicated these same themes with the origin story of Miles Morales. After he is bitten by the spider, he witnesses the death of his universe’s Peter Parker, voiced briefly by the scene-stealing Chris Pine. This leads him down the rabbit hole of the multiverse, where he encounters multiple spider-people. Miles attempts to take on the mantle of Spider-Man, while teaming up with another Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) from another universe, who is grappling with his own destiny.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse does the character of Miles justice by delivering an emotionally resonant film that is specific to who he is as a character. His identity is formed by his mixed heritage, as well as his experience growing up in Brooklyn. He is not a carbon copy of Peter from Queens, but his own entity with his own struggles.
The movie conveys this with specific musical choices that separate it from any other Spider-Man feature. The animation is perhaps the most notable aspect of the film, which puts it on par with any live-action story. In fact, Into the Spider-Verse is genre-defying as it refuses to fit into any box. The visual style captures comic-specific stories in a way that the live-action iterations cannot. Quite literally, a comic book movie, Into the Spider-Verse proves that superhero movies can be art.
On a more personal level, Spider-Verse redeemed the traumatic event of Gwen Stacy’s death by paying homage to her comic destiny as Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), as she is colloquially known. Like Miles, she has her own emotional story, refusing just to be a romantic interest. Into the Spider-Verse has all the heart, humor, and narrative payoffs of Spider-Man comics when they’re at their best.
No live-action superhero movie could compete with this Spider-story, though many have tried. Even its own sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, was held to a certain standard, but paled in comparison to the emotional and thematic highs that the first story delivered. Into the Spider-Verse harnesses everything that is perfect about Spider-Man and delivers it straight to audiences.
- Release Date
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December 14, 2018
- Runtime
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117 minutes
- Sequel(s)
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Don’t Use), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
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