A new Spider-Man is coming to theaters, and for the first time, his name isn’t Peter Parker.
You may recall that Sony Pictures abandoned their rebooted Amazing Spider-Man movies and announced a deal with Marvel Studios that would allow the character, who had long been unable to participate in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to appear alongside the Avengers. But although Marvel has rebooted the Peter Parker version of the superhero, again, with actor Tom Holland (whose first solo film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, is due in theaters this summer), Sony still planned to release their own animated feature starring the beloved comic book character.
But until today, details about that project were being kept under wraps. Now we can confirm that Miles Morales, a character of black and latino descent, will headline the animated Spider-Man film. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie) are writing and producing the movie, with Bob Perischetti (The Little Prince) and Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians) co-directing.
Coming Soon described the film’s animation style, previewed for select press today, as follows:
“Although the animation is far from finished, it appears that film will employ a unique style that combines classic comic book illustrations with CGI. During the action sequences, frames flash from CGI to having textures straight out of a comic book page.”
Miles Morales, the teenager who took over the role of Spider-Man in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 in 2011, has developed a large following amongst fans of the comic book series. The character is said to have been partially inspired by actor Donald Glover, who campaigned to play Spider-Man in the most recent live-action reboot, and would go on to voice Miles Morales in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series.
It remains to be seen whether this animated movie will have any continuity with the Marvel movies, or whether it will be wholly separate from the interconnected world of the MCU.
Top Photo: Marvel Comics
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
