Miles Morales

Miles Morales
Animated Spider-Verse character
First appearance	Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Based on	Miles Morales by Brian Michael Bendis Sara Pichelli
Adapted by	Phil Lord Rodney Rothman
Voiced by	Shameik Moore
Information
Alias	Spider-Man
Species	Human mutate
Occupation	Student Vigilante
Affiliation	Visions Academy Spider-Gang Spider-Society
Weapon	Web shooters
Family	Rio Morales (mother) Jefferson Davis (father)
Relatives	Aaron Davis (uncle)
Origin	New York City, Brooklyn
Nationality	American

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Miles Morales is a fictional character voiced by Shameik Moore in the animated Spider-Verse film franchise produced by Sony Pictures Animation, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, more commonly known by his alias, Spider-Man. In the films, he is a 13-year old Afro-Latino transfer student at the prestigious Visions Academy private school, who is accidentally bitten by a genetically altered spider from the Alchemax Corporation, giving him superhuman abilities similar to that of his city's protector, Spider-Man. When he witnesses Spider-Man's unmasking as Peter Parker and subsequent murder at the hands of the nefarious crime lord Wilson Fisk, he is inspired to carry his mantle and embrace his role as Parker's successor, eventually being mentored by an alternate version of Parker from another reality within the Spider-Verse. He confronts and defeats Fisk with the help of an assemblage of Spider-People from across different realities, and discovering his individuality among them.

Debuting in the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), this incarnation of Morales received praise among critics and audiences alongside the film's critical and commercial success as well as Morales's Puerto Ricoan and African-American background. Moore reprised the role in Across the Spider-Verse and will do so again in Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Fictional character biography

Background

Miles Morales, a boy of African American and Latino descent, is born to PDNY officer Jefferson Davis and nurse Rio Morales. He frequently visits and ultimately bonds with his uncle Aaron Davis.

Becoming Spider-Man

Miles is driven to the private school Visions Academy by Davis and struggles to fit in. He and his uncle Aaron draw graffiti art and the former is bitten by a genetically-modified spider. The next day at Visions, Miles realizes the spider granted him abilities similar to Spider-Man, and that night, sees the latter fight the Green Goblin and the Prowler next to a collider. After incapacitating Goblin, Spider-Man swings by to save Miles, realizes the latter is like him, and tells him he will teach him "the ropes" of being Spider-Man. Goblin shoves Spider-Man to the collider as it activates; multiple dimensions in the multiverse start to merge, causing five Spider-People to arrive in Miles' dimension. Spider-Man gives Miles a thumb drive to disable the collider, but is ultimately killed by Kingpin in front of Miles. As New York City mourns Spider-Man's death, Miles begins testing his powers but accidentally breaks the thumb drive. At Spider-Man's grave, Miles encounters Peter B. Parker–a disheveled version from an alternate dimension who has been Spider-Man for 22 years–and Peter agrees to be his mentor.

They break into Alchemax but Kingpin, Dr. Olivia Octavius / Doctor Octopus, and Tombstone are informed of their presence. Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman–who is from an alternate dimension and previously encountered Miles at Visions–defeats Octavius and the trio visit Aunt May's basement to repair the drive. There, they meet three more Spider-People from alternate dimensions: Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir–a monochromatic Spider-Man who lives in the year 1933, Peni Parker / Sp//dr–a young girl from New York in the year 3145, and Peter Porker / Spider-Ham, a spider who was bitten by a radioactive pig. After Miles proves he is not ready to become Spider-Man and Aaron is revealed as Prowler shortly before being shot by Kingpin, Parker reluctantly webs him up to his chair.

After a pep-talk by Davis, Miles takes a "leap of faith" in his sprayed-over black-and-red Spider-Man suit, and becomes Spider-Man to honor his dimension's Peter's legacy. He helps the five Spider-People defeat Kingpin's henchmen and Miles proves he is Spider-Man and shuts down Kingpin's collider from merging the six dimensions together. Gwen, Peter, Noir, Peni, and Spider-Ham return to their respective dimensions and Miles confronts Kingpin. Miles electrocutes him and leaves the police to arrest him as the one responsible for Peter Parker's death. Miles is celebrated as the new Spider-Man and as he swings, notes that anyone can wear the mask.

Journeying the Spider-Verse

A year later, Miles encounters Johnathon Ohnn / The Spot, who challenges Miles to combat as his actions have unintentionally caused Ohnn to become deformed and gain new superpowers. However, Miles laughs him off while rounding him up. Gwen finds a way to contact Miles from her dimension and reconnects with him.

Concept and characterization

Background

The concept of an African-American iteration of the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man was discussed before the November 2008 election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States (POTUS). Axel Alonso, then-editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, described the catalyst as "we realized we were standing at the brink of America electing its first African-American president and we acknowledged that, when planning Ultimatum, maybe it was time to take a good look at one of our icons". This Spider-Man would only be intended to appear in publications for the Ultimate Marvel imprint (2000-2015), replacing that universe's existing Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Early consideration was made towards introducing Parker's successor as part of the event storyline "Ultimatum", but those ideas were abandoned due to the character's story having not yet been fully developed.

In 2011, Marvel's editorial staff decided that the Ultimate universe's Parker would die in the "Death of Spider-Man" storyline, conceiving the character of Miles Morales, marking as the second time a Latino character has taken the Spider-Man identity, after Miguel O'Hara in the Marvel 2099 imprint. Morales first appeared in Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011) by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli.

Following a second solo series under Ultimate Marvel, Marvel Comics culminated its ongoing narratives in the event storyline Secret Wars (2015), acting as a spiritual continuation of the 1984-85 storyline of the same name written by Jim Shooter. The story would feature the simultaneous collision and destruction of both the mainstream Marvel Universe, otherwise known as "Earth-616", and the Ultimate universe, known as "Earth-1610". While Miles in the narrative would escape their collision by infiltrating and boarding a spaceship designed by the Cabal, he and his acquaintances would find themselves placed on Battleworld, a planet constructed with the remains of destroyed alternate Earths that would come to be ruled by the self-appointed God Emperor, Doctor Doom. The storyline would conclude with a newly nourished Molecule Man thanking Miles for his selflessness by restoring Earth-616, while transporting and subplanting Miles with all his friends, family and associates in the new timeline, including the resurrection of his mother Rio Morales, previously killed in the Ultimate timeline by Conrad Marcus. Morales would thereby receive further solo series upon the character's integration into the mainstream continuity, including a run in 2015 by the original creative team of Bendis and Pichelli, and an ongoing series starting in 2018 penned by Saladin Ahmed with art by Javier Garron.

Adaptation

Amidst the 2014 hacking of Sony's computers, leaked emails between now former co-chairman of Sony Pictures, Amy Pascal and president Doug Belgrad, revealed plans for the production studio to "rejuvenate" the Spider-Man film franchise by developing an animated comedy film with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who had previously collaborated with them on the Sony Pictures Animation productions Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and its sequel (2013), in addition to the live-action comedy films 21 Jump Street (2012) and 22 Jump Street (2014). While still in the position of co-chairman, Pascal had approached Lord & Miller regarding the prospect of making an animated Spider-Man movie, to which the duo agreed on the condition that they would be allowed to adapt the comic book storyline "Spider-Verse" (2014) written by Dan Slott, and on the condition that they could make the Miles Morales iteration of Spider-Man the film's main protagonist. The script would be written by Phil Lord in collaboration with Rodney Rothman, after having previously co-penned the screenplay for 22 Jump Street. Rothman would also be added as a co-director of the film alongside Bob Perschietti and Peter Ramsey.

At the time, as the film was following six theatrically released live-action films based on Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Lord & Miller and the rest of the team felt that the shift towards focusing on Miles as the protagonist as opposed to Peter Parker would help distinguish it from previous cinematic incarnations, as the character had not yet appeared in a film. Brian Michael Bendis, the co-creator of Miles Morales, served as a consultant on his adaptation to film.

Characterization

Miles is introduced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) as an Afro-Latino teenager with considerable intellect, as evidenced by his placement in the prestigious Visions Academy prior to the events of the film. However, he struggles to fit in due to his informal and expressive personality being contrasted with the general conformity present at the institute. During his period of indecisiveness, he finds himself confiding in his uncle Aaron Davis, who encourages him to embrace his individuality in his personal life where he is unable to as a school student, often indulging in Miles' shared pastime as a graffiti artist. His laxed behaviour around his uncle is contrasted with his closed-off and passive relationship with his father, Jefferson Davis, a straight-laced cop for the New York City Police Department (NYPD) who has trouble connecting with him despite his best efforts.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, producers of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), described the character as unique among Spider-Men because of his Brooklyn upbringing, his Puerto Rican and African-American background, and the fact that his family is still alive, with that family dynamic being central to the film's story.

In other media

Film

• Miles and Aaron Davis' subway graffiti art from Into the Spider-Verse is featured as a background easter egg in the Disney+ film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022), a reference which was later acknowledged officially by the film's co-producer Phil Lord.

Video games

• Morales' final costume from Into the Spider-Verse is an unlockable suit in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) developed by Insomniac Games. The game's developers worked in close partnership with Sony Pictures Animation and art director Justin K. Thompson in ensuring the suit's appearance in the game remained visually faithful to the film, including retaining its unique framerate when Morales is in motion, and implementing the pop-up effects for punches and kicks while engaged in combat.

External links

• Miles Morales (Earth-TRN700) on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki

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