1
Credit: Inside the Magic Spider-Man has occupied a cherished spot in the hearts of comic book fans for many years. The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man as a character embodies the lively streets of New York City, where he battles against supervillains while managing the intricacies of his personal life, family, and friendships. This immensely adored character from Marvel Comics has not only been adapted to the big screen once or twice, but has made triumphant appearances on three separate occasions in recent times.
Related: Fans Find ‘She-Hulk’ Emmy Campaign Absolutely Hilarious
Through a fortunate agreement between Sony, the rights holder of the “Spider-Man” films, and The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios, a momentous occasion transpired in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). This movie marked a significant milestone as it brought together different iterations of Spider-Man/Peter Parker portrayed by Tobey Maguire (from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films), Andrew Garfield (from The Amazing Spider-Man franchise), and Tom Holland (depicted as a young Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). This thrilling crossover unfolded within the Multiverse Saga storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), delighting both Marvel enthusiasts and movie-goers alike with exhilarating Spidey action amidst the convergence of multiple universes.
Now, it’s time for another fan favorite Spider-Man, Miles Morales, to shine.
There’s room for more Spider-People
In recent years, the Spider-Verse under Sony Pictures Entertainment has experienced truly remarkable popularity, beginning with the groundbreaking release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. In this film, Shameik Moore takes on the role of Miles Morales, also known as Spider-Man, whose original universe’s Peter Parker (portrayed by Chris Pine) tragically meets his end at the hands of Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (played by Liev Schreiber).
As Miles embarks on a journey involving a conspiracy linked to his uncle Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali), who transforms into the villainous Prowler, he teams up with various Spider-People from different dimensions. Among them is Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man, and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Woman, who also portrays Kate Bishop in the MCU. These actors will reprise their roles in the recently debuted film, Across the Spider-Verse, which released on June 2, 2023. Joining the cast are Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, who assumes the mantle of Spider-Man 2099, Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, also known as Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart “Hobie” Brown, aka Spider-Punk, Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ohnn, known as the Spot, and Brian Tyree Henry and Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales, who portray Miles’ father and mother, respectively.
Related: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s Marketing in China Accused of Racism
With popular franchises like these and the lucrative Disney-Sony deal, it seems like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is going to keep growing, with more than enough room for multiple Spider-People. In fact, there’s so much room for alternate Spideys, that on top of the animated version of Miles from the Spider-Verse films, a live-action variant of Miles will come to the big screen.
Who is the MCU’s live-action Miles Morales?
Although there’s no official Marvel word (when is there, ever?) it seems as though there might already be a shoo-in for the role of Miles Morales — and the actor’s name? Miles.
The New Rockstars over on Twitter came forward with a juicy potential casting:
Have we found our Live Action #MilesMorales? 👀
“I’m Afro-Latino, my name is Miles. I fit the age perfectly, fit the height, right? You know, so tell #Marvel to hit me up, man.”
-Miles Brown pic.twitter.com/3CFyrgUrJD— New Rockstars (@NewRockstars) June 5, 2023
Who is this “real life Miles”? The young man posing next to MCU Spider-Man Tom Holland is in fact Afro-Latino actor Miles Brown, who played the young Jack Johnson on ABC’s Black-ish (2014-2022).
Of course, many chimed in about this seemingly perfect casting choice — with fans like Theta agreeing that the actor looks like both Aaron Davis portrayed by Donald Glover in the MCU, plus the Spider-Verse animated Miles:
I mean, Yea actually. He also Looks like A mix Between Live Action Aaron Davis in the MCU (Hair Style and Stache) And the Recent Animated Miles (Hairstyle)
— Theta (@Theta95061265) June 5, 2023
Meanwhile, the other growing sentiment is the fact that Miles Brown is simply not Puerto Rican, as he famously is in other media. @zanXdo speaks about how they were disappointed in the “America Chavez casting” swap, and hopes that this won’t be a repeat of last time:
He’s NOT Puerto Rican. They already swapped America Chavez to be Mexican, which we all let pass I guess, but honestly I’d be officially done supporting marvel for good if they can’t be bothered to get any real Puerto Rican actors or acknowledge Puerto Rican culture
— zando (@zanXdo) June 5, 2023
Overall, it appears that opinions are mixed — but it can’t be denied that Marvel Studios have some pretty strong contenders for the role of Miles Morales when the time comes.
What do you think about this potential Miles Morales casting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Guided by the leadership of President Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios has diligently cultivated the immensely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, resulting in the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment by The Walt Disney Company for a staggering $4 billion. A pivotal moment in this journey was the introduction of the iconic character Tony Stark, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., in the blockbuster film Iron Man released in 2008. The release of The Avengers in 2012 solidified the original six Avengers as modern legends. However, the epic narrative known as the Infinity Saga reached its conclusion in Phase Three with the unforgettable films Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), masterfully directed by the esteemed Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo.