Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Quick Take
Yes, more low-stakes superhero movies! Please!
The premise of each one absolutely does not have to be that a nutso bad guy is trying to destroy the world or ruin/reset the universe. Without spoiling the movie, the plot of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is that Miles Morales (leading Spider-man of many here) is being hunted by Spot, a villain he apparently played a key role in transforming into a bumbling, angry criminal.
As Miles connects with Spider-Men from different universes, one thing unfortunately becomes clear: A close family member or friend of Spider-Man always dies. It’s canon, something of a key plot point that connects them all in a “I fight crime to avenge a lost one” kind of way. And there’s Miles sitting with both parents alive knowing that one of them is about to be clipped in order for him to go on and be as great as the universe has written. There’s so much more to Across the Spider-Verse, but that’s the high-level gist–will Miles be able to shake free of his Spider-mates who want fate to run its course and save his parents from Spot?
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a collaborative effort between Sony and Marvel, but I’m going to cross my fingers and hope that these types of plot lines are the ones Marvel will lean toward more, like they did with Guardians of the Galaxy V.3, which was more about the dynamics challenging the Guardians as a family unit than anything else. Let’s keep that going. It’d be like the Everything Everywhere All at Once-ification of the superhero blockbuster. I need heart as much as I need explosions with these things.
Spider-Verse’s story (its twists are smart, by the way) and much-heralded comics-meets-high art animation/design make this one of my favorite movies in recent memory. I totally understand how “Go bigger or go home” becomes the adopted mindset at a billionaire-dollar commercial enterprises like Disney and Marvel. After the Avengers snapped on Thanos in Endgame and saved Earth, conquering and fighting for the universe must have been the obvious next play . But nah, take it easy.
I still love seeing these guys worry locally—sorting themselves out of internal battles, fighting for their partners or family, and yeah, maybe their cities and countries. Leave breadcrumbs that set the table for a behemoth we all can’t wait to see in a few years: 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Until then, I’m all-in on lower stakes bangers like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.