Peter Parker is the most famous Spider-Man, but he’s not the only web-slinger around. Sony’s upcoming animated movie about the hero, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, instead focuses on Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teenager who gained the same powers as Peter Parker and went on to be one of Marvel Comics’ most beloved new characters in recent memory. But, even though he’s the star of the new movie, Peter Parker makes an appearance. He also probably dies first.
Confused? Here’s what’s up.
Collider reported on Monday that producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller spoke about the recently announced Into the Spider-Verse at Brazil’s Comic-Con Experience, and they shed some light on what we can expect from the film’s two Spider-Men. According to the site, Peter acts as a middle-aged mentor to Miles, as the Lord and Miller were excited to let the typically young hero (see Spider-Man: Homecoming for example) be the adult in the room for once.
It’s probably not the same Peter Parker, is all. See, in the trailer, there are shots of Peter Parker’s grave, which would make sense — in the Marvel Comics universe Miles originated in, the original Spider-Man died before Miles obtained the Spidey powers.
There’s also a shot of Miles talking to a figure who is almost certainly an older Peter Parker and asking “Wait…so how many of us are there?”
The official press release that came with the trailer explains things:
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) falls through an alternate-universe New York City in Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Presumably, Peter Parker is dead in Miles’s home universe (the Ultimate Universe) in the comics, but Peter — and other web-slingers — are alive in this different New York he somehow travels to. It wouldn’t be too dissimilar from the comics. Even though the primary Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe are separate, Miles and the main Marvel universe’s Peter crossed paths in a crossover event, and now Miles is a full-time resident of the main continuity following that major event comic in 2015 that saw the destruction of the Ultimate Universe. (Comics! They’re complicated!)
So, yes, Peter’s probably already dead in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Luckily, an alternate universe version of him is alive, older, and presumably wiser. And he seems to be here to help a very confused Miles out.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will hit theaters on December 21st, 2018.
