Miles Morales will be Spider-Man in Sony’s upcoming animated film

It’s a given that when people hear the name Spider-Man, their minds immediately associate the character's heroic and quiptastic antics with that of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Peter Parker. However, comic book continuity is a continuously revolving door when it comes to who wears a costume and when. Traditionally speaking, Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Though in recent times, after being bitten by a different genetically-engineered spider, a young man by the name of Miles Morales has been making the scene as Marvel’s (once Ultimate, but now proper) friendly neighborhood wall-crawler.

Today, Sony Pictures Animation has announced an UNTITLED SPIDER-MAN ANIMATION project! That’s right, true believers, a proper Miles Morales film is in the works! Here, check out the official press release below and start getting excited:

From Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, the geniuses behind THE LEGO MOVIE, comes an animated SPIDER-MAN feature starring Miles Morales. 

The feature is directed by Bob Persichetti (head of story on PUSS IN BOOTS and THE LITTLE PRINCE) and Peter Ramsey (RISE OF THE GUARDIANS). The film is written by Phil Lord. Avi Arad (IRON MAN, SPIDER-MAN), Amy Pascal (SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING), Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Untitled HAN SOLO Movie) are executive producing; Christina Steinberg (TROLLHUNTERS) is producing.“

Created by Brian Michael Bendis and the insanely talented artist, Sara Pichelli, Miles Morales made his debut in the Marvel comic book Ultimate Fallout #4. Drawing inspiration from both former U.S. President Barack Obama and actor Donald Glover, Miles is of half black and latino descent. As a former member of The Ultimates, Miles is currently web-swinging his way through New York City as Spider-Man – meanwhile, Peter Parker continues his work at Parker Industries in addition to moonlighting as a hero under the name The Amazing Spider-Man (currently written by Dan Slott).

In his time as Marvel’s black-suited web-head, Miles has gone toe-to-toe with Venom, fallen in love with a child of Hydra, and has been hunted by The Avengers after being suspected of killing Captain America in Marvel’s latest comic book event Civil War II.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of Miles, and have been reading his series since Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 hit shelves back in 2014. For me, I think his character adds a lot to the Marvel Universe, and not just in terms of diversity. Miles is pure of heart, but he’s also a young man who’s often conflicted by the pressures of being a superhero. Because of this, there’s lots of drama in his life, which only adds to his complexity and the richness of story that comes with him finding his own way in a world of legendary heroes, gods, and monsters.

Sony’s UNTITLED ANIMATED SPIDER-MAN is expected to thwip its way onto screen beginning on December 21, 2018. In the meantime, you can catch Tom Halland as Peter Parker’s Spider-Man when SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING swings into theaters on July 7, 2017.

Source: Sony Pictures Animation

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.