In The Spider-Verse 'Not Just for Marvel Super-fans, according to the cast

In the Marvel cinematic universe, there's a current Spider-Man: Peter Parker, the Queens version for teens that you probably know best, played by Tom Holland. But he is about to have serious competition. In December, the feature film Spider-Man: in the Spider-Verse will hit the theaters, its multiverse plot bringing several iterations of the masked hero on the same plane. The trailers have given comic book lovers a lot of Easter eggs referencing different Spideys and their bows to dissect, but what about the potential audience that's not as immersed in the source material? Behind the scenes of the New York Comic-Con movie board, the cast and directors tell me that this movie will not be a way to keep new fans.

"I think it's the biggest challenge we've had," said co-director Bob Persichetti, adding that it was easier to assemble the film with attractive references for them. longtime fans. "How can we get a general audience to want to see something that looks and feels different from what they are used to?"

Visually, the movie is designed to look like a comic book. And although the 35 minutes that the NYCC audience could have glimpsed and For adults, it is always difficult to become an adult with superficial knowledge to marvel at an animated superhero. As for the creative team, African-Puerto Rican teenager Miles Morales and his family. While many other Spideys – including Spider-Gwen of Hailee Steinfeld and Spider-Ham of John Mulaney – introduce themselves, In the Spider-Verse is the original story of one in particular. Looking at it removing the mask will mean a lot, they are waiting, for those who see themselves in it.

"The representation that this film will give goes far beyond what we even think," says Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry, who plays father Jefferson of Miles. "I'm really happy to be part of this, to be part of something so revolutionary, if I dare say so." Henry also explained how happy he was to play a black father in a loving and devoted family, while marveling at the rarity of this kind of character.

The actor playing the role of Miles' mother, Rio, Luna Lauren Velez, was not a Spider-Man geek when she took the role. She too was struck by the film's broader themes, including the universality of heroic potential. In the Spider-Verse said that we are all capable of intensifying our efforts and that "it's really an important thing that will affect the young, the older, the different ethnicities," she says.

For Jake Johnson, who represents Peter Parker, his former past, it is the act of honoring the past while turning to the future that makes the film accessible to all. "I think if you just got back to school and you just had to go from Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen … you'd miss a key ingredient," he says. "Many of us have grown up with Peter and many of us love him, so even if it's welcoming in the news, it pays homage to the old man."

So, even though it may be intimidating to read through lists of all the obscure Spider-Man references that you did not even know are to be found in the movie trailer, the idea does not make any sense. was not that this movie only addresses to people who can select them. At the NYCC, we learned a lot of heart in the first half hour and we focused on the character, not just mythology.

"I think we're going to reach the whole audience," said Shamier Anderson, who plays Miles. "Everyone should be able to watch this movie, basically."

Nevertheless, superhero fatigue is an obstacle for this series and any cartoon film. We are inundated with this type of content, even if In the Spider-Verse stands out for its format and history. Henry has an idea of ​​why we simply can not give up these stories of ordinary people who are becoming extraordinary.

"We must have the feeling that someone defends our interests, those we do not hear." This gives us the impression of being overlooked or those who have the impression of To be in places where no one represses us, "he says. "We need a win, I think everybody needs an immediate win, and I think Spider-Man gives it to us."