When it comes to the modern comic book genre conversation, there’s no pair of films as beloved as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This animated franchise has opened up the famous web-head to an endless number of possibilities. Last year’s Across the Spider-Verse took the multiverse concept even further, introducing the massive Spider-Society. However, the Spider-Man variant that really made the audience’s jaw drop is Miles G. Morales, who was a part of the second Spider-Verse film’s cliffhanger ending. Now the villainous Miles’ voice actor Jharrel Jerome has spoken about what it means to be a part of the Spider-Man franchise.

While talking with Collider’s Steven Weintraub at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for his new film, Unstoppable, Jerome was asked what it was like being a part of Spider-Verse and what it meant to him to be in a franchise that has been so beloved. “It’s [been] a dream since I was a child to just be a part of that world in any way. Miles Morales is a specific, character as a Dominican from New York, that I’ve always dreamed of embodying and portraying.” He would continue on saying:

“So just to even play the voice in the world that they’re creating is so incredible because what it’s doing for my people and our people back in New York — Dominicans, Puerto Ricans — it’s really shifting the culture for us in the mainstream in terms of animation and the superhero genre. For me to be a part of it is an honor.”

The actor would finish by praising the franchise stating:

“Yeah, they’re also just kickass films. Also, some people are like, ‘My son loves you’, or, ‘My daughter loves you.’ Most of the stuff I’ve done has been very sad and for adults, and so it’s cool to kind of expand the fan base a bit and have kids like, ‘Oh my god, I love you!’ Even though they lying because they didn’t see my face.”

The ‘Spider-Verse’ Web Slings On

In the last half-decade, the Spider-Verse films have been some of the most creative, visually stunning, and character-rich adventures of the animated genre. Across the Spider-Verse was celebrated as one of the best films of 2023 because of its animated flare and epic scale, but also because Miles Morales aka Spider-Man’s hero’s journey remained the North Star of its crazy multiverse shenanigans. In the second film, Miles was still learning how to balance being Spider-Man and a normal high school kid. However, the biggest revelation of the film was that the spider that bit him wasn’t meant for him, but for Miles G. Morales of Earth-42.

Miles wasn’t “meant” to become Spider-Man. That not only throws his entire sense of worth on its head, it also causes Miles G. Morales to take up the mantle of The Prowler in his universe. Where Spider-Verse left off, Miles was trapped on Earth-42, captured by his variant, and the first film’s team made up of Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, and Peter B. Parker set out to save him. Jerome was only in the Across the Spider-Verse for a short amount of time, but it’s going to be exciting to see where the franchise takes the character in its final chapter.

When Does ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Release?

Beyond the Spider-Verse was originally set to release earlier this year, but those plans were changed after Across the Spider-Verse was released last year. Beyond the Spider-Verse doesn’t have a new release date yet. However, while Marvel fans wait for more web-tastic updates, you can stream Into the Spider-Verse on Hulu and Across the Spider-Verse on Netflix.

Stay tuned for more from TIFF at Collider. Special thanks to this year’s partners of the Cinema Center x Collider Studio at TIFF 2024 including presenting Sponsor Range Rover Sport as well as supporting sponsors Peoples Group financial services, poppi soda, Don Julio Tequila, Legend Water and our venue host partner Marbl Toronto. And also Roxstar Entertainment, our event producing partner and Photagonist Canada for the photo and video services.

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