WARNING: Spoilers for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse's ending is the beginning of a bright new chapter for Spider-Man movies. While it may be Spider-Man’s first ever animated movie, it looks set to become one of his most beloved adventures. Critics and fans have lavished praise upon Into the Spider-Verse for its stunning variety of animation techniques - and it’s heartfelt treatment of its iconic characters.
Into the Spider-Verse introduces Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), one of Marvel’s many Spider-People, who was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli in 2011. The Afro-Latino son of a police officer (Brian Tyree Henry) and a nurse (Lauren Vélez), Miles inhabits a world where Spider-Man has existed for years. But when Kingpin’s (Liev Schreiber) experiments with inter-dimensional travel, Miles is confronted with various Spider-People, including an alternate Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). As Miles struggles with his newfound friends and powers, they must all work together to return to their respective dimensions and save the multiverse at large.
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With its frenetic action sequences, fast-talking superheroes and its usage of mind-boggling quantum theory, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse tells a rich and satisfying story that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before in a superhero movie. Certainly, there’s a lot to unpack within Into the Spider-Verse. Not only does the movie contain many shocking twists and turns, the film has single-handedly laid the groundwork for a new animated, Spider-themed franchise to thrive.
By the end of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles has discovered his uncle is the Prowler, defeated nemesis Kingpin, and all the heroes are returned to their worlds. But, fitting of a movie this ambitious, things aren't quite that simple...
- This Page: What Happens To All The Spider-People?
- Page 2: What's Next For The Spider-Verse?
What Happens To All Of The Spider-People?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees the cinematic debut of not just Miles Morales, but also Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, Peni Parker and her biomechanical suit, SP//dr. Eventually, Miles saves the others' lives and sends them back to their universes. Despite the fact that some of the Spider-team receive little screen time, they are all changed by their experiences in Miles’ world, and a montage shows them re-adapting to their realities.
Indeed, Peni – who co-pilots SP//dr alongside a radioactive spider – is horror-struck when the Scorpion (Joaquín Cosio) destroys her robotic armor during the climactic battle. Thankfully, the organic spider survives the attack. As such, when the film revisits Peni’s world, we see her hard at work on another mechanical vessel for them to use.
Spider-Man Noir is also seen learning from his time abroad in the multiverse. Hailing from a monochromatic reality, Noir is entranced when he stumbles across a Rubik’s cube, and remains confused by its colors and its overall purpose. Upon leaving Miles’ universe, Noir humorously vows to understand it. At the movie's end, Noir can be seen celebrating his completion of the puzzle to his color blind audience at a World's Fair.
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Spider-Gwen is seen smiling fondly at a photo of her and Miles. Earlier in the film, Gwen had admitted that she shunned friends and family because of her superhero career. This shot clearly signifies that, thanks to the bond that she developed with Miles, she is leaving her isolationist lifestyle behind. This lines up with the comics, where Gwen and Miles are currently in a relationship.
And in a change from his usual bad luck, Peter B. Parker gets the happy ending that Spider-Man rarely receives. This version of Peter had become a disheartened hero; his career and his finances in tatters, Peter had divorced Mary Jane when she had desired children and subsequently let himself go. Inspired by Miles’ growth and determination, Peter is shown with a bouquet of flowers in hand, reconnecting with his ex-wife and seemingly ready to commit himself to fatherhood.
Miles Morales Becomes The New Spider-Man
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse might portray an ensemble of Spider-People coming together, yet it is very much Miles Morales’ origin story. Miles is not on the same level of awkward nerdiness as Peter Parker, but he still retains that shunned outsider status. He's constantly pushed by his father to excel, but he's unsure about where his own talents lie, and what his future will be. This is perfectly demonstrated by the fact that, when he first acquires his powers, Miles can only control them sporadically; this makes for great entertainment on our part, but torment for him. In this way, the film serves as Miles' coming of age story, where he learns to trust in own his instincts and emotions.
Indeed, like Peter Parker before him, Miles is taught that familiar adage of great power and responsibility in a painful way - although he soon understands that the hardships that he faces are not ones that he must go through alone. Through Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir and Peter B. Parker, Miles finds kindred, lonely spirits, who possess their own unique outlooks and abilities. The disheveled Peter B. Parker laments his own failings, and the fact that the Peter of Miles' universe was unlike him, because he was "perfect."
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Aside from their relationship to Miles, Into the Spider-Verse explores how utterly important all of the Spider-People are nevertheless. They are not prohibited from being heroes – or attaining greatness – because they aren't that one and only Peter Parker. Aside from a spider-bite, they can all wear the mask, grow and change, and be empowered by the legend of Spider-Man. After all, Spidey is the everyman that is there for everyone.
It's a thoroughly metatextual way of investigating Spider-Man, but it proves to be the catalyst for Miles' transformation. Though he suffers the loss of his Uncle Aaron, Miles finds comfort and direction in the Spider-community. Thanks to his access to the mythology of Spider-Man, Miles accomplishes greatness when he rescues his friends and puts paid to Kingpin's schemes, saving the entire multiverse in the process. By the movie's end, Miles may still have a lot to learn (he's still perfecting his wall-crawling and web-slinging after he defeats Fisk) but as the credits roll, the empowered Miles Morales has accepted his new identity – and his destiny – as the Spider-Man of his reality.
Page 2 of 2: What's Next For The Spider-Verse?
The Spider-Verse Might Not Be Back To Normal
Into the Spider-Verse ended with Kingpin’s collider destroyed and every Spider-Person back in their reality, but there is evidence to suggest that everything is not as it should be in the multiverse. In the film’s closing moments, the audience reconnects with Miles, who is lying in bed listening to music. As he relaxes, inter-dimensional energy slowly appears above him, and Gwen’s voice can be heard calling to him. Miles is shown to watch something out of view, smiling contentedly.
Given that the walls between dimensions were meant to have closed when the particle accelerator exploded, it’s certainly strange to see a random doorway opening like this. Of course, Gwen may be the cause of the rupture, having found a way to communicate with Miles; in the comics, they frequently open portals between their realities to speak and see each other when they begin dating. But if Gwen did not cause it, the root of this dimensional breach remains a mystery. This is where post-credits scene comes in.
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Spider-Man 2099 Reveals There's A Bigger Spider-Verse Problem
Out of all the many Spider-references scattered throughout Into the Spider-Verse, none is more exciting than its post-credit teaser. It begins with a lady’s voice explaining the film’s story to an unseen man, with computer graphics displaying many of its key moments. The origin of this voice is soon revealed to be a hologram many comic book readers will recognize as Lyla (Greta Lee) – the AI companion of Spider-Man 2099, who is making his big screen debut here.
Voiced by Oscar Isaac, Miguel O’Hara is one of the most popular alternate versions of Spider-Man. Created in the early 1990s by Peter David and artist Rick Leonardi, this Latino hero inhabits a dystopian, Blade Runner-esque New York (called Nueva York) in the far future. Filled with oppressive mega corporations and sinister schemes, Spider-Man 2099 is one of the only heroes still operating in this bleak landscape. In terms of his strength and speed, Miguel is fairly similar to Peter Parker. However, whilst Miguel does not have a Spider-sense, he gained enhanced sight and night vision, and talons on his fingers and toes. He can also produce poisonous venom and his own brand of organic webbing (not that there’s much opportunity to showcase these here).
Into the Spider-Verse's brief stinger sees the costumed O’Hara preparing to test a new piece of equipment, which transports him to a new reality: the Spider-Man cartoon of the 1960s. In meme-baiting fashion, Miguel arrives in the middle of the "Double Identity" episode, where Spider-Man is in the middle of apprehending a criminal that has been impersonating him. The two heroes start a heated argument, recreating the infamous pointing moment that serves as the “double Spider-Man” meme today. It’s a hilarious reference to Spider-Man’s place in popular culture, but it’s also a sneaky piece of foreshadowing.
Read More: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's After-Credits Scene Explained
The Spider-Man 2099 credits scene may also provide some clues to why the multiverse has splintered again. It's implied that Miguel has been keeping watch on the multiverse for some time, aware of an impending threat; when he meets the cartoon Spider-Man, Miguel asks his doppelganger to come with him (until the quarreling begins, that is). Miles and his friends only succeeded at the end of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse because they worked together. Thus, Spider-Man 2099 may be facing a problem of such magnitude that he must also require help.
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There are already two more movies in the animated Spider-Man series in the works - a direct sequel, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, and a Spider-Women spinoff - meaning that reality will have to splinter again. Thankfully, Into the Spider-Verse has shown just how fun that can be.
