There hasn’t been a superhero movie quite like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse since, well, ever. A creative, unique animation that will no doubt inspire and compel audiences around the world – and so naturally we were rather thrilled when we had the chance to meet its leading star, Miles Morales himself, Shameik Moore. We also spoke to two of the best writers/producers in the business, in the form of Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
With Moore, we asked how he came to be involved, and just fondly he’ll look back over his breakthrough role in Dope. He also speaks about entering into the comic-book world and how his knowledge was prior to signing up to this project. He goes on to talk about the importance in having black superheroes and seeing himself represented on screen. Naturally, we couldn’t help but ask about a potential Spidey crossover and the potential in bringing Miles to life in a live action endeavour, before we speak about his role in Cut Throat City with RZA, and when he felt he wanted to be a performer.
With Lord and Miller we speak about their roles in the production, and how blown away they were when they saw their story brought to life by a team of quite remarkable animators. They also touch upon the theme of diversity in the superhero genre, and just how much they owe to both Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the two creators of Spider-Man, who have both sadly passed away in recent months.
We then ask them what the secret is to getting the tone right between comedy and action, and how they achieve that perfect balance whereby they’re funny and self-deprecating, without ever compromising on the stakes. Finally, and of course, we ended on Nicolas Cage, who plays Spider-Man Noir, and how thrilled they both were to have convinced him to sign up to this indelible piece of cinema.
Synopsis
Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realises that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is released on December 12th
