The new trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse gave us a bit more insight into what is going on with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in the new movie. When we left Miles in Into the Spider-Verse, he thought he’d never see his friends that he made thanks to Fisk’s collider ever again, but by the end, we’d gotten a tease that Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) was back in his universe, coming to say hi, and she’s back with an important message in the sequel’s new trailer.
The first movie was a masterclass in how to tell a Spider-Man story that wasn’t fully centered around Peter Parker. It was our introduction to Miles Morales and his version of Spider-Man and really shared a love for Miles with the audience that has made him even more popular than he already was. And it has been fantastic to see how these characters have grown in the fandom of Spider-Man.
The movie brought some of our favorite heroes together in the same universe and made for the best Spider-Man movie to date—I said what I said. So, there is a lot riding on the sequels for the film, and for the most part, they still seem truthful to Miles, his journey, and where he stands with the other Spider-Mans.
But now that we’ve gotten more of an idea of what Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse entails in a new trailer, we’ve started to notice some little details about the movie that really make these characters so perfect—not that they weren’t before, but the details really do make these characters some of the best heroes around.
Gwen said “Protect trans kids”
We always knew that Gwen Stacy was a real one, but in the trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, we got to see how much she really actually rules. Just a quick look into Gwen’s life in her own universe gave us some insight into her as a person.
It does hurt to know that even in Gwen’s universe, the rights of the trans community are under attack, but of course, our girl is making her stance and support for the trans community clear. In the background of Gwen sitting in her room talking about how she can’t lose another friend, you can see a sign on her wall that says “protect trans kids” hanging above her window.
There are also lots of little nods throughout the trailer to where the characters stand in their causes. When Rio snaps at Miles for getting a B in Spanish, she does so as a Puerto Rican flag appears. In that same scene, you can see that Miles has a “Black Lives Matter” pin on his bag, as well.
They’re all little details that explore who each of our Spider-Man characters is and why we love them all. But another major thing the trailer also explores is Spider-Man’s history with loss.
Spider-Man knows loss
Now, Miles’ Uncle Aaron died in the first film, and it is, in a way, his Uncle Ben storyline. For Gwen, her “Uncle Ben” was her own Peter Parker, and all these Spider-Man characters have had their heroism tied to what they’ve been forced to lose because of it. But Miles doesn’t seem to want to accept that those he love might die because he is a hero.
And the trailer shows us a look into his fight against the reality of the other Spider-Mans and what he, as Miles, wants his story to be. As is always the case with anything Spider-Man related, I cried, but this trailer really highlights just how much we love these characters and why. The small details of Gwen’s “protect trans kids” flag and Miles’ BLM pin feed into what these heroes stand for, because anyone can wear the mask, but it is what you stand for as a hero that defines you.
And god, I cannot wait for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
(featured image: Sony Pictures)
