THE SPIDER WITHIN: Miles Morales Faces Anxiety in New SPIDER-VERSE Short

Avery Kaplan

The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story

On Monday, June 12, 2023, the Sony Pictures short “The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story” was revealed. The unveiling occurred at the Annecy International Film Festival and Market in France. Directed by Jarelle Dampier, it follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as he faces manifestations of his anxieties. The short was made possible thanks to the Sony Pictures LENS (Leading and Empowering New Storytellers) program.

The Spider Within

According to an interview with Dampier at The Wrap, the short uses horror genre elements to depict Miles as he struggles with anxiety and suffers from a panic attack. “I think horror is just one of those great down-on-the-street-level genres that you can use to just get intimate and find out what really makes this character tick,” said Dampier. 

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Dampier further explained that the premise of the short was inspired by personal experience. After accepting the directing opportunity at Sony, a panic attack hospitalized Dampier overnight. Dampier also revealed his experience sharing the short with franchise writers and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who the director says loved it.

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) faces anxiety in The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story.
Spider-Man versus anxiety. Credit: Sony Pictures.

How does the short fit into the timeline established by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? Dampier is coy about the answer. Another question that remains is when broader audiences will see the short.

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Meanwhile, Across the Spider-Verse is currently making money hand over thwip at the box office. In just two weeks, the sequel has already surpassed the total run earnings of the first movie. Looking forward, the third film in the Spider-Verse trilogy, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, will arrive in theaters next year on March 29, 2024. Could it be accompanied by “The Spider Within” short when it premieres?

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Avery Kaplan

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