Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) is a groundbreaking animated superhero film directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman. Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film introduces Miles Morales, a Brooklyn teenager who becomes Spider-Man after the death of Peter Parker in his universe. When a collider opens the multiverse, Miles must team up with alternate Spider-Beings—including Gwen Stacy, Peter B. Parker, Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham—to stop Kingpin from destroying all realities. The film balances coming-of-age themes, emotional depth, and comic-book action, all wrapped in a wildly innovative visual style that mimics hand-drawn comic panels and pop art aesthetics. The film was a box office success, earning $384.3 million worldwide on a production budget of around $90 million. Though not a mega-blockbuster by superhero standards, it performed well above expectations for an animated feature in a saturated comic-book market. Over time, its influence and fanbase grew, particularly among animation fans, younger viewers, and comic enthusiasts. Critically, Into the Spider-Verse was hailed as a revolution in animation. It holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 87 on Metacritic, with praise for its bold visuals, clever writing, and heartfelt performances. The film's unique frame rates, mixed media textures, and comic-style editing set a new benchmark for what mainstream animation could look like, and it made Miles Morales a household name. The film won Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards, making it the first non-Disney/Pixar film to win that award in nearly a decade. It also won a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and seven Annie Awards, including Best Feature and Best Direction. The win was seen as a major industry shift, proving that fresh storytelling and visual innovation could redefine mainstream animation. The legacy of Into the Spider-Verse is enormous. It redefined both superhero and animated films, inspired a wave of stylistic experimentation, and ushered in new representation in superhero media. It is now considered one of the best animated films of all time and laid the groundwork for the more ambitious sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), and the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse.