As the world of cinema continues to evolve, there are some things that have remained stagnant. In 2018,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versebegan to show how versatile an animated film can be. Despite racking up a number of impressive accolades, many studios failed to walk away from the Miles Morales film with a solid understanding of what animated films have the potential to accomplish.
One of the frequent thoughts regarding animated movies is that they are only for children. The content of animated films is trivial, providing a few jokes that only the adults will fully understand. However,Into the Spider-Versechanged that perception for some entirely. Packed with action and full of important lessons of family and identity,Into the Spider-Versehad plenty that both children and adults found enjoyable.
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Into the Spider-Versesnagged Best Animated Feature at the 2019 Academy Awards as well as Best Animated Feature Film at the 2019 Golden Globe Awards. The stunning animation within the film proved to be just as impressive as its content, leaving many wanting more from Miles. While he hasn’t made an official showing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it hasn’t stopped the current Spider-Man,Tom Holland, from hoping for his inclusion soon. In Holland’sSpider-Man: Homecoming, there was a very subtle reference to Miles. As Peter goes to interrogate Aaron Davis (who is played by Donald Glover), Aaron mentions that he has a nephew that lives in the neighborhood, and he doesn’t want to see the weapons manufactured by the Vulture creating danger there.
The impact ofInto the Spider-Versehasn’t gone unnoticed by Marvel, as they introduced their first animated series,What If…?to Disney Plus in 2021. In nine episodes,What If…?, began to alter the terrain.What If…?purposefully combated previous storylines from the MCU by introducing hypothetical scenarios, whileInto the Spider-Versehelped change the reputation of animation. Some of the talent withinInto the Spider-Versealso helped alter the MCU. The animated film featured the voices of Kathryn Hahn, Brian Tyree Henry, Mahershala Ali, and Hailee Steinfeld, who have all joined the MCU in an official capacity in a non-animated role. As Marvel continues to make strides to acknowledge the success ofInto the Spider-Verseand its animation, other studios have continued to fall behind.
Movie giants like 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. have recently offered their own action animated films, but neither reached the same success asInto the Spider-Verse. In 2019, 20th Century Fox releasedSpies in Disguise,starring Will Smithand Tom Holland as its leads. Smith and Holland voice two distinct characters who work at a spy agency, who must put their differences aside to embark on a mission that continues to become more complicated.Spies in Disguisewas susceptible to mixed reviews, as some found a few of the film’s references unnecessary and the overall narrative a bit inconsistent. Warner Bros.‘Scoob!received harsher criticism, asprevious adaptations of the mystery gang’s adventuresproved to be much more enticing to the adult audience.
Companies like Disney and Pixar are known for creating meaningful animated films, but they are often catered to younger audiences first. Animations from other studios that hope to capture an older audience areusually far too suggestivefor anyone else to enjoy (think 2016’sSausage Party). Finding a common ground, especially in an action animation film, has proven to be an incredibly difficult task. Major film studios have attempted to recreate the magic ofInto the Spider-Verse, but have lacked the ability to cater to both audiences without oversimplifying or jampacking the film.
One of the most recent animated successes isDisney’sSoul, which won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the 2021 Academy Awards. They also took home Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score at the 2021 Golden Globes. Adults and children resonated with the emotions and themes presented in the film, much like the 2015 animated successInside Out. What links these Disney productions withInto the Spider-Verseis not only their ability to cater to both young and adult audiences but their relatability. Relatability is what many of the animated films have missed in attempting to recreate thesuccess ofInto the Spider-Verse. Studios can still make animated films that cater to one target audience over the other, butInto the Spider-Verse’sbridging of the gap is what helped make it such an effective film.
Whether studios don’t want to create meaningful animated films or simply can’t crackInto the Spider-Verse’ssuccess, it is evident that the 2018 blockbuster has forever altered the perception of animated films. Thegrowing success and adoration of Anime worldwidehas the potential to help major studios figure out a way to continue to create diverse and relevant animated projects likeInto the Spider-Verse. As Marvel hopes to continue to build an animated portfolio, there’s hope that other studios will follow in their footsteps.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis now streaming on Hulu.
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