How ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ uses mise en scene and genre to define itself amongst the Spider-Man film franchise (a thread)

Bitten by a radioactive spider, Spider-Man is one of the most well-known and beloved superheroes of all time. The hero serves as a cultural icon whose popularity rivals the likes of Batman and Superman. +

Created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man first appeared in a Martin Goodman’s Timely Publications, now known as Marvel Comics, comic book named ‘Amazing Fantasy #15’. +

The character was so well received that it debuted in its own series called ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ the following year. The web-slinging hero has since featured in countless comic books, films, TV series, and video games across the world. +

For most Western media consumers, however, Spider-Man is most memorable for his appearances on the silver screen. Feature films produced by Sony Pictures and Columbus are largely responsible for the mainstream appeal and overall image that Spider-Man has today. +

Totalling eight with more on the way, these films include Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy, Mark Webb’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ series, Jon Watts’ ‘Spiderman: Homecoming’ series, and the animated film ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’. +

Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, the film tells a story that is independent of its live-action counterparts. It follows New York teenager, Miles Morales, as he dons the Spider-Man mask and joins other spider-powered heroes on a mission to save all +

realities. The film is especially unique in that it is the first Sony iteration of the Spider-Man franchise to be entirely animated and feature a protagonist other than the well-known ‘Peter Parker’. +

This thread will hence analyse the ways in which mise en scene is used to visually distinguish this film from others in the Spider-Man franchise. Similarly, it will also outline the differences in genre that make this film a distinct screen media text within its franchise.