Miles Morales Tackles Mental Health in ‘The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story’
Spider-Verse fans may be waiting a long time for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to hit theaters. The third chapter of the Spider-Verse trilogy doesn’t have a release date yet, but a new animated short starring Miles Morales will make the wait much easier to bear.
Sony Pictures Animation and Imageworks have partnered with the Kevin Love Fund on “The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story”, an animated short about mental health. The short sees Miles Morales/Spider-Man suffering from a panic attack as he juggles his family, friends, school, and the greater Spider-Verse responsibilities. Miles has to face manifestations of his anxiety and ask for help from those close to him, a challenge that is just as critical as saving the world from supervillains.
The short will be part of the Kevin Love Fund’s new mental health-focused lesson plan, “The Hero Within,” which encourages students to create their own stories about mental health awareness. Kevin Love, Miami Heat player and founder of KLF said, “My hope for the short film would be for everyone, especially young people, to understand that your feelings are valid and that you are not alone in this.”
“The Spider Within” director Jarelle Dampier told Variety, “Miles represents so many of us doing the best we can in our day-to-day lives … We don’t often realize all that we’ve been through until our own body forces us to become aware of its experience. My intention is that ‘The Spider Within’ can motivate deeper conversations amongst friends & family about their own mental health journeys — and I hope it feels like a love letter to those who adore Miles Morales.”
“The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story” premieres on Sony Pictures Animation’s YouTube channel at 6 a.m. PT on March 27.
(featured image: Sony Pictures Animation)
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