“Anyone Can Wear The Mask”

The 91st Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, took place on February 24, 2019. Many people and films received awards that night, including Black Panther for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Original Music Score, Rami Malek for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse for Best Animated Feature Film.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was an immediate hit, many arguing that it was the best Spider-Man movie to date. The movie expanded the idea of what a typical hero should be like, and inspired fans everywhere. When we think of superheroes, we usually think of people like Captain America or Batman, both fully grown adults who seem to always have everything under control at all times. With Miles Morales, our protagonist in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, we have the complete opposite of the typical hero persona. Miles is a fourteen-year-old freshman that doesn’t even learn how to control his superhuman abilities until about halfway through the movie. The viewers see Miles stumble and struggle with his newfound powers and responsibilities more than a few times, an atypical feature of superheroes in movies. By the end of the movie, Miles learns that being a superhero isn’t just about having cool powers -- it’s about using those powers to do what’s right. It feels as though the viewers were growing and learning alongside Miles, making him an even more endearing character. The concept of watching Miles go from zero to hero (quite literally) also taught the viewers another lesson: that anyone can wear the mask.

It might sound a little cryptic just putting that out there, so let me explain. When Miles stated that anyone can wear the mask, that even the viewers could wear the mask, he was telling us that anyone can step up and become the best version of themselves. It taught the children in the theatre that they could reach their highest point if they just believed in themselves. Even though it sounds a little unrealistic to an older audience, it’s a good message for the younger audience, allowing themselves to work a little harder and to never give up.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse also changed the way people viewed Spider-Man. Spider-Man wasn’t just Peter Parker anymore. It was also Miles Morales, alongside other characters like Penelope Parker and Spider-Gwen. In fact, only up until recently did most people even see Spider-Man as more than Peter Parker. Miles brings hope to all coloured kids who dreamt of being superheroes. He represents Afro-Latinos, seen speaking Spanish to his mother and friends multiple times at the beginning of the movie. Miles being biracial showed that Spider-Man didn’t have to be white: anyone of any race could be Spider-Man.

At the end of the day, despite so many people believing that the award for Best Animated Feature Film would go to Incredibles 2 or Ralph Breaks The Internet, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse took home the award instead, and with it, our hearts.

Anna Yang

2019 Spring Issue