Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sees a new actor lending his voice to Miles Morales, and nobody really noticed. The animated sequel introduces an array of new arachnid-themed characters, including Issa Rae as Spider-Woman and Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk, but what many did not notice is that Spider-Man’s latest adventure sees a new actor swinging into the role of Miles Morales as well.
RELATED: The Spider-Verse Trilogy Could Become The Best Comic Book Films Of All Time
Spider-Man’s latest journey through the multiverse does an excellent job of keeping its audience on their toes. From its eye-popping visuals to the numerous twists and turns, Miles Morales’ most recent endeavour is brimming with surprises. However, after hours of web-slinging and multiverse jumping, the film’s final scene delivers one of the movie’s most shocking twists: a villainous Miles Morales variant!
In the movie’s cliffhanger ending, Miles discovers that he has accidentally travelled to the wrong universe while attempting to escape the Spider-Society. Instead of returning to Earth-1610, the kid arachnid finds himself on Earth-42, leaving Spy-D in a world without Spider-Man and without Miles’ father. But our unwitting hero is in for more surprises, including the shocking revelation that Miles Morales is, in fact, Prowler in this alternate world. This twist is delivered by having our main hero face to face with his alternate self — but viewers may have yet to notice that the other Miles Morales is recast at this point in the film.
Although Shameik Moore does reprise his role as Earth-1610 Miles in the film’s ending sequence, Jharrel Jerome takes on the role of Earth-42 Miles, also known as Miles G. Morales. However, because of Miles G’s limited scenes in the new film, it is easy to overlook that Shameik Moore is not voicing this version of the character. That honour goes to Jharrel Jerome, who has openly expressed his hopes of portraying Miles in the past.
RELATED: Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse Needs the Symbiote Saga
Jharrel Jerome received his breakout role in 2016’s Moonlight. His performance in the award-winning film was widely praised for its emotional depth and authenticity. Since then, he has become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, starring in several critically acclaimed films and television shows, including When They See Us and Mr. Mercedes. However, playing Earth-42’s Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse marks Jerome’s first superhero role — but the American actor and rapper has previously vocalized his interest in playing the beloved hero in live-action. Now, he gets a chance to play the character in a different light.
The choice of Jharrel Jerome to voice Miles Morales of Earth-42 in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse strongly indicates that the character will play an essential role in the sequel, and during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-director Kemp Powers confirms just this.
“It was such an exciting character, it was actually hard for us to keep it a secret,” he says. “Oh, man, the design is so different, it’s such a visual departure. And to explore how Miles might have developed if he were in a different world where he didn’t have his father, he was mentored by his uncle… What kind of kid would he be?”
RELATED: What Stars Are Saying About Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
“For people who see Miles G. Morales at the end, don’t judge a book by its cover. There’s a lot to learn about that character. It’s a very, very interesting character.”
There is clearly more to the newest version of Miles than meets the eye, but Powers has declined to reveal any further details about the next movie in the trilogy. What we do know is that Miles’ story will continue in the third chapter of the series titled Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which is currently set to be released on March 29, 2024. There is also a live-action Miles Morales movie in the works and a stand-alone animated Spider-Woman movie.