Sony is releasing a new Spider-Verse animated short film on its official YouTube page on March 27.
According to a press release, the animated short, titled "The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story," follows Miles Morales' journey balancing the often opposing demands of his student and superhero life. Along the way, Miles experiences a panic attack and must face the manifestations of his dread while discovering that — much like with crime fighting — it's okay to reach out and ask for help.
"Miles represents so many of us doing the best we can in our day-to-day lives,” director Jarelle Dampier said in a press release. “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 and family about their own mental health journeys — and I hope it feels like a love letter to those who adore Miles Morales.”
The short film initially debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last year as a part of Sony Pictures' mentorship program Leading and Empowering New Storytellers. According to Sony, LENS is a "9-month leadership training program that provides candidates from underrepresented groups with an opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience in animation." The digital release of The Spider Within was made in partnership with the education and mental health advocacy organization, the Kevin Love Fund.
"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,” KLF founder Kevin Love said. “You see it with Spider-Man in the short film, where Miles has a trusted confidante. He is able to take a walk with his dad and express what he’s going through. We can all learn from that – how important it is to reach out to someone, express your true emotions, speak your truth, and not hold everything inside.”
The Spider Within release comes as fans anxiously await an update on the next Spider-Verse film, Beyond the Spider-Verse. Beyond the Spider-Verse, which was initially set to release on March 29, 2024, was delayed indefinetly last year due to the impact of the dual Hollywood strikes. There's still no word on when fans should expect Beyond the Spider-Verse to hit theaters.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
