Breakdown of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Hero’s Journey)

By Fred Trujillo

The Hero's Journey is a great structure used to follow the main character's journey. Although it does hit some plot beats, it focuses more on the main character's change throughout their journey through the script. Below I have broken down Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse through Mile Morales's hero's journey.

Hero's Journey

Ordinary World

We are introduced to Miles Morales as he gets ready to leave for school. We meet his family. When he gets to his new school, he meets a new girl, Wanda. We also see the close relationship Miles has with his Uncle Aaron. This is Miles's normal world, and nothing special is going on.

Call to Adventure

Miles gets bit by a radioactive spider, and he starts to see a change within himself. His hands stick to everything, Wanda's hair, the walls, a bookcase, a computer; This is the moment everything changes for Miles.

Refusal of the Call

As his body changes, Miles thinks it's just puberty. But everything is lining up to show that he is another Spider-Man. Miles doesn't accept that he can be Spider-Man. The refusal is that Miles doesn't believe that he can be Spider-Man. He wasn't bitten by a spider that changed his whole world. But he did. Miles just doesn't want to believe it. Yet.

Meeting the Mentor (This Beat is Fun For This Movie)

Miles returns to where he got bit and runs into a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. Spider-Man saves Miles but realizes that Miles is just like him. Spider-Man is going to help Miles make sense of everything and teach him to become Spider-Man.

Crossing the Threshold

The supercollider is turned on and is about to destroy the city. Spider-Man turns it off, causing an explosion. Spider-Man is trapped. Miles returns to Spider-Man, and he gives Miles an override key to destroy the supercollider. Fisk kills Spider-Man, and Miles is chased away from the crime scene. Miles has a new mission to destroy the supercollider.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Miles goes to Spider-Man's grave and runs into another Spider-Man named Peter B. Parker. He came to this universe because the collider opened. Peter and Miles team up to fix the device to destroy the supercollider. Along the way, Peter is forced to show Miles the ropes about being Spider-Man. Miles and Peter run into a few villains, Doc Ock, The Prowler, and Fisk. Peter and Miles discover another Spider-Man, Wanda, A.K.A Spider-Gwen, from Miles' school.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

Miles, Peter, and Gwen go to Aunt May's house. There she shows them Spider-Man's lair. Next, they go into the cave, where they meet even more friends, Peni Parker, Spider-Ham, and Spider-Man Noir. This beat is funny because Miles literally goes into a cave and even finds even more Spider-Beings in his universe.

Ordeal

To return home to their universe, all the Spider-Beings have to go through the super collider, but one has to stay behind. Miles elects himself to do it, but no one believes he can do it. Miles tries to be a hero, but Peter knows Miles isn't ready because he can't control his superpowers. Miles loses the override device to Peter and is left confined to a chair while the other Spider-Beings take on Fisk.

Reward

After a self-reflection on everything that has happened, Miles uses his powers to escape the chair. He now knows that he can be Spider-Man, and is rewarded when he returns to Aunt May's house, and she lets him have a new Spider-Man suit.

The Road Back

Miles returns to the supercollider. This time he won't run from Fisk. He will face him head-on to get all the Spider-Beings back to their universe and destroy the supercollider.

Resurrection

With all the Spider-Beings returned to their universes, a badly beaten Miles takes on Fisk alone. Fisk overpowers Miles and takes the override key from Miles. However, Miles digs deep and uses all that he has learned to take back control. He's able to retake the override key and defeat Fisk along with destroying the collider once and for all.

Return with the Elixir

We watched Miles throughout his journey as he struggled and overcame the tests of being a hero. Although his world is the same, Miles now sees it through the lens of Spider-Man, and with all the dimensions out there, maybe one day he will be reunited with the friends that helped him become the Spider-Man, he always knew he could be.