With the smash hit of 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, everyone’s been waiting on their third instalment. The movie, Beyond the Spider-Verse, was initially rumoured to be released in early 2024. Still, due to the complex animation style and extensive plotline, it was only natural to be delayed. So it was a treat when the animators announced a short film, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story, on 27 March 2024.
In collaboration with the Kevin Love Fund, they have created the lesson, “The Hero Within,” a lesson plan with a creative storyboard activity for students who want to express themselves through drawing and writing. The Spider Within revolves around the main character of the Spider-Verse series, Miles Morales, getting overwhelmed with his mountain of responsibilities, both as a teenager in school and as Spider-Man. One of the most unique aspects of Spider-Verse is Miles’ relationship with his parents and how caring they are. Jefferson Morales, his father, immediately senses something is wrong with Miles after he turns down a movie night.
The scene that follows is filled with terrifying imagery of Miles’ inner thoughts and he has an intense panic attack. The animation with the sound design feels as if you can feel his anxiety and stress. He finally reaches out to his dad and opens up about the current state of his mental health. The “The Hero Within” lesson plan aims to get teenagers like Miles to open up to their parents. Mental health can cause people to hold their burdens to themselves and The Spider Within shows us that it’s okay to share them.
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