Spider-Man is a famous comic book figure in the hearts of many children. He is best known as a teen superhero who, after a radioactive spider bites him, gains superhuman strength, speed, and senses, and he can even stick to many surfaces. Despite his heroic ability, he is often plagued by the death of one he loves, which changes the entire trajectory of his life. The creator of Spider-Man is the late Stan Lee who, at first, had trouble pitching Spider-Man to his boss. His boss rejected Stan Lee’s proposal in 1960, believing teens could only be sidekicks and not superheroes. Despite this rejection, Stan Lee persisted and in 1962, Spider-Man was featured in the comic, “Amazing Fantasy #15” and became a hit with the audiences, thus, spreading Spiderman’s reputation as a beloved hero! It is important to note Stan Lee himself says he adores Spiderman’s design due to how diverse it is. This solidifies how anyone can be under the mask, no matter their race, gender, sexuality, or disability.

Spider-Man is written to show diversity in the comics as early as November 1969 with Hobie Brown’s first appearance as a punk and black man during the first debut of the Prowler, to as recently as October 5th, 2022 with the appearance of Cooper Coen, the first [confirmed] queer Spiderman. However, the inclusivity of Spider-Man is especially prevalent in the creation of the newer generation of Spider-Man movies. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, there are brief scenes with the famous transgender actress Josie Totah who plays the character Seymour O’Reilly. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Zach Barack plays one of the first openly transgender characters in Marvel history. Though, it is obvious the most recent installment of the animated movie trilogy of Spiderman, exceeds past examples. 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse features the most diverse cast of characters in any other Spider-Man movie and, these characters play key roles in the story. The animated characters feature Miles Morales, a Black teenage boy from Brooklyn, New York City who struggles with his responsibilities as a son and a hero, Peni Parker a Japanese girl who is struggling with the death of a loved one, Pavitr Prabhakar a teenager from Mubattan India who struggles with the destruction of his universe, Miguel O’Hara, a Mexican man who struggles with the loss of his daughter due to his actions, and finally, Sun Spider is a woman who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which affects her mobility thus requiring her to need aids such as crutches and wheelchair at times to move. Among others, these few Spider-Man-themed individuals are just an example of how representation is beginning to grow, and has even been featured as heroes. 

This is a crucial step because children will often look up to these fictional figures and if they can see themselves in their favorite hero, it allows them to feel seen. Ultimately, it is clear that the Spider-Man franchise is continuing to grow, and with it, so will the multiple forms of inclusivity.