Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse's Touching Mother And Son Moment Came From A True Story
This article contains spoilers for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
One of the best scenes in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is between our protagonist, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), and his mother Rio Morales (Luna Lauren Vélez). It's one of those heartfelt speeches from a parental figure that is an indelible part of the Spider-Man narrative.
Before Rio gives Miles permission to go after Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), she straightens his jacket and studies him with a look of nostalgia and affection. Rio tells her son that after raising her "little boy," now it is his turn to make his own way in the world — even though she knows it cannot promise him the same safety or comfort that she can. Rio has no idea that Miles' secret identity as Spider-Man makes his world even more dangerous.
In this way, she encourages Miles to protect his inner child as he continues to grow into the man he is going to be. Vélez's warm vocal performance adds to the tenderness of this exchange. In a roundtable interview shared by YouTube channel Mom the Magnificent, Phil Lord revealed that he wrote the majority of this touching mother-and-son moment and based it on a real-life story from his friend.
Become your own hero
Phil Lord explained in the interview that his friend "had a photograph in her room of her as a very young girl. And her mother was a very tough customer from Zaragoza, Spain. When she moved into the apartment, [her mother] pointed at the picture of the little girl and said, 'You have to take care of that little girl for me.' [...] I just thought that was such a beautiful thought. That a parent and their adult child are co-parenting this young person that still walks this Earth. That now you have to share this responsibility with me."
One of the biggest themes in the dazzling "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is learning to stand on your own and find your confidence, while still staying true to yourself and where you come from. Miles is about one year older than he was in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," and the opening scene with his family and school counselor indicates that it is now time for him to think more about his future. Miles wants to take college courses in Princeton, but even New Jersey is too far for his Brooklyn-based parents who love him dearly but are afraid to see him spread his wings.
Inspired by the touching words of Phil Lord's friend, Miles and Rio deliver one of the most moving scenes in the film. It really captures where Miles is at in his personal journey, as he faces the greater responsibilities of adulthood. He learns that he has to make himself the hero of his own story — not one that has been prewritten for him.