Tear Jerker / Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

"I buried Aunt May, my wife and I... split up... but I handled it like a champ!" ^note This is before he cries under the shower.

"Miles, the hardest thing about this job is...you can't always save everybody."

— Spider-Ham, of all the characters.

Under its subversive, humorous, comic-book style tone, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is still a Spider-Man story, and thus has its fair share of deep and emotional moments.

WARNING: Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies to Moments pages. All spoilers will be unmarked!

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The Film

• The death of the Peter Parker of Miles Morales' universe. He's beloved by the people of New York, has a loving relationship with his wife, his version of Aunt May is alive, and he absolutely loves being Spider-Man and helping people. This is the most idealized version of Spider-man but then he ends up murdered by the Kingpin after once again saving the world. Even his final words to the Kingpin aren't full of rage or hate, he just tells him it's impossible to bring his wife and son back, and begs him to give up his efforts, which endangers the multiverse.
  • Peter dies saving Miles's life, keeping Kingpin and his men focused on him and buying Miles time to get out of sight. His death so early into what seemed like a happy-go-lucky film makes the audience aware of the stakes and provides a hard gut-punch all at the same time.
• After Blond Peter saves Miles and both of their spider senses go off, he notes that Miles was like him, much to the teen's growing fear.
  Peter: You're like me.
  Miles: I don't want to be.
  Peter: I don't think you have a choice, kiddo.
• For all his seeming perfection, there are a few slight hints ("Spidey Bells" for instance) that the Peter of Miles' Earth (much like Peter B. Parker) is getting a little jaded about constantly having to deal with the pressure of a superhero lifestyle, particularly during his fight with Prowler:
  Peter Parker: I am so tired.
• At the beginning of the film, blond Peter talked about how no matter how many times he got hit, he always found a way to get back up. However, his fight at the collider was unfortunately the one and final time he couldn't.
  Miles: Can you get up?
  Peter: (weakly coughing) Yeah... Yeah, I always get back up. [coughs hard] The coughing's probably not a good sign...
• Peter having Miles promise him that he would use the override key to blow up the collider, or else everything he knew would disappear. Miles shakily agrees and Peter tells him to go, probably knowing he wasn't going to leave alive but still puts on a brave front for this scared kid who now had a large responsibility to uphold.
  Peter: Go, I'll come and find you. [waving Miles away] It's gonna be okay.
• Peter's last words are, "I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work. They're gone." This is, of course, before the audience knows what Kingpin is using the collider for; but Kingpin knows, and Spider-Man knows. And, of course, this is when Kingpin, pissed off, kills Spider-Man. But before he does, there's just one second on Fisk's face — one second of guilt, shame and sorrow, as Peter reminds him of what he's always known: It's All for Nothing. Does he still go on to be the Big Bad who's risking to destroy the world? Absolutely. But this one instant goes a long way towards making him more than just an Evil Overlord, revealing what's underneath: the scared, lonely man who misses his family.
• A big one if you consider that Blonde Peter might not have had to die. The machine Kingpin was using to open the multiverse didn't go critical until well after other spider people from across the multiverse had appeared. While Blonde Peter had no way of knowing when the machine would go critical, he should have realized that he was outmatched. Sure, he might have beaten all of these guys in the past but probably only individually or in pairs at most. Kingpin was taking no chances because of how much getting the machine working again would mean to him. At the most and after finding Miles had spider powers too but no experience, he should have gotten the kid out if for no other reason than to save an innocent kid, then maybe helped him get a handle on his powers so Miles could have helped him even if not in a combat role. If Peter had taken the time to realize that sometimes you have to Know When to Fold 'Em and come back later when you're good and prepared, he would have had Miles help and unknown to him, six other spider people to back him up. Sometimes being The Determinator isn't the best way to go and also not bringing any type of back up being other heroes or at least involving law enforcement agencies like the CIA or (if it exists) S.H.I.E.L.D could end up bad. The I Work Alone attitude could get you killed.
• When seen in tandem with its follow-up, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Peter's death becomes even more tearjerking in hindsight with the Spider Society's revelation about it (see that film's Tearjerker page).
• In the immediate aftermath of Spider-Man's death, Miles runs back home and asks his parents to spend the night there rather than go back to boarding school. His father wants him to live up to his commitment to the school at first, but his mother realizes how scared her son is and lets him stay. The scene really sells that for his newfound super-powers, Miles is just a terrified kid who's in over his head.
  • Before his father leaves his bedroom, Miles asks if his dad really does hate Spider-Man. And Jefferson bluntly says yes. It's clear Miles is worried his father will end up hating him too for his newfound abilities. Yet when Jefferson and Rio watch the news and find out Spider-Man had died, Jefferson's shocked speechless.
  • The news reporter sounding on the verge of tears as she delivers the news of Spider-Man's death, but manages to remain professional as she continues on with her report. Even she seemed to be having a hard time believing that everyone's hero had died, especially so young. A few seconds later, another reporter's voice sounds as if it actually breaks when he says that Spider Man is gone.
  • The report says that Peter A was a grad student and part time photographer who died at the age of 26, who had been Spider-Man for at least ten years. He was a child.
• The memorial service held for Peter, with Mary Jane delivering an eulogy with Aunt May standing behind her.
  • Gets more tearjerking when you see how many people in the crowd (including Miles) are wearing Spider-Man masks to honor him, most even wearing red or blue clothing. He really was their hero and inspired them in some way.
  • The shattered crestfallen looks of the citizens after getting the news of their beloved hero's death on their phones. This can unfortunately be Truth in Television as news of a beloved celebrity or public figure's death can hit the internet like a sucker punch.
    • Made worse by the fact that the stunned bystanders watching the news and the smoking buildings looks and feels very much like after the World Trade Center's collapse on 9-11. For the most New York superhero.
• Mary Jane in this world is an utter Woobie. Her husband dies when he's only 26, all she can do is put on a brave front and speak for him in front of the people he saved and who admired him. This is a celebrity status that no one wants, to be the voice of Spider-Man and to have to comfort people the way Aunt May has to comfort the other Spiders. Whether or not she knows that Kingpin murdered her husband, she still has to attend his fundraiser while knowing he's scum. It's a small wonder she's utterly confused when Peter B. in a waiter guise apologizes to her for not being there for her, and he has to quickly cover it up by explaining he's referring to the bread she wants.
  • Additionally, Peter B. and his MJ split up over her wanting kids and him being too afraid. At the end, Peter B. gets to go home to try again with her, having made a vicarious promise to "give [her] the bread she deserve[s]". The MJ left behind in Miles' universe, though? She'll never even get the chance to have children with her Peter.
• Miles visits Blonde Peter's grave after accidentally destroying the USB drive Parker gave to him in order to shut down the super-collider. He's both horrified at what's just happened, and distressed that he can't seem to live up to the legacy that Peter asked him to uphold without his guidance.
  Miles: I’m sorry, Mr. Parker... That thing you gave me, that key... (holds it out) I think I really messed it up. I want to do what you asked. I really do, but... I’m sorry. I’m not sure I’m the guy. I can’t do this without you.
  • There's also Blonde Peter's grave itself. True to Mary Jane's eulogy about how he was The Everyman, it's not some big memorial statue of Spider-Man or something... it's just an unremarkable grave that, if not for all the memorial gifts piling up around it, you wouldn't peg for where New York's greatest superhero was buried. The sheer humility of Peter's resting place is itself rather poignant.
• While Peter B. Parker's intro to the trailer is played for laughs, it should be noted just how tired Peter sounds in his intro. It feels like this Peter, seemingly an older version of the character who's easily in his mid to late 30s, is teetering on the edge of burnout as Spider-Man. He's even been described as "Midlife Crisis Spider-Man".
  • He and MJ did get married, but because of Peter's hero life, it put hefty stress on their relationship and MJ left. This caused him to become depressed and gain what his voice actor called "a beer belly". Adding onto this, it makes the scene of him looking at a picture of MJ even more saddening. Even though their marriage didn't work out, he still loves her. Likewise, the promo that shows the montage of their history has a shot of the two of them signing the divorce papers, and the shot emphasizes how sad MJ is, implying that for whatever reason, this divorce was Peter's idea and she didn't want to leave him. Peter is the one who signs first while she sits back sadly. Imagine going beyond the call and devoting yourself to a man with such a difficult life only for him to decide to call it quits even if he does seem to regret the decision later.
    • Peter later reveals that they split because MJ wanted kids, and he was too scared to have them while still being Spider-Man. This is clearly a Peter who's still afraid of the possible consequences of being Spider-Man for anyone he loves, to the point where he's afraid of having children because of what they might possibly have to deal with.
    Peter: She wanted kids, and... and it scared me... (cancelling a call he was making to MJ) I'm pretty sure I broke her heart.
  • It's also revealed that Aunt May died in Peter's universe and apparently after that everything in Peter's life went downhill.
  • Listen to his voice crack when he says "No matter how many times I get hit, I always get back up." It's not hard to conclude that at this point, the reason he always gets back up is because being Spider-Man is the only thing he has left.
  • It's telling that when Peter goes into 1610-Peter's high tech Spider Lair, the first and only thing he notices is a picture of MJ. Not even his MJ, this universe's MJ. Peter doesn't even care about all the weirdness and cool gadgets around him, and instead goes straight for the picture, and looks at it longingly for several seconds. Later on he meets 1610's MJ, and once again can't help but talk to her like she was his own, nearly breaking the gang's cover doing so.
    Peter B.: I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most. I didn't even try.
  • While Peter B.'s breakdown in his backstory is somewhat Played for Laughs, it's quite distressing to see him sitting under his shower in his costume, helplessly sobbing. This is a man -and not just any man, Spider-Man- who is nearly at absolute rock bottom.
  • It's better than whatever the MJ of Miles' universe must be feeling. It's tragically ironic; the reason that alternate universe Peter and MJ split was the danger that Peter puts himself through. A danger that Miles-verse Peter loses his life to.
• How jaded has the Alternate Peter become? When Miles tries to invoke "With great power," Peter angrily tells him to not dare finish that sentence. He adds that he was sick of hearing that line.
  • It can also be interpreted that it's too personal to hear it from someone else other than himself or his Uncle Ben.
  • Alternatively, it can also be interpreted that nothing good happened to him ever since the day he got his powers, which, leaving him a middle age, divorced, penniless man, all alone in a small apartment. For all the good he did as Spider-Man, it made his life miserable.
  • He also is a bit of a Death Seeker. He volunteers to sacrifice himself to stay behind and let the others through because he feels he has the least to lose. In the end, Miles has to force him to go back.
• Gwen recaps her origin, and we are shown implications that she accidentally killed her Peter Parker when fighting him as the Lizard, resulting in her becoming The Aloner out of fear of being hurt by another similar loss.
  Gwen: I joined a band, saved my dad. I... couldn't save my best friend, Peter Parker. So now, I save everyone else. And I don't do friends anymore, just to avoid any distractions.
  • When Peter tries to talk with the Mary Jane of Miles’ universe, Gwen tells him that she’s had to bottle up her own feelings already, and that he should do the same. It’s very telling that before this point, she’s almost never let the fact that her dead best friend is right in front of her show. The way she tells Peter that it's not his Mary Jane is heartbreaking, because she's been talking to multiple versions of Peter Parker and she knows it's not the same.
  • While the audience can see what happened through her origin monologue, she never actually tells anyone that her best friend was her universe's Peter Parker. Anytime she brings him up, she only calls him her "best friend" even as everyone else names their lost loved ones. It’s clear, of the group, she’s the one most affected by loss and running around with two alternative versions of him can’t be easy.
  • One can't help but imagine Gwen, upon arriving in Miles' universe, having to see Peter alive again, relive his death, see him alive yet again and learn that he plans to let himself die so she and the others can return home. Overall, the whole movie is a really rough week for Gwen.
  • Note that when she recaps her origin she doesn't actually say what happened to Peter even though it's briefly shown. It's too painful for her to talk about but it's never far from her mind. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse explains it in its prologue and it is indeed incredibly heartbreaking as Gwen implies.
• At the Gala, when Peter B. spots MJ, his immediate reaction is to freeze and try to go talk to her, something Gwen tries her best to dissuade him from.
  Peter B.: MJ?
  Gwen: Pay attention! It's not your MJ, Peter, okay?
  Peter B.: I'm sorry, I'll be right back.
  Gwen: (stops Peter from moving the cart, her eyes pleading) Peter, Peter! Come here! Trust me—I've been there. You gotta move on, buddy!
  • On that note, Gwen's statement "Trust me, I've been there" only gets sadder the more you ponder it. Unlike the others, she got sent back in time, and spent a week there before Peter Parker died. She had a chance to talk to Peter again. To see the man he could have grown up to be. Then, Spider-Man dies, and she learns that this Peter Parker was Spider-Man. So not only does she have to deal with another Peter dying, but it must occur to her that if she'd been there with him, he might not have died!
• Fisk's motivation for the Collider being built: His wife Vanessa and son Richard had walked in on him fighting Spider-Man and ran away, Vanessa drove off in a car but they both died when the car crashed into a truck. Fisk wants to find still alive alternate counterparts of his wife and son so he could have his family back.
  • During the climax, Fisk fights Miles while realities are being messed about around them. While in a train, Fisk sees counterparts of his family who are scared and confused, while he desperately tries to tell them that it's him. Even worse, their reactions are playing out just like how Fisk's actual family reacted when they found out he was a criminal. He may be a brutal remorseless crime lord, but still...
    Fisk: Vanessa, it's me! You know me! (Vanessa and Richard run) Wait! Don't go! Stay with me... please...
    • It's implied that no matter what dimension, Fisk would never truly have his family back, for even in other dimensions he would continue to make poor choices that would spur Vanessa into leaving him.
    • Considering the alternate Vanessa and Richard's fluctuating positions, there's also the implication that Fisk didn't alienate one version of his family, but all versions of his family.
    • Also, as we see with the alternative Spider-Heroes, nobody can be outside their home universe without cellular degeneration kicking in and glitching out of existence, meaning Fisk’s plan was never going to work and all the pain he’s caused amounts to nothing.
    • It's sad to think of Fisk's counterparts once they suddenly see their versions of Vanessa and Richard being scared of them for something that isn't their fault. Or how they would feel if their versions of Vanessa and Richard were suddenly pulled into another dimension.
    • A worse implication is that an event like this is a universal constant, at least in the realities Fisk connected to. They're not reacting to him, they're reacting to the Fisks across their realities all of whom are making terrible mistakes that alienate their families from them.
    • Listen closely: among the shocked and frightened iterations, you can hear a Vanessa sound outright bitter when she says "Stay away from me." It seems that there's at least one reality where Vanessa has had enough of Wilson's actions or one where Vanessa never reciprocated his love.
    • It's really sadder that this Fisk is his own Foil to his 616 counterpart. In Spider-Men II, he tells 616!Morales the reason he never used the dimensional transfer machine himself to find another Vanessa was because it wouldn't be his Vanessa and it wouldn't make him happy no matter how much he wants his family back. This Fisk shows how embittered he becomes if he never accepted this, and is doomed to repeat it over and over again.
• Miles states that if he doesn't destroy the collider that brought all the alternate Spider-Men together, all of their universes will be destroyed. This is accompanied by a scene of Peter longingly gazing at a picture of Mary Jane. As the movie proper shows, that includes Miles' universe.
  • Even worse, the way Miles says this implies that destroying the collider will keep the others from returning home even if they save their universes, and the reality is worse. Since Miles is too inexperienced to risk bringing along, one of them has to stay behind and die to the side effects of existing in a reality they shouldn't to ensure the collider is shut down.
• All of the Spider Heroes pressuring Miles to be a great hero, expecting him to be an Instant Expert since they don't have much time and figure pushing him would be a good incentive. However, they end up overwhelming Miles, something Peter B. takes notice of and tries to prevent by calling the other Spider Heroes off, although they don't listen. Miles ends up staying on the floor when their words become too much, and you can see that he's more disappointed in himself than the other Spider Heroes are of him.
• Miles going to his uncle's house and writing him a letter that reads alarmingly like a Suicide Note. Of course, it later turns out that his uncle is actually one of the villains, but it's heartwrenching.
  • Before this, Miles overheard the Spider-Men doubting him, resulting in Miles leaving the shed. He even turns invisible at that point, looking forlornly at the others as the lift takes him out of the shed.
  • Speaking of which, it also doesn’t help that when the Spider-Men leave him on the ground, they decide to doubt him, even though he’s right behind them. Which seems to imply that they purposely left him on the ground so that they can doubt him without having to say it to his face.
• The moment when Miles finds out Aaron is the Prowler. His uncle, his hero, is the ruthless villain who's been hunting him all movie. When he tells the rest of the Spider-Gang, you can just hear him desperately wanting to believe it isn't true, but there's no doubting what he saw: the person he trusted most is a murderer and henchman to the Big Bad, and he wants him and his friends dead.
• The reactions of the others and their sympathy for Miles when he reveals his uncle is the Prowler. Gwen can relate but for the others their uncle equivalent was a paragon of virtue they looked up to, as they know Miles did. It is inconcievable for them to imagine such a betrayal and they see that Miles is going through exactly that. As Noir Spider-man states bluntly, it is a "dark origin story" where the uncle is a villain.
• Miles watching as the other Spider Heroes are trying to fend off Kingpin's henchmen, and telling him to run. As Miles' invisibility switches on and off, he's mentally panicking.
  Miles: No... No, no, no, no...
  • It's possible he was reminded of his universe's Peter Parker getting killed while he was powerless to do anything, and now, it was possible that it would happen again, but this time with five other Spider-Men trying to protect him.
• The look on Aaron's face when he literally has his nephew by the throat and realizes who he's been trying to kill. It's even worse when Miles hastily unmasks to make him stop; from Aaron's POV and holding his hand up in surrender, we see a terrified little kid whose world had been turned upside down. Aaron's response captures a wide variety of emotions, but you can tell that the foremost thought in his mind is "Oh, God, not you, anyone but you."

  Aaron: (after Miles removes his mask) ...Miles? (removes his own mask) No, no, no, no, no...
  Miles: (choking) Please, Uncle Aaron...

  • Aaron’s death at Kingpin’s hands. He spends his last moment by Miles’s side, apologizing for his actions and telling his nephew how he's "the best of all of us." His final words a plea for Miles to keep going. It only gets worse when Jefferson finds his brother’s body after he’s died.
  Aaron: Miles...
  Miles: (tearfully) Uncle Aaron... this is my fault...
  (Aaron removes his claw glove and clasps Miles' hand.)
  Aaron: No, Miles. I'm sorry. I wanted you to look up to me. I let you down, man. I let you down. You're the... You're the best of all of us, Miles. You're on your way. Just... just keep going. Just keep going...
  • Shameik Moore does an incredible job at voicing how terrified Miles is as he's trying to not only beg for his life, but also still reach for that bit of good left inside his uncle. Fortunately, he succeeded; Aaron's love for Miles was so strong that he chose to save his life at the cost of his own.
    Miles: (slightly choked) Please, Uncle Aaron...
  • When Miles tells the other Spider-People about the death of his Uncle Aaron, they all comfort him with the loved ones they lost in their own stories. It's Spider-Ham who tells Miles sadly that the hardest part of the job is the fact they cannot save everyone.
    Peter B.: We've all been there. For me... for me, it was my uncle Ben.
    Spider-Man Noir: For me, it was my uncle Benjamin.
    Peni: For me, it was my father.
    Gwen: For me, it was my best friend.
    Spider-Ham: (tearfully) Miles, the hardest thing about this job is... you can't always save everybody.
    • The fact that the single most irreverent character in the movie delivers its single most poignant line with the utmost sincerity gives it all the more weight.
    • There's something even more heartbreaking about Spider-Ham providing this line. He's a cartoon who comes from a world where most everything can be solved with a gag or a cutaway joke, and who's supposed to save everyone and be goofy, but that one line hits hard enough to show that even he couldn't save everyone, not even the ones he cares about, which just further establishes him as a Sad Clown. ^note In the commentary, it's revealed that initially Spider-Ham mentioned his Uncle Frankfurter and made a joke. Test viewers did not respond well, as this sealed Spider-Ham as a character who could contribute nothing but humor, even when the situation called for anything but humor. So instead, they used his silly nature to reinforce the scene by giving him the most poignant line.
    • This is made slightly better by the contrast of how they treated him in the Spider-Cave. He can't control his invisibility or his venom blasts, and they get Drill Sergeant Nasty on him, pressuring him to do better, be better, "get up, Miles!" He finally just says Screw This, I'm Outta Here when they group up to tell Alt!Peter that Miles isn't ready, like he's not even in the room. So, when they tell him about their reasons for wearing the mask, it's like they're commiserating for a moment before the big battle. It’s a miracle that Miles still looks up to them without even getting a proper apology from them.
  • Aaron's death makes such a monumental impact on Jefferson that he visits Miles at his dorm room, pleading with his son to not drift away from him as Aaron did. What's even worse is that Miles has been webbed up and gagged by his fellow Spider-Men, who don't believe he can keep up with them and would be a liability on their mission, so while his father is pouring his heart out, Miles is literally incapable of responding.
    • Jefferson is so broken by his brother's death that he can't even bring himself to say out loud that Aaron has died.
      Jefferson: Can we talk for a minute? Something...something happened...
  • Jefferson's entire speech to Miles. He knows his son is in there, because he can see his shadow under the door, so he thinks he's just ignoring him, or is too angry with him to speak. Despite the incredible emotional burden he's under, Jefferson handles this with grace, saying he understands if Miles needs a little space and just asks that he call him later, but still — ouch. Seriously, Brian Tyree Henry knew exactly what he was doing in this scene.
  • In scenes before this, look at both of Jefferson and Aaron's phones. Their lockscreens are a photo of them hanging out when they were younger. It seems in spite of their estrangement, both were hoping to patch things up eventually.
  • Throughout the film, Jefferson doesn't want Miles hanging around Aaron too much, implying he knows (or at least suspects) he's a criminal, but there's no indication he knew he was the Prowler. And he finds out by finding his corpse in an alley, still wearing the supervillain getup. Imagine finding out that, years after you've drifted apart, your little brother not only got involved with organized crime, but is an enforcer / hitman. For that matter, imagine knowing you're going to have to go home and tell your son that his uncle, his favorite relative, wasn't who he thought he was, and in fact was a murderer. And Jefferson would have no choice but to tell him, since there's basically no way the Prowler's identity wouldn't get out eventually—and the last thing he'd want would be for Miles to find out from the news. (To make it worse, given that when he talks with Miles at the end and he indicates he already knows what happened to his uncle, that's probably exactly what he thinks happened. And the truth is even worse than he could've imagined.)
  • Another aspect that hurts about Aaron's death is that he dies under very similar circumstances as Uncle Ben did: Shot by a criminal because of his beloved nephew's inaction. Only this had the potential to be much worse since his father - a police officer at that - mistook this new Spider-Man for Aaron's killer and came close to swearing vengance on him.
• Peni losing SP//dr, a Tragic Keepsake from her father, during the final showdown. She looks just about close to tears, and Spider-Noir and Spider-Ham comfort her.
  • SP//dr's last words to Peni, displayed in Japanese on its broken faceplate just before losing power, is the kanji for "love".
  • To soften the blow, despite losing the robot itself, Peni does manage to save the spider powering/controlling it and makes them a new version when she gets back to her dimension.
• The trio arrives at the Parker residence and Peter B. Parker is intensely uncomfortable, wanting to leave immediately but only being stopped by Gwen's web. Then the door opens and the Aunt May of Miles' universe catches sight of Peter, an older version of the nephew she just lost and buried, and Peter sees the aunt he lost alive and well... but she doesn't know him. His voice almost breaks as he says hello.
  Peter B. Parker: (through gritted teeth) I'm not ready for this...
  Aunt May: (drops her bat and walks up to Peter B. with her hand outstretched) ...Peter?
  Peter B.: Hi, Aunt May.
  • The entire scene becomes sadder when May notes how poorly he's taken care of himself, as he looks miserable, fat, unfit, and is wearing sweatpants, which visibly deflates Peter. May, upon seeing an older alternate version of Peter, is at once not only taunted with an older image of her son but also someone who has become more wayward than the boy she raised and noticeably worn out by the superhero life. Peter B. valiantly tries keeping up his signature casual-confidence, but his voice makes it painfully obvious he's barely keeping himself from crying while talking to Aunt May again, as Aunt May sees right through him and knows he is not okay.
    Aunt May: (frowns while cupping Peter B's cheek) You look tired, Peter...
    Peter B.: (smiles confidently and shrugs) Well, I (voice cracks slightly) am tired...
  • Compared with the equivalent scene in the Spider-Men comic, May's reaction is heartwrenching. The comics version of the May from Miles' universe hurled insults at 616!Peter for seemingly being a Jerkass who was dressed as her dead surrogate-son. This May though? She sees Peter B. and different hair color or not, older and pudgier or not, her Peter or not, she still knows just from seeing him this really is Peter. And she instantly voices warm, motherly concern over his current condition, as if he were her own. Her love for Blonde Peter was so strong that it even carries over to alternate versions of him.
  • May taking them a visit to the more elaborate Spider-Cave than the shed he built in his yard, bringing home to Peter B. just how little he accomplished in his much longer life compared to Blond Peter.
  • Mid-life crisis Peter B. on the whole is quite sad. Rather than grow into the great mentor, what we have is basically a slacker who never grew up mentally, who if he ever had scientific knowledge and interests has seen his curiosity wither away (hence calling devices "goober" when comics-Peter would never fail to geek out by the weird tech he comes across), both Miles and Gwen express disappointment, and by the end of it he becomes their Older Sidekick, and basically becomes overshadowed in the group of Spiders.
• A minor one; after the sequence in which Miles briefly but cheerfully comes across former classmates from his old school, the scene where Miles enters Visions parallels this, showing Miles as a bit of an outcast. He tries to socialize with other students, but they either ignore him entirely or make fun of him for the "I Love You Dad" incident. One girl does address Miles, but only to point out that his shoes are untied.
• While it's played for laughs, Spider-Man Noir seems to have actual issues based on the fact that he feels the needs to burn himself to feel something and seems disappointed when the flame dies out before it can reach his fingertips. Again his status as the Darker and Edgier '90s Anti-Hero member of the group means that his issues are used for comedic affect, but when taken seriously it means that he's another Peter Parker who is struggling through life.
• Stan Lee's cameo, in which he mentions what Spider-Man was a friend of his, and that he'll miss him. We'll miss you too, Stan.
  "I'm...gonna miss him. We were friends, y'know?"
  • That lopsided grin he gives is reminscent of Vincent Price's final performance in Edward Scissorhands.
• The final moment: a tribute to Stan Lee with one of his quotes followed by a tribute to Lee and Steve Ditko. And a drawing of Lee's glasses is included with the quote.
  "That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero."

Alternate Dimension Version

• In the extended cut, instead of the "leap of faith" speech, which is said in another deleted scene earlier, Peter B. says, after bounding and gagging Miles, "Now you don't have to be Spider-Man," which is pretty harsh. Most likely why they cut the aforementioned scene and moved the "leap of faith" line to that spot.

Songs

• "Sunflower" is quite a melancholy song, particularly the second verse.
  Every time I'm leavin' on ya
  You don't make it easy, no
  Wish I could be there for ya
  Give me a reason to
  Every time I'm walkin' out
  I can hear you tellin' me to turn around
  Fightin' for my trust and you won't back down
  Even if we gotta risk it all right now, oh
  I know you're scared of the unknown
  You don't wanna be alone
  I know I always come and go
  But it's out of my control...
  • The context of the score: New York has just learned they lost Spider Man, and instantly feel lost without their hero... It's as though New York has become a child suddenly on their own.
• "Scared of the Dark" by Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla $ign, and XXXTentacion is a very sad song in its own right. It's made even more so in the film, being played to emphasize Blond Peter's death and how tragic it is. To the audience, it's about the death of three people. The first person is, of course, Blond Peter. The second is Stan Lee, and his cameo during the scene, complete with his line of how he's going to miss Spider-Man, is how the audience feels about him. The third person is XXXTentacion, who was killed months before the movie was even released.

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