When it comes to engaging ninth-grade students in literary analysis, few texts are as effective, versatile, or culturally resonant as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. While the film dazzles with its revolutionary animation and dynamic visual style, it also provides a rich foundation for deep thematic exploration, character analysis, and cinematic critique — making it an ideal entry point for high school English classrooms.

Thematic Connections to Common Freshman Texts

One of the strongest arguments for teaching Into the Spider-Verse is how seamlessly its themes align with those found in many commonly taught freshman texts:

• The Lord of the Flies: Both narratives grapple with leadership, survival, the struggle between individual and group identity, and the concept of “the other.” The motif of masks—both literal and metaphorical—runs through each story, inviting students to think critically about identity and transformation.
• The Odyssey: Like Odysseus, Miles Morales is on a hero’s journey filled with trials, transformations, and hard-earned self-knowledge. Themes of home, belonging, and the burden of destiny are shared between both stories, helping students see ancient archetypes in modern storytelling.
• The House on Mango Street: Cisneros’s vignettes explore identity, code-switching, coming of age, and the conflict between who we are and who we’re expected to be. These ideas echo beautifully through Miles’s dual worlds—his elite boarding school and his Brooklyn neighborhood, his life as a regular teen and his secret as Spider-Man.
• To Kill a Mockingbird: Both Miles and Scout witness the tension between justice and injustice from a youthful point of view. They’re navigating a world full of moral complexity, questioning who their role models are, and learning when and how to speak up. The father-child relationship is key in both stories, particularly the tension between love, expectation, and understanding.
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: Both Melinda and Miles undergo inner transformation while grappling with trauma, isolation, and identity. Their journeys toward reclaiming their voice—and discovering how to express their truth—are mirrored visually in the use of shadows, silence, and symbolic transformation.
• Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds: Just like Will in the elevator, Miles stands at a moral crossroads after a traumatic loss. The visual storytelling in Spider-Verse parallels Reynolds’s verse novel in the way time slows down to examine a character’s internal reckoning with violence, revenge, and personal choice.
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton: Themes of belonging, identity, and societal roles are central to both stories. Just as Ponyboy is caught between worlds and trying to make sense of who he is, so is Miles—learning to define himself outside of what others expect of him. Both texts ask students to reflect on family, brotherhood, and what it means to grow up “different.”

These thematic bridges not only reinforce students' comprehension across texts but also empower them to make connections between literature and the media they consume outside the classroom.

An Artistic and Narrative Masterclass

While Into the Spider-Verse is undoubtedly entertaining, it is also a masterpiece of both comic-inspired art and cinematic storytelling. Its layered narrative structure, visual motifs, and genre-defying animation techniques offer countless opportunities for close analysis.

As the clearest example I can quickly explain, the introduction sequences for each Spider-person follow the same basic structure, but are visually and tonally distinct.

This repetition with variation is an ideal tool for teaching structure, style, and voice. It's easy for students to spot differences and then explain them. So, students can compare and contrast the introductions of Peter Parker, Miles, Peter B. Parker, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Ham, Peni Parker, and Spider-Man Noir to analyze how character traits, tone, and genre conventions are communicated visually and narratively.

Even more powerful, these introductions serve as models for creative writing: students can create their own “Spider-Verse” characters, complete with origin stories, thematic struggles, and stylistic choices, all grounded in narrative and analysis.

Rich Characterization for Deep Analysis

Miles Morales and Peter B. Parker are both unlikely heroes—underdogs who are unsure of themselves, emotionally complex, and richly developed. Their arcs emphasize growth, resilience, and mentorship, offering accessible yet meaningful material for students to analyze and discuss.

The film invites students to explore how both internal and external conflicts shape a person’s identity and sense of purpose.

Students can also examine how visual and cinematic elements (like color palettes, sound design, camera movement, and lighting [shadows]) communicate character development. This opens the door to multimodal literacy and allows students to interpret meaning not just through words, but through images and sound.

Shadows, Masks, and Meaning

One powerful motif that threads through the film is the image of the shadow. Traditionally, shadows represent darkness, secrecy, even villainy. But in Into the Spider-Verse, Miles becomes “the shadow Spider.” He steps into the shadows not to hide in fear, but to face truth—about his uncle, about who he wants to be, about the power he carries.

This is an easy launchpoint to activate student knowledge and engagement. Ask them:

What do shadows usually symbolize?

Can they also represent growth or transformation?

Shadows often mark the beginning of a private, invisible journey—a space many teenagers find themselves in. After asking students about shadows, I would also ask them about masks:

When have we learned about masks this year?

What can masks be symbols for?

Are masks good? Or bad?

The mask is a recurring symbol across literary history and superhero stories. Masks can conceal or protect, hide or reveal.

Like Odysseus disguising himself to reclaim his home, Melinda in Speak retreating into silence as a form of protection, or Ponyboy in The Outsiders masking his sensitivity to survive in a divided world. Even Jack and the boys in Lord of the Flies use painted faces to shed civility and embrace something darker. In each case, the “mask” functions not just as concealment, but as transformation. In Into the Spider-Verse, the question of the mask becomes central to Miles’s growth: it is both a shield and a statement. His father, Jefferson, openly wrestles with what the mask symbolizes—raising questions about visibility, heroism, and trust. These layers invite students to consider: when does a mask protect, and when does it limit? What does it mean to truly be seen?

Why It Works for Freshmen

Freshman year is a time of transition socially, emotionally, and academically. Students are learning to articulate ideas, take creative risks, and express their growing understanding of themselves and the world around them. Into the Spider-Verse meets them at that intersection.

The film is exciting and accessible, but also intellectually rich. It provides clear structure and modeling for analysis while also inviting students to push deeper—to notice patterns, to ask questions, to express their insights through writing, discussion, and creative interpretation. In short, it’s the perfect springboard for helping freshmen develop critical thinking skills while engaging with a story that feels modern, meaningful, and relevant.

Want to teach Into the Spiderverse in your classroom? I've put together lessons accessible for High School ELA teachers that are grounded in skills and standards while remaining engaging and accessible for students.