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Whittier Scholars Program Student Scholarship & Research
Spring 5-1-2023
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media
Anika Gonzalez
Whittier College
, [email protected].edu
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Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Other Film and Media Studies
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Gonzalez, A. (2023). Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media.
Into the Spider-Verse:
Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media
Retrieved from https://poetcommons.whittier.edu/scholars/33
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Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media
Anika Gonzalez
Whittier Scholars Program
March 16, 2023
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 1
ABSTRACT
Superheroes have become a popular genre that is becoming more successful at creating
box office records. As the superhero genre becomes more popular, more superheroes have been
created as symbols that reflect the increase of cultural identity representation in contemporary
media. Spider-Man is a superhero that also reflects these cultural identities by offering more
diverse and relatable variants of the Spider-Man character that allow him to normalize and
address their presence in media. This paper aims to analyze the different cultural identities that
Spider-Man media can connect to and how this connection can lead to a greater understanding of
cultural identity throughout media. This analysis considers four films of Spider-Man media
including Spider-Man (2002), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Spider-Man: Homecoming
(2017) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Looking at the Spider-Man films through
Marxist theory will aim to analyze how Spider-Man is a representative of the working class
struggling against an exploitative capitalist system. Another approach this paper will consider is
cultural theory which will analyze how Miles Morales is a culturally significant Spider-Man
figure due to his ability to prove that minorities can also hold the Spider-Man title without being
bound to the original story but extending further on what the Spider-Man identity represents.
When studied through the lens of feminist theory, Spider-Man media reveals the evolution of
women in the universe of Spider-Man media, where women have grown from damsels in distress
into characters with more agency and ambition. Through a queer theory analysis, it is revealed
Spider-Man takes on a role as a symbol of queer community’s struggle to become accepted in a
heteronormative society. Overall, Spider-Man has grown into a diverse character that can
connect to many cultural identities in order to normalize diverse voices in the media. Through
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 2
this analysis, a new perspective on Spider-Man is revealed as an adaptable symbol for various
cultural identities to be represented and creates opportunities for more to come.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 3
Spider-Man is a superhero that has become well known throughout the world. Through
his ordinary alter ego Peter Parker, he is able to connect to audiences in a more personal way. As
the world evolves to become more culturally diverse, so does representation in media. Spider-
Man has reflected these changes by becoming a more diverse character to the evolving cultural
changes in the world. Spider-Man media demonstrates how Spider-Man can become an
adaptable symbol to different cultural identities due to how relatable and socially conscious the
character is. By utilizing Marxist, Cultural, Feminist and Queer theories, Spider-Man can be
analyzed to determine his role in normalizing and addressing cultural identity in media through
his connections with various cultural communities that provide insight and understanding into
the attributes and struggles faced in each community. This analysis considers four films of
Spider-Man media including Spider-Man (2002), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Spider-Man:
Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). First by looking at Peter
Parker through a Marxist theory framework, he can be seen as a representation of the working
class who are taken advantage of by capitalism. The cultural theory framework reveals how
Miles Morales’ identity as a bi-racial Spider-Man provides a gateway into how Spider-Man’s
identity can be used to enrich the character, proving that racial identity does not define
expectations but can be utilized to expand on the values and meaning of Spider-Man. Through a
feminist theory framework the comparison between Gwen Stacy and MJ throughout the films
reveal how the role of superhero girlfriends has evolved from damsels in distress to characters of
more agency. Through a queer studies framework, the Spider-Man mask can be used to
symbolize the struggles of the queer community of being accepted into a heteronormative
society. This research hopes to gain more perspective in understanding the importance of how
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 4
Spider-Man represents these cultural identities in order to connect to and normalize their
presence in the media.
Superheroes have become an integral part of American media throughout the decades.
They provide a sense of escapism from the modern world through superheroes that are able to
save us from any evil force we can think of. Superheroes have become a symbol of hope and
justice in a distressing world. One of the most prominent companies that has created heroes for
audiences to enjoy is Marvel. The Marvel Comics company was started in 1939 by Martin
Goodman as a response to the rising comic books industry. Goodman’s editor, art director and
chief writer was Stan Lee. Along with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Lee created some of
the most popular superheroes for the Marvel company including the Fantastic Four and the Hulk.
One of the most well-known superheroes made by Marvel is Spider-Man, a superhero who
provided a new perspective by focusing on the person behind the mask rather than their
superhuman exterior.
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, Spider-Man’s story begins with a teenager
named Peter Parker who is bitten by a radioactive spider. This radioactive spider gives him
abilities such as strength, wall crawling, heightened senses and the ability to shoot webs. The
Spider-Man comics became a success for teenagers due to the fact that they could relate to Peter
and helped to connect to audiences in an empathetic and personal way. In their book, Enter the
Superheroes: American Values, Culture, and the Canon of Superhero Literature, Alex
Romagnoli and Gian Pagnucci describe the audience reaction to Spider-Man, stating “While
teens could not possibly relate to fighting Doctor Octopus, they could relate to Peter Parker
needing to get home in time so he wouldn’t upset his Aunt May. Teenage boys could also relate
to Peter Parker struggling with talking to girls on a daily basis at school. More so than other
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 5
superheroes before him, Spider-Man/Peter Parker lived an actual life that reflected a ‘real’
reality” (Romagnoli and Pagnucci 13). Teenagers were mainly seen as sidekicks in typical comic
book stories but the birth of Spider-Man revealed that teenagers can become their own heroes as
well which made the character become successful. Although the comics were a success, the rise
of video games and other forms of entertainment led to a decrease in comic book sales over the
years. In order to generate income, Marvel created a licensing deal with Sony in 1999 which
allowed Marvel kept the rights to use the character in comic books and merchandise while Sony
was able to use the character in films such as Spider-Man (2002), The Amazing Spider-Man
(2012), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). These
different iterations of the same character allowed them to explore the character through different
social contexts and introduce the character to new generations. Throughout the years, the
franchise has grown more diverse and has expanded its story further in order to represent the
cultural diversity of its expanding audience. The wide variety of films today have grown to
become a huge success for the franchise, leading the Marvel company to box office records and
becoming a household name for fans and non-fans alike.
One of the reasons that people can relate to Spider-Man is through his alter ego Peter
Parker. Peter Parker starts off as an average high school teenager who comes from a low-income
family. He strives to rise in class for his family, but struggles to do so. Economic justice has been
a common struggle among Americans, especially due to the rise of corporations who exploit the
working class. In the book, Critical Media Studies: An Introduction by Brian L. Ott and Robert
L. Mack, the concept of Marxism is described, stating, “Marxism is both a social theory and a
political movement rooted in the idea that ‘society is the history of class struggles’”(Ott and
Mack). This trend is prominent in the Spider-Man franchise, most notably in Spider-Man (2002).
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 6
Sony Pictures’ film Spider-Man was created in 2002 after Sony had acquired the rights to
Spider-Man in 1999. Although class conflict issues were always prevalent in the Spider-Man
franchise, the context of the film relies on corporate power and economic justice. This includes
capitalist corporations who are known for taking advantage of the working class. Spider-man
becomes a symbol of hope and perseverance for all Americans, especially the working class
people. The message of corporate social responsibility is prevalent in the film, as it aims to
condemn the role of corporations in a capitalist society through the greed and exploitation
displayed by Peter Parker’s adversaries.
In the film Peter Parker lives in a working class neighborhood with his aunt and uncle.
His family faces economic and social problems and have struggled financially throughout their
lives. During a class trip, Peter gets bit by a radioactive spider and develops superpowers which
he subsequently uses to win money. Using his powers for financial gain backfires on him and his
uncle dies as a result of his selfishness. Afterwards, Peter vows to use his powers for good and
takes on the persona Spider-Man to help the people of his neighborhood with his abilities.
Meanwhile Norman Osborn is a man who created his own successful company and has
developed a serum that will enhance his strength and intelligence and even tests it on himself
which develops his evil alter ego, the Green Goblin. The company turns against him and fires
him in favor of a larger corporation. His alter ego uses his powers for evil and attempts to take
his company back. Spider-Man and Green Goblin fight until Green Goblin accidentally kills
himself with his own glider. The death of the Green Goblin by his own glider symbolizes how
immorally acquiring capital can backfire on a person, causing them to face the consequences of
their morally corrupt actions.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 7
The film presents corporate America as a greedy capitalist entity capable of hurting and
corrupting people such as Peter’s uncle Ben and Norman Osborn through the corporations that
they worked for. In the book, The Cinematic Superhero as Social Practice, Joseph Zornado and
Sara Reilly explain the cultural impact of the superhero genre in film which reveals “The
symbolic conflict in Spider-Man is between two ideations of America, a world inhabited by blue-
collar workers vulnerable exploited by capital and a corporate billionaire class driven to
homicidal madness in its desperate bid to stay on top” (Zornado and Reilly 61). At the beginning
of the film, it is revealed that after 35 years of service, Peter’s uncle Ben was laid off as a senior
electrician at the power plant. Although he is disappointed, he continues to find another job in
order to support his family. Uncle Ben is a victim of corporations who practice downsizing in
order to upsize their profits. He represents the working class proletariat who are treated as labor
rather than individuals and can be replaced or laid off at any time. They have little power in the
company and cannot do anything to fight back after they are let go. However, those with more
authority are able to have more control over their fate and are not willing to let go of their
success that easily.
Norman Osborn is a representative of a higher class bourgeoisie individual who owns his
own corporation called Oscorp. Oscorp is a company that is contracted by the United States
military to create a new super soldier serum. Osborn is given a quick deadline to prove it works
or the military will contract with Oscorp’s rival company instead. Despite warnings from
Osborn’s colleague, Dr. Mendel Stromm, Osborn plans to take the serum himself to prove its
worth. In this scene, Osborn is in the lab with Dr. Stromm. Osborn is viewed from a low angle to
demonstrate his role as a powerful bourgeoisie figure. It also signifies the power that he
possesses as he takes over the lab and tries the serum himself. Osborne is overcome with a sense
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 8
of urgency in that he is willing to take risks to keep the military’s funding in order to maintain
his company’s high status. Dr. Stromm is viewed through a high angle shot which demonstrates
his role as a powerless member of the proletariat. After Osborn transforms into Green Goblin, he
kills Dr. Stromm for doubting him (Spider-Man 0:14:57-0:17:47). Since Green Goblin represents
Osborn’s inner beliefs, it demonstrates how Osborn’s materialism causes him to value the serum
over the lives of his workers. He is corrupted not only by the super soldier serum but also his
greed and materialism to keep his business powerful. This is representative of how corporations
run their company. The lab that Osborn and Dr. Stromm use also symbolizes the risk taking
involved in making a business profitable. Much like scientists who take risks and experiment
new ideas, powerful figures take risks in their business, but mostly at the expense of their
employees. Companies are profit-motivated and determine the best way to capitalize their
workers and their labor in order to keep their high status. They are willing to exploit their
workers for the sake of business and maintain profit.
Despite Osborn’s efforts, Osborn’s company was sold to Osborn’s competitor instead, so
Osborn was voted out of the company to prevent a power struggle. This power struggle
demonstrates the idea that high class individuals are negatively affected by the greed that got
them to that position in the first place and will do practically anything to maintain it. Control
over a corporation is essential in ensuring its success, so by kicking Osborn out in order to
maintain control, Osborn’s competitor is taking action to remain on top as a powerful
corporation in military research and development. In Osborn's case he is not only losing control
of his company but also losing control of himself through the Green Goblin. Unlike uncle Ben,
he uses his resources to fight back and becomes the Green Goblin, a masked figure whose goal is
to take out the members of the Oscorp board who fired him and take back his power over the
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 9
company. Much like the Green Goblin, many companies’ boards ensure that they will remain in
power even after their company loses its power. In the case of the Enron scandals, company
executives had the ability to take advantage of their corporate power through fraudulent
accounting practices to increase profits. DiPaolo reveals the result of the Enron scandals, stating
“When the Enron Corporation went bankrupt in 2001, its employees’ retirement plans, based
heavily on the value of the energy company’s stock, were devastated. Naturally, several
executives with foreknowledge of the company’s precarious position granted themselves ‘golden
parachute’ retirements before the company imploded, so they did not suffer the same fate
(DiPaolo 93). At a board meeting for Oscorp, a member tells Osborn that the company has
accepted a buyout offer from Quest, Oscorp’s competitor. The board is unanimous in this
decision and is forced to fire Osborn in the process. Corporations are known to be able to take
advantage of their working class, putting their workers’ livelihoods at stake in order to remain
solvent. The Osborn corporation furthers this by demonstrating that they are even willing to risk
the career of a fellow bourgeoisie member in order to ensure that profits remain at an all-time
high.
Although Spider-Man uses his abilities to help those around him, he did not start off that
way. After Peter realizes he has powers, he immediately uses his power for personal gain by
attempting to win money wrestling so he could buy a car to impress Mary Jane. After winning
his round, he goes to collect the reward money but the owner refuses to give him the full amount.
This is the first instance in which Peter is taken advantage of by a corporation and discovers that
there is little he could do to receive his fair share of money. Peter is naive to the greed and power
a corporate entity can possess over him. In their analysis of Spider-Man as an American class
warrior in the George Bush Jr. era, DiPaolo reveals how the films and comics present Peter
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 10
Parker as a proletariat, stating, “One of the central themes of Spider-Man stories produced during
the Bush era is that corporations have so stacked the deck against financial upward mobility, and
so decimated the American middle class, that Peter will never rise to a position of wealth and
power unless he sacrifices all his ideals in the process, and becomes a de facto member of the
Bush Administration” (DiPaolo 92). In the George Bush era the economic performance index
was the lowest it had been since the Depression. Peter in the Spider-Man films reflected this in
the films by becoming an advocate for ordinary people who were affected by this and supported
justice for all Americans despite having been greatly affected by the economic downturn himself.
One of the reasons that Spider-Man connects to audiences is that he describes himself as
a “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” which demonstrates his dedication to protect all
neighborhoods despite their social status. Coming from a lower class, Peter understands the
struggles faced by proletariat communities which motivates him to help them without any cost. If
he were to rise in class he would no longer be a part of the proletariat community and lose the
values that caused him to become a symbol for justice. This predicament also demonstrates the
struggles faced by the working class due to rise in power. The proletariat is exploited by the
bourgeoisie which leaves them in a position where they are not only exploited but are deprived
of opportunities to rise in class. In order to rise in class they would have to become as ruthless
and immoral as the bourgeoisie which becomes conflicting with their personal values.
In the scene where Peter goes to collect money from the wrestling owner, the wrestling
owner is shown surrounded by money in order to display his materialism. Peter displays
happiness as he sees the owner counting money, but it quickly turns into a frown after the owner
reveals that Peter will only get a small portion of the earnings. After being cheated from his
earnings, Peter lets a robber steal the wrestling owner’s profits. This then transitions to Peter
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 11
walking up towards a large group of people. As Peter slides through the crowd the music builds,
creating tension. Peter kneels over his uncle Ben who lays there dying (Spider-Man 0:41:42-
0:44:22). By risking his values to get back at the wrestling promoter, Ben’s death reveals that
Peter cannot rise in class without personal cost. Uncle Ben is a figure in Peter’s life that has
taught him his values and the responsibility he has to take care of the people around him. His
uncle’s death is the embodiment of how Peter has betrayed those values, and therefore, must
suffer a great loss in order to restore his place as a blue-collar member of society. Peter’s
disregard for his values is reflected in American history since large corporations have taken risks
and sacrificed much of their values to become powerful, even if it means deceiving those less
fortunate than themselves. Members of the lower class can relate to Peter’s loss since it
represents their own struggles with corporate greed and manipulation which has left them stuck
in a lower social class with little resources or opportunities to rise above.
While Spider-Man becomes a more popular local hero, The Daily Bugle newspaper uses
his image as a spectacle to attract more people to buy their newspapers. Peter realizes that he can
use the need for Spider-Man pictures to his advantage, so he sets up shots as Spider-Man to sell
to The Daily Bugle. Publisher Jonah Jameson of The Daily Bugle uses his images against him,
transforming Spider-Man into a symbol of destruction and negligence. The commodification of
the Spider-Man image demonstrates the corruption that large media corporations are capable of
due to the power that they hold within a community. Despite knowing that Spider-Man has saved
countless lives, The Daily Bugle exaggerates the negative aspects of this character in order to
corrupt his celebrity image as a protector of the city and sell more newspapers. This corruption is
a result of the actions of Jameson being profit driven and utilizing capital to keep The Daily
Bugle a profitable corporation. This is also due to Jameson’s conflicting political views with
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 12
Spider-Man. Spider-Man represents an egalitarian view due to his belief that all people are equal
and should be given equal access to opportunities. However, Jameson represents more
conservative values where tradition is more valued and change is discouraged. The conflicts
between Jameson’s and Spider-Man’s beliefs further Jameson’s personal hatred for Spider-Man
and what he represents to society.
Since Peter Parker also works for The Daily Bugle, Jameson also takes advantage of
Peter Parker due to Jameson’s representation as a bourgeois figure while Peter represents a
proletariat. When attempting to sell his photos to Jameson for The Daily Bugle, Jameson first
degrades Peter by offering him a low price for the photos. Although they are all sitting down,
Peter and Jameson’s employee are viewed with a lower angle in order to demonstrate Jameson’s
dominance over them. When Peter attempts to go to sell them somewhere else for a higher price,
Jameson demands that he sit back down and offers him the standard freelance fee before giving
the photos to his employee to put on the cover of the Daily Bugle. When Peter asks Jameson for
a job, Jameson quickly turns him down and continues to offer freelance (Spider-Man 1:01:17-
1:02:42). This demonstrates Jameson’s ability to take advantage of vulnerable people in order to
make a profit. Jameson refuses to give Peter Parker a job and relies on freelance work as a way
to take advantage of Peter Parker’s labor by reducing the risk of having him as an employee
while still profiting off his work. This represents corporations who take advantage of their
workers despite how hard they work to make their wage. Jameson’s conflicts with both Spider-
Man and Peter Parker reveal that he is another bourgeois corrupted by greed and social order that
blinds them from seeing the truth about the consequences of their actions. The use of Spider-Man
in The Daily Bugle demonstrates how large corporations are able to control the media for profit.
People can also relate to Peter Parker since despite working hard for a company, he is treated
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 13
poorly and not given enough credit for his contributions. This reflects the struggle of the lower
class proletariat members of large corporations that are reduced to their labor due to the growth
of capitalism.
Many people relate to Peter’s struggles with economic and social issues. In all iterations
of Spider-Man, Peter remains a lower class hero who stands up for those who are not able to
stand up for themselves. People like Peter Parker can look up to Spider-Man because despite not
being able to rise in social and economic class, he is still able to make a difference in his
community by helping out those in his neighborhood. His egalitarian views make him a
representative of equality and fairness for everyone despite their background. Despite being
taken advantage of by large capitalist corporations, he still manages to maintain hope as a
representative of the proletariat. At the end of the film, Peter accepts the responsibility as the
city’s protector and sacrifices his relationship with Mary Jane in order to keep her safe. Peter’s
devotion to his role as a protector represents the superhero story’s ability to create hope as long
as superheroes will be there to protect us no matter who we are.
Through the introduction of the multiverse in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018),
different Spider-people are introduced that connect to a wider range of audiences in order to
appeal and make connections with minorities that don’t typically see themselves on screen
through Peter Parker. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this area is explored further as the
multiverse saga has allowed for different iterations of the same character to coexist, allowing for
further opportunities to diversify and expand characters under the umbrella of Marvel’s original
characters. Marxism reveals how large corporate entities are given more power over social issues
including controlling representation in media. In typical superhero comic narratives, the
dominating hegemony, or dominating cultural belief system, comes from white men which
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 14
makes it difficult for diverse voices to be heard. In their book, Romagnoli and Pagnucci reveal
the dominating hegemony in the superhero genre, writing “To a great extent, comic writers,
artists, inkers, editors, and other members of the many creative teams are predominantly white
males. This traditional homogeneity among the genre’s creators affects both racial diversity and
gender equality with the comics’ stories themselves” (Romagnoli and Pagnucci 133). Since
1962, Spider-Man was seen as a predominately white character due to the fact that the creators
were white themselves and therefore were biased in the creation of their characters to represent
themselves. The comic book industry relied on white American male comic book writers to set
the narrative for comic book superheroes which allowed them to exclude diverse characters in
bias of their own race. It also allowed them to set the values and expectations of the superhero
genre which is translated into the superhero films made today. By excluding diverse superheroes
from narratives it was difficult for ethnic kids to see themselves as the hero. Spider-Man,
however, changed this since his suit hid the color of his skin and therefore implied that anyone
can be under the mask. As diversity becomes more prominent in America, the media also
evolves to replicate this diversity outside of the mask. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
is a multiversal film which proves that anyone can become a hero despite any ethnic, gender or
class concerns that people can have. It proves that Spider-Man is for anyone and can be changed
to reflect different cultural values in order to further diverse voices and connect with a greater
audience.
In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Miles Morales is an Afro-Puerto Rican
teenager from Brooklyn who was bitten by a radioactive spider on the subway. Suddenly, Miles
discovers a collider made by Wilson Fisk to access parallel universes to bring back his wife and
son. However his plans are interrupted by Peter Parker, who sacrifices his life to save Miles and
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 15
the city. Miles takes on the Spider-Man role by using his powers to help those around him. Miles
suddenly meets Peter Parker from another dimension who helps him train to become the new
Spider-Man in exchange for help to steal data from Wilson’s research facility to create a flash
drive to disable the collider. However, they get caught at the research facility and are saved by
multiple Spider-people from other dimensions, including Spider-Woman, Peni Parker, Spider-
Ham and Spider-Man Noir. Together, they defeat Kingpin and Miles remains as his universe’s
own Spider-Man.
In the beginning of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Miles Morales struggles to
find his identity. This is prominent in the first scene as it shows Miles going to school. On his
way to school he passes by his old school where he greets his old friends and classmates.
However, at his new school, The Brooklyn Visions Academy, he does not fit in. His parents
made him join the school in order to not waste his intelligence on a regular education, but one
where he can be challenged. However, Miles feels more connected to his uncle, who fosters
Miles’ artistic talents and allows him to represent himself through his spray paint art. In the book
Panthers, Hulks and Ironhearts. Marvel, Diversity and the 21st Century Superhero, Jeffery A.
Brown reveals the importance of Miles’ struggle, emphasizing that “...critics were almost
unanimous in their praise of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, often emphasizing the balance
the film strikes between the importance of Miles’ ethnicity in a genre where most heroes are still
white men and the message that Miles cannot be reduced to just his ethnicity” (Brown 29).
Typically, ethnic struggles with identity usually rely on ethnic identity struggles. However,
Miles’ struggles rely on the expectations of his father versus what he really wants to be. Miles’
wants to form his own identity and is able to do so with his Spider-Man title. Through Spider-
Man he is able to not only find the balance between the expectations of his father and his uncle,
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 16
but also form a new identity for himself that he can be proud of. Audiences can likely connect
with this since identity is a common struggle that many people face. However, Spider-Man is a
character that explores identity through masking and unmasking the truth about a person.
Through the symbolism of being truly unmasked, audiences can find that their identity can also
be formed on their own account.
The inclusion of the different Spider-people helped to diversify the character of Spider-
Man. The different Spider-people that are represented in the film introduce themselves as Spider-
Woman, Peni Parker, Spider-Ham and Spider-Man Noir. These Spider-Man variants represent
different variations of diversity, period, species and gender. Brown reveals in his book the
importance of these Spider-Man variants, stating “...the implicit message of all these different
Spider characters is that anyone can be a hero, can be a ‘Spider-Man,’ regardless of their
ethnicity, gender, nationality or even species. Spider-Verse depicts the inclusionary logic that has
become associated with modern comic book multiplicities that true superheroism comes from
within and is not dependent on a specific ethnicity or gender.” (Brown 21-22). What made Miles
Morales interesting as a character was that he was a Spider-Man who was not Peter Parker, but
instead had his own story. Through the inclusion of a culturally different Spider-Man and
multiple other iterations, this indicates to audiences that anyone has the capability to become
Spider-Man. These characters also do not just replace Spider-Man, but extend on the original
brand of the superhero. In the final fight sequence, Miles partners up with Peter B. Parker and the
rest of the Spider-people in order to take down Kingpin and the Super-Collider. In this scene, all
the Spider-People display different abilities, such as Peni Parker’s robot, Peter Porker’s cartoon-
like abilities and even Miles’ ability to turn invisible. Eventually Miles saves Gwen and sends
the Spider-people back to their own universe before standing up to Kingpin himself (Spider-
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 17
Man: Into the Spider-Verse 1:28:00-1:36:09). In this scene Miles displays courage and a
responsibility to save other people much like the original values of the Spider-Man character.
Although Gwen was not able to save her own Peter Parker, Miles was able to save Gwen and
even stood up to Kingpin to save his mentor Peter B. Parker when the previous Peter Parker
could not defeat Kingpin himself. Miles’ ability to do what his mentor couldn't, proves that Miles
has grown to become his own version of the Spider-Man character, capable of doing what other
Spider-people can do and making his own decisions on what the Spider-Man identity means to
him. Audiences can relate to these different Spider-people since they represent the fact that
Spider-Man is an adaptable character to various cultural identities. This character can be molded
in different ways to appeal to different audiences while maintaining the values that Spider-Man
is known for.
Although Miles Morales serves as a good example of how diversity can be applied to the
character of Spider-Man, translating the race of a character from comic to film is not always
fairly portrayed. In Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Peter Parker starts off as Spider-Man,
skipping the origin story unlike the previous Spider-Man films. Peter Parker is back to school
after helping Tony Stark fight in Germany, but he longs to have the Avenger title. MJ is
introduced again as Michelle “MJ” Watson, but this time she is no longer a damsel in distress or
a romantic interest until the second film. Instead, Liz Allan is Peter’s high school crush. He
struggles to balance his academics with his superhero life, constantly looking for ways to prove
to Tony Stark that he should have a role as an official Avenger. This causes him to get in trouble
with the Vulture, a villain who is trying to steal advanced technology from Tony Stark.
Coincidentally, the Vulture’s daughter happens to be Liz Allan which complicates his mission.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 18
With the help of his best friend, Ned Leeds, Spider-Man defeats Vulture while also sacrificing
his chance with Liz in the process.
Although diversity in superheroes has proven to defeat exclusion in the superhero genre,
diversity in romantic interests for superheroes has suffered in the Spider-Man franchise due to
racebending. In Chamara Moore’s journal, “Swapping Heels for Capes: The Superheroine
Alternative to Racebent Love-Interests”, she reveals how the trend of “racebending” in
Hollywood has reduced the role of black women in Hollywood. Moore explains this term in her
article, explaining, “Racebending is when a media content creator (like a movie studio or
publisher) changes the race or ethnicity of a character. It is a longstanding Hollywood practice
with a complex and abhorrent history utilized to discriminate against people of color. The
primary issue with racebending is that it de-emphasizes the importance of race and ethnicity to a
character’s identity” (Moore 190). As love interests of Peter Parker, Liz Allan and MJ are
representations of this phenomenon. Liz Allan is played by Laura Harrier and MJ is played by
Zendaya Coleman who are both actresses that have African American roots. Although they are
portrayed as African American in the films, the characters of Liz Allan and MJ were both
originally white in the comics. By changing their ethnicities in the films, this indicates that the
characters’ racial identity does not have meaning in the context of the story and could be easily
stripped in order to make the franchise become more diverse. It reduces the importance of these
women when an independently diverse character can be introduced instead. The inclusion of
black women as only romantic interest also minimizes the role of black women as merely objects
of desire when they have the opportunity to gain agency or even have superpowers of their own.
The inclusion of Miles Morales combats this, by proving that people of any ethnic background
can become their own version of Spider-Man where they can expand upon the values of the
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 19
Spider-Man characters without becoming a direct imitation of Peter Parker. The Spider-Man
franchise can combat this by introducing new racially diverse characters that are not only
romantic interests but characters with agency as well.
As the Spider-Man universe evolves, many more people can relate to the character
through the variations of the Spider-Man character. The struggle with identity is crucial to the
character since Spider-Man must balance his human identity with his superpowered one. Miles
takes this aspect and uses it to form his own identity based on the original character. Differences
in gender, race, species and more can be used to connect to a vast variety of people through a
single character. Much like Miles, audiences can form their own identity through Spider-Man
and use it to discover more about themselves and how they can be represented in the media. In
addition, many different perspectives can be seen through this diversity which allows for more
understanding of different perspectives other than their own. Through these different
perspectives audiences can learn not only about others but also themselves through a single
character. However, diversity must be done carefully in order to ensure that everyone gets a fair
and original representation otherwise it will undermine characters’ racial identity in the context
of the franchise. Another aspect of Spider-Man media that offers a new perspective on cultural
identity is the overall role of women in the superhero genre.
Diverse representation also includes how women are portrayed in the context of the
Spider-Man franchise. In typical superhero narratives, women are rarely seen as active in the
story, and are usually seen as victims used to motivate the hero. In Miriam Kent’s book, Women
in Marvel Films, she describes the role of women in superhero narratives and how it has evolved
throughout the Marvel comics and Spider-Man films. She reveals that “The superhero girlfriend
has a consistent presence in Marvel comic books and their filmic counterparts. Often, she
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 20
provides the motivation for the hero’s actions through her victimization by a villain.
Occasionally, she fights back, though usually unsuccessfully, and frequently appears
unexpectedly when the hero is overwhelmed by the villain, providing a momentary distraction
during which the hero can recover” (Kent 29). In superhero narratives, women are seen as
passive, emotional and a product of the male gaze. In Spider-Man (2002), Mary Jane was seen as
the damsel in distress, a woman used solely for the purpose of motivating the hero. In the
opening of Spider-Man (2002), Peter Parker starts off by saying that the story is all about a girl
and the camera pans over to Mary Jane’s face. This places Mary Jane as an object of desire in the
film for Peter. This is furthered when Mary Jane poses for Peter’s camera for the school paper.
This scene is presented through Peter’s point of view as we see Mary Jane through the eyes of
the lens as she poses for Peter (Spider-Man 0:9:25-0:10:21). The lens represents Peter's desire for
Mary Jane and his dedication to have her. She is embodied as the sexual object of the male gaze
as Peter enjoys looking at her through this lens. This patriarchal representation is typical in the
superhero genre in order to idolize the men who are typically superpowered while women remain
defenseless sexual objects. This undermines women in society by displaying them as helpless
figures that are dependent on men.
The idolization of men in the superhero genre is also represented when Peter transforms
into Spider-Man and uses his abilities to save Mary Jane. In the book, Superhero Comics, Chris
Gavaler reveals his study of gender in the superhero genre, stating “Inverting the attractive-
because-effective logic of the male body, an appearance of female physical ineffectiveness is
attractive specifically because that ineffectiveness invites male intervention. She is attractive
because she is weak” (Gavaler 183). During the course of the film, Mary Jane is too weak to
stand up to anyone and becomes the sexual object for multiple people. This presents her as a
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 21
weak individual, one fit enough for Spider-Man to become her savior. In one scene where Green
Goblin takes over the World Unity Festival, the camera zooms in on Mary Jane’s reaction to
Green Goblin’s glider right before one of his pumpkin bombs hits the balcony she is standing on,
causing her to scream in terror as she slides off the balcony. Despite the explosion, Peter is seen
with a serious look while everyone else runs away (Spider-Man 1:06:27-1:10:21).
The juxtaposition of Mary Jane sliding off the balcony in helplessness is met with the
image of Peter running towards the action while taking off his shirt and revealing the Spider-
Man suit underneath. This demonstrates the gendered stereotype that women are more emotional
and men are more logical. Green Goblin rises above Mary Jane in a menacing manner before
Spider-Man swings by, knocking Green Goblin off his hovercraft. Before Mary Jane falls,
Spider-Man catches her and carries her in his arms as he swings throughout the city. The way
Mary Jane looks up to Spider-Man reveals the relationship between them. She is in a position of
weakness while he is displayed as more powerful and dominant over her. This representation of
women is similar to how women were presented in comic book stories. They had little power in
the story besides being the romantic motivation and could not take care of themselves. They had
to be rescued and taken care of by active male figures. This female representation due to the
dominating white male hegemony was created in the comics and translated to film which also
demonstrates how the media has not changed how women are represented in media. This is
furthered by Mary Jane’s role as a test of Peter’s values.
When Mary Jane becomes kidnapped by the Green Goblin, her life and the lives of New
York people are risked as Green Goblin makes Spider-Man choose between saving Mary Jane or
innocent bystanders. By putting Mary Jane in danger as well, Peter is forced to choose whether
to stick to his values or risk them to save the woman he loves. In this instance Mary Jane can be
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 22
seen as a “woman in refrigerator” due to the fact that she has been taken by Green Goblin as a
way to get to Spider-Man. Brown explains this term in his book, stating “The term fridging,
coined by comic book writer Gail Simone when she amassed the list of ‘women in refrigerators’
who had been unceremoniously killed, depowered, and/or sexually assaulted, has become a
common reference point for the unequal violence to which the women are subjected. Obviously,
male superheroes also suffer violent assaults and even death, but the men often rise again or
suffer in a heroic manner not afforded the women (Brown 33). Mary Jane represents this
stereotype since her life is at risk as a result of her connection to Spider-Man. Her placement in
Spider-Man’s narrative places her in the role of a passive woman waiting to be rescued by the
active Peter Parker. Spider-Man must use his logic to decide how to save both Mary Jane and the
bystanders, while Mary Jane displays a more emotional experience by fearing for her life and
waiting for Spider-Man to save her. This representation is harmful to women as it presents them
as powerless and dependent. It relies on stereotypes that are not representative of the evolved
feminist values that are present today.
Although in Spider-Man (2002) Mary Jane represented the typical damsel in distress, the
character Gwen Stacy had a more active role in Spider-Man’s journey in The Amazing Spider-
Man (2012) which proves that women can become more than a damsel in distress to the male
superhero. In this 2012 reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker continues to face the
same economic, social and romantic challenges. However, this iteration introduces Peter’s
parents in a vital role in Peter’s life. Peter was abandoned by his parents, but finds a mysterious
briefcase that was his father’s. He discovers that his father used to work with Dr. Curt Connors, a
scientist at Oscorp who is experimenting with cross-species genetics and turns himself into his
alter ego, the Lizard. Peter gets bit by a genetically modified spider at Oscorp, which gives him
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 23
his spider abilities. After letting a robber escape in order to get back at a cashier, Peter discovers
his uncle Ben has been shot by the same robber. He decides to use his abilities instead to help
others as the vigilante hero Spider-Man. Peter’s crush, Gwen Stacy, also interns at Oscorp as a
research assistant. With the help of Gwen, they create an antidote to restore Dr. Connors to
normal. This new version of Peter’s love interest provided Sony with an opportunity to reinvent
the character for changing times. Gwen Stacy was still a love interest for Peter, but displayed
more beneficial qualities such as intellect and bravery which contributed to Peter’s story in a
more active way. In one of the first scenes in which we are introduced to Peter Parker, Peter and
Flash get into a fight. In the scene, Gwen Stacy is introduced as she takes an active role in
stopping the fight and even stands up to Flash herself. Meanwhile in Spider-Man (2002), Mary
Jane took a passive role and watched in fear as Peter and Flash fought. The differences between
Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy reveal the evolution of the role of women in superhero stories. Gwen
reveals that women can take a more active role in superhero stories and can even become heroes
themselves. She quickly learns about Peter’s secret identity and is able to play an active role in
the Lizard’s defeat. This film accomplishes the goal of being an effective feminist piece of media
due to Gwen’s ability to speak for herself and stand up for other people. This aspect of her
personality shows the shift toward giving women agency that can inspire women to take an
active stance in their own lives by having the confidence to stand up to what is not right. It
demonstrates the evolved role of women in superhero narratives and how active they can become
in their stories.
The character of Spider-Man's love interest evolves further to becoming a hero herself. In
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Gwen Stacy reveals to Miles Morales that she is a
superhero herself called Spider-Woman. In Gabriel Gianola and Janine Coleman’s journal, “The
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 24
Gwenaissance: Gwen Stacy and the Progression of Women in Comics”, they describe Gwen
Stacy’s evolution from a “woman in refrigerator” to a Spider-Woman herself. They describe her
costume as a Spider-Woman, explaining “Comic book characters have had costumes featuring
hoods before, most notably Green Arrow and the Spectre, but the way the artist has drawn the
hood on Spider-Gwen manages to signal ‘woman’ with the hood in place of her hair. It says
“woman” in a new way for comics, and it says it from the neck up” (Gianola and Coleman 271).
The way that Gwen Stacy is represented in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) is different
from other female superheroes in that she is not seen sexualized by her body, but instead is fully
covered by her suit. The hoodie displays a way to display Spider-Woman’s gender in a non-
sexual way that makes her an equal to her male counterparts. She presents a more logical
character which goes against the assumed stereotypes of women being more emotional in the
media. The reveal of Gwen Stacy’s origin story reveals that she was the one bitten by a
radioactive spider. Unlike Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), she reveals that she
was able to save her father from dying. This difference reveals that the patriarchal roles are
switched in her story, as she aims to become the active person in her society rather than previous
iterations where she took a passive role in Spider-Man’s story. This demonstrates that she has the
capability to become just as skilled and powerful as Spider-Man by not only having more agency
but by becoming a Spider-person herself. This reveals that in the media women can become just
as active as men in their stories and even become heroes themselves when the artificial limits
placed on them by audience and publisher expectations are lifted.
Mary Jane’s role in Spider-Man can be rewritten in order to become a more effective
piece of feminist media by making her more active such as having the ability to stand up to those
that take advantage of her. By making her a more confident and outspoken individual, she can
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 25
become a feminist role model to women that feel discouraged to become an active part of their
community. Gwen Stacy is a better example of a feminist role model due to the fact that she has
more qualities to help Spider-Man than just being a romantic interest. She has intelligence and
bravery which contribute to Spider-Man’s story in many ways. In her encounters with the Lizard,
she shows bravery and fights back. It is also her intelligence that eventually defeats the Lizard
and saves the city from the Lizard’s plan. Spider-Man’s feminist narratives have evolved and
become more reflective of current society as the women portrayed are not just “women in
refrigerators” but also an active member of the superhero’s story. In Gwen Stacy’s role as
Spider-Woman she is able to become a superhero herself who is just as powerful as Spider-Man
which demonstrates the fact that women can be powerful heroes as well. This presents women in
a powerful light that can inspire women to become more active and see themselves as being
more than a romantic interest.
In addition to feminism, our culture has developed representation in film to include
additional genders and sexual identities, but this is rarely expressed in superhero films. In Ellen
Kirkpatrick’s academic journal, “Transformers: “Identity” Compromised”, Kirkpatrick reveals
the role of shapeshifters in the superhero genre to connect to transgender communities and
represent the struggles they face in a heteronormative society. Kirkpatrick exposes the Marvel
Cinematic Universe for its lack of queer representation, stating “The superhero genre, both
historically and currently, is exclusively heteronormative; in the first twenty-one MCU films
there was not a single example of a non-heterosexual character” (Kirkpatrick). As mentioned
before, superhero narratives focus primarily on heterosexual relationships, focusing on the
relationship between the powerful active male and the weak passive female. However, this focus
has excluded other sexual identities from being represented due to sexual othering and therefore
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 26
fails to connect to queer identities. Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy have always been female
romantic interests for the male Spider-man character. Although Spider-Woman exists to
empower women as more than romantic interests, there has not been a Spider-person who is not
heterosexual. This lack of representation has not only excluded those who are not heterosexual,
but also excludes those who have a different gender identity.
Gender identity is an aspect of Peter Parker that does not change after his transformation
to Spider-Man. Quoting Edward Avery-Natale on embodiment in DC superheroes, Ellen
Kirkpatrick writes, “Throughout all their transformations, such characters remain neatly
gendered; even mimics, those characters performing full material, often cross-gender
transformations (e.g., Mystique, Martian Manhunter), return to an original gender point: ‘even
the shape-shifter ultimately shifts back to a perfected and sexed human form’” (Kirkpatrick 126).
Despite the transformations that superheroes go through, they are still restrained by their original
gender identity. In fact, their gender becomes a more exaggerated representation of the male or
female gender during their superhero transformation. In Spider-Man (2002), after Peter Parker
gets bit by the spider, he receives toned abs, larger muscles and better eyesight which enhances
his role as the male protector. He even gets the name Spider-Man, confirming his identity as a
superpowered male hero. His powers make him an outcast to the rest of the world, yet his gender
identity remains consistent with heteronormative values. This demonstrates despite the large
transformation into a superpowered being, he will consistently be male due to preexisting
cultural norms about gender identity. Changes in gender identity are difficult to find in the
Spider-Man franchise. However, queer fans have utilized subtext in order to connect their
favorite characters to themselves.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 27
Those who want more representation of queer characters have looked for signs of queer
culture through subtext in order to create them on their own. The fourth persona, or hidden
messages, reveal a lot about the Spider-Man character, including his connections to queer
culture. Kirkpatrick mentions how “tanks” such as the Hulk transform from a regular human
male into monstrous creatures which the queer community has used to parallel how they feel in a
society where they are not accepted. Kirkpatrick dives deeper into this phenomenon, stating
“Permanently altered tanks manage and control every aspect of their subjectivity from their
appearance (e.g., Thing’s hat and trench coat) to their inner drives and desires. They seem to be
in a continual battle to remedy a mismatch, to demonstrate they are not the uncontrolled
‘monsters’ their ‘freak’ bodies make them out to be” (Kirkpatrick). One of the reasons that Peter
Parker wears a mask is to protect his identity and separate his normal life from his superpowered
one. Much like the Hulk, Peter Parker goes through a transformation by putting on the Spider-
Man suit which can be seen as a way to conceal his unnatural self. The mask is similar in the
way that queer identities sometimes have to be hidden from society due to cultural
preconceptions about gender and sexual identity deviating from the norm.
Although queer representation is not explicitly displayed in the Spider-Man films, there
are other ways that the queer community have found to connect with the character. The role of
sexual and gender identity is prevalent within the Spider-Man franchise though a fourth persona
which allows queer identities to connect to the character based on their own experiences being an
outcast and having to conceal their identity. With the growth of the Spider-Man multiverse, there
may be new iterations of the Spider-Man character that can relate to queer identities in a more
explicit way by having Spider-people that have different gender identities and sexualities that do
not conform to heteronormative values.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 28
Spider-Man has evolved from a comic book hero to a diverse representation of cultural
identities. Through different iterations of the character, Spider-Man connects to people of
different social classes, ethnicity, gender and sexualities. Peter Parker connects to the working
class due to his role as a proletariat in a society that favors the capitalist bourgeoisie which
represents the real world issue of capitalism in America where the working class is reduced to a
commodity towards materialistic corporate figures. The character Miles Morales connects to the
Afro-Latino community as their own iteration of the Spider-Man character that does not seek to
just change the ethnicity of the character but create their own Spider-Man story. Miles and the
inclusion of more variations of the Spider-Man character allow for various minorities to feel seen
by the character and allows them to connect with it in their own unique way. The role of Spider-
Man’s girlfriend is prevalent throughout the franchise. Starting off with Mary Jane, she presents
a passive role that has to be saved by the dominant Spider-Man. However, Peter’s next girlfriend
Gwen Stacy presents a character that has more agency over her situation and even contributes to
Spider-Man’s journey. Eventually Gwen evolves to become a Spider-person herself with the
name Spider-Woman. This demonstrates the fact that women are now given a role equal to men
in the superhero genre that allows them the same powers and capabilities to become active
heroes themselves. In addition, queer representation is also prevalent in the Spider-Man
character, as the queer community can relate to Spider-Man’s struggle to conceal his real identity
in a heteronormative society.
Overall Spider-Man is an adaptable symbol for multiple cultural identities with the goal
of normalizing and addressing cultural identity in media. As the Spider-Verse expands, more
diversity will be represented which will allow more minorities to feel seen through the Spider-
man character. As an avid superhero fan, Spider-Man is a superhero that is vastly different from
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 29
other superheroes I have seen. Through the many different critical schools of Spider-man, I was
able to see for myself how a character as unique as Peter Parker can make a lasting impression
on different audiences. The critical theory I connected most with is the cultural theory. Viewing
Spider-Man from a cultural perspective revealed to me how diverse the character has become.
There are many Spider-people that are introduced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
and even more coming in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). The multiverse is
constantly growing so I am eager to see if there will be a film featuring a Latina version of
Spider-Man in the future that I can closely relate with as well.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 30
References
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Century Superhero. Rutgers University Press, 2021.
Brown’s book provides an insightful look into how more inclusive and diverse
superheroes are being represented in Marvel Comics. It provides insight into how Miles
Morales uses Spider-Man as a way to shape his identity as a bi-racial teen.
Gavaler, Chris. Superhero Comics. Bloomsbury Academic, an Imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc, 2018.
Gavaler’s book provides insight into the history and cultural significance of superhero
comic books. It provides an insight into how superhero comics engage with gender and
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Gianola, Gabriel, and Janine Coleman. ““The Gwenaissance:'' Gender and the Superhero
Narrative”, 2018, pp. 251–284., https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv7vctg6.15.
Gianola and Colema’s journal article provides details on the role of gender in the
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research into the evolution of the character Gwen Stacy from a submissive love interest
into being an equal to Spider-Man through her Spider-Woman persona.
Kent, Miriam. Women in Marvel Films. Edinburgh University Press, 2023.
Kent’s book provides details into the role of women in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It
provides insight for research into the way that women are represented in the films and the
way that these representations have changed over time to fit a wider cultural landscape.
Kirkpatrick, Ellen. "TransFormers: “Identity” Compromised." Cinema Journal, vol. 55
no. 1, 2015, p. 124-133. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/cj.2015.0066.
Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 31
Kirkpatrick’s journal article describes the role of superheroes in the transgender
community. It provides insight into how the masking and transformation of the superhero
parallels the struggles faced by the transgender community to fit into a heteronormative
society.
Moore, Chamara. “Swapping Heels for Capes: The Superheroine Alternative to Racebent Love-
Interests.” Transition, no. 129, 2020, p. 190., https://doi.org/10.2979/transition.129.1.16.
Moore’s journal article provides details about the diversity of female superheroes in
media. It provides insight into how racebending has been utilized in the Marvel films and
suggests expanding diverse female superhero representation by creating new diverse
stories instead of relying on racebending for diversity.
Ott, Brian L., and Robert L. Mack. Critical Media Studies: An Introduction. Wiley Blackwell,
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Ott and Mack’s book provides details on how to analyze media through a cultural lens. It
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Paolo’s book provides details into the politics of superheroes and what they
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Into the Spider-Verse: Cultural Identity in Spider-Man Media Gonzalez 32
Romagnoli and Pagnucci’s book detail how superheroes have shaped and have formed
American values. It provides insight into how Spider-Man was created and the intended
audience for its comics.
Spider-Man. Directed by Sam Raimi, performances by Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and
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Spider-Man: Homecoming. Directed by Jon Watts, performances by Tom Holland, Laura
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Rothman, performances by Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, and Hailee Steinfeld, Sony
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Zornado and Reilly’s book provides details on superhero films as representations of
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representing the real life conflict between blue collar workers and capitalist
society.
