Talking to the Voice Talents of Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse! #SpiderVerse Opens this Friday!

I was invited on an all expenses paid trip to cover the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse press junket.  All opinions are my own.

As you know I loved the Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse movie!  I can’t wait to share my review soon so stay tuned.  I was fortunate enough to get to attend the press junket in LA.  While I was there I got to sit down and talk to some of the voice talent from the film.  Jake Johnson (“Peter Parker”), 
Shameik Moore (“Miles Morales”), and Luna Lauren Velez (“Rio Morales”)

One of my favorite comedic parts of the movie is when we are introduced to a sweat pant wearing Peter Parker who has basically given up.  Speaking of his character, Jake Johnson (“Peter Parker”) said, “I was playing Peter Parker as a real guy who’s had some disappointments, and has forgotten what meant to be Spider-Man even though he is Spider-Man as we all know him.” He told us that he always had great direction for his character.  Speaking of the Producers and Directors of the movie he said, “If you ever had a question, they always had an answer. This wasn’t something where they were like ‘”We think he’s like this, but what do you think?” No, they were like “He’s like this”.  They new every character and then they wrote around our strengths. And as an actor that was very nice.” Be sure to check out my interview with the Directors and Producers of Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse. 

The movie is very inspirational and has some great messages.  We asked what each one of them hoped the audience take away from the movie would be…

“Anybody can wear the mask. What I really like about that is, yes Peter Parker as you know him is Spider-Man.  Yes Miles Morales is Spider-Man. Yes Gwen is Spider-Woman.  And everybody has the power to make the great changed we see out of super heroes. Everybody has that power. What this movie is saying is that anybody can do it.  You just have to put that mask on.”-Jake Johnson (“Peter Parker”)

“I think kids will be able to relate (to Miles).  His parents send him to a school he doesn’t want to go to.  His parents are still together, and I think it is good for kids to see that.  Ultimately, I want kids to feel like their lives are represented in the movie.”-Shameik Moore (“Miles Morales”)

“I want kids to walk away with this feeling like “I can fly, I can do anything”. The way kids get that message is through representation, through seeing themselves. I hope they all walk away feeling like “That’s me. I am limitless. Every possibility is open to me.”-Luna Lauren Velez (“Rio Morales”)

When asked how he felt to be a part of this movie Shameik Moore (“Miles Morales”) said, “Out of however many thousands of people that live in Brooklyn Miles Morales gets bitten by that spider.  I feel like I got bitten by the spider of Sony to get to be Miles Morales.  Out of thousands of people that auditioned I was chosen.“

We asked Luna Lauren Velez (“Rio Morales”) what she hopes women and girls will take away from her character Rio Morales, speaking to that she said, “Strength, love, compassion, all of these things. We are so socialized to think you can only be a mom or a career woman. And somehow there is still a weird messaging about that. That they are mutually exclusive. I feel like she (Rio) is the personification of a working woman who is rooted in culture and family and the things that are important to her. I would love for woman and girls to walk away with “Yes, that is having it all.“”

I love the message of inclusion this movie has as well as empowerment.  One of the other bloggers in the interview told us about how excited her son was to have a black Spider-man.  Speaking to this Jake Johnson (“Peter Parker”) said, “I have two daughters and watching them see Wonder Woman and not have to pretend to be boy superheroes anymore.  If that is my daughters way into believing  Now they get to be Spider Gwen.  Or if your son gets to be Miles. And that’s his way in, or my daughters way into having the power to be a superhero, then we’ve won. And what’s amazing for me as a 40-year-old white guy is, Peter’s here too. Were all here.  Spider Gwen’s here. Miles is here. It’s 2018, were all here in this movie. I think we all feel really excited for everyone to see this movie, young and old.“

I completely agree.  I think everyone should see this movie young and old and I think it will be enjoyed very much by all. 

Stay tuned for my review post coming soon.

Spider-Man into the Spider-verse opens in theaters this Friday, November 14th!!