Sony and Disney have been at odds for years over who would own the rights to certain Marvel Comics characters. Thankfully, they reached an agreement regarding Spider-Man, as fans embraced Tom Holland’s portrayal of the beloved character, as well as the animated “Spider-Verse” franchise centred around Miles Morales.
Speaking of the latter, Marvel Studios Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige recently hinted that the character will make his MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) debut once “Beyond the Spider-Verse” is completed. Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly when that will happen, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from suggesting who should play the popular superhero in a live-action film. Without further ado, here are 6 actors we believe could play Miles Morales.
1. Shameik Moore
Let’s start with the most obvious choice: the voice actor for Miles Morales in the “Spider-Verse” franchise. Shameik Moore has voiced the iconic character in all three Spider-Man animated films: “Into the Spider-Verse” (2018), “Across the Spider-Verse” (2023), and “Beyond the Spider-Verse” (TBA).
The actor could easily reprise his role in a live-action adaptation, as he is already familiar with the character. However, he once told Empire that he was aware his chances were unlikely due to his age. “It just depends on how old they want Miles to be by the time they’re ready to do a live-action movie. That’s the conundrum with whether or not I end up playing him,” he said. With the multiverse established in the MCU, it’s still very possible for the 27-year-old to play an older variation of Miles Morales.
2. Justice Smith
Justice Smith is a few years older than Shameik Moore, but his youthful appearance could still help him land the role, perhaps in a storyline where Miles Morales is already in college. Not only that but the actor has plenty of experience when it comes to acting in CGI-heavy films such as “Detective Pikachu”, “Jurassic World” and “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”
3. Chosen Jacobs
If Marvel is planning to make a teenage Miles Morales film, then Chosen Jacobs might be perfect for the role. Despite being 23 years old, he could still pass for a high school senior, making him a great candidate to play the young superhero in a live-action adaptation. He previously starred in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel “It” and the 2019 sequel “It: Chapter Two” as Michael “Mike” Hanlon. It’s also worth noting that he’s already familiar with Disney as he once starred in the Disney+ comedy film “Sneakerella”.
4. Myles Truitt
One of the youngest actors on our list, Myles Truitt, could have the chance to play Miles Morales. Like Chosen Jacobs, he could still portray Spider-Man in his late teens due to his youthful appearance. He also has experience starring in a superhero project, having previously appeared in “Black Lightning” as meta-human Issa Williams. Although experience playing a superpowered character is not required to portray Miles Morales, it could certainly help boost your chances.
5. Marcus Scribner
Miles Morales is a biracial character in both the comics and animated films. Marcus Scribner could be a good fit for the role, although the studio might need to adjust the character’s age. Regardless, the actor is known to be quite athletic, so performing his own stunts in a live-action adaptation of this version of Spider-Man would pose no problem for him.
6. Alex Hibbert
Finally, the youngest actor on this list: Alex Hibbert. If Marvel is looking for someone they’ve already worked with, they should check their contact list and consider the young star, who previously appeared in the 2018 film Black Panther. He played an unnamed character from Oakland who appeared in the final scene of the film, asking King T’Challa who he was. Marvel could easily reuse the archived footage as an introduction to Miles Morales in the MCU. Wouldn’t you agree?
