New Spider-Man Animated Short Raises Awareness For Mental Health

Announced last summer, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story is a short animated film focused on Miles Morales having an anxiety attack that takes on a physical manifestation. The short film debuted at Annecy International Film Festival and finally debuts online for fans to watch.

“We are proud to officially debut The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story, in partnership with the Kevin Love Fund and the education initiative, #TheHeroWithin,” the official Spider-Verse Twitter account posted. “Because everyone is going through something, even superheroes like Miles Morales.” You can watch the seven-minute short below.

In it, a dark figure tries to attack Miles, who also sees projections of spiders in his bedroom and all over him as he tries to escape the figure. Shameik Moore and Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry reprise their respective Spider-Verse roles as Miles and his father, Jefferson.

The Spider Within was produced by Sony’s Leading and Empowering New Storytellers (LENS) initiative, which aims to help cultivate talent from underrepresented groups. Director Jarelle Dampier said he and writer Khalla Amazan came up with the idea for The Spider Within after Dampier had a massive anxiety attack after he was accepted into the program.

“The day that I was offered this job to direct this film, I had the largest panic attack I remember in my life. I spent the night in the hospital. I was so excited and happy at the opportunity and yet my whole body shuts down,” he said at the time. “I wanted to explore that and to open the door for some healing conversations for everyone.”