Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Director Unpacks Its Dragon Ball Influence

Akira Toriyama’s death has shown how widespread the Dragon Ball creator’s influence was, not just with fans, but with countless creators in the entertainment world. Manga artists such as One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda, Naruto’s Masashi Kishimoto, and Bleach’s Tite Kubo all shared heartfelt tributes to Toriyama, though the world of Hollywood has also been hit hard. In a new interview, the director of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, Joaquim Dos Santos, detailed his appreciation for Toriyama and how the manga artist has impacted his life. 

Dos Santos has had a major influence on some big animated properties in recent memory. One of the creator’s earliest directorial works was none other than the original Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which Joaqium helped put some serious action into Aang and the gang’s lives. Aside from the beloved animated series. Dos Santos has also shown off his directorial skills on the likes of Justice League Unlimited, The Legend of Korra, GI Joe: Resolute, and Voltron: Legendary Defender. Slated to take on the third entry of the Spider-Verse series, Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse, Dos Santos continues to have a big influence on the animation world.

Dragon Ball: Into The Spider-Verse

In a new interview with outlet Polygon, Dos Santos detailed his re-entry into the Dragon Ball series with his son, “You can’t deny that Akira Toriyama was a huge influence just generally on the medium. I’ve been watching Dragon Ball Z with my son. He’s 8 years old, so he just became a DBZ devotee. So I’m watching all the classics with him and that’s really special. The fact that he’s coming into this on his own now and starting to figure it out without me pushing it on him. I want to make sure I’m not influencing him too much. He’s found his own favorite anime and that’s been really special.”

While the story of Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse will continue in the upcoming third film, the animated blockbuster has been delayed indefinitely for now. No release date has been shared but that doesn’t stop fans from counting down the days until Beyond The Spider-Verse hits theaters.

How are you mourning the passing of Akira Toriyama? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the legacy of Akira Toriyama. 

Via Polygon