Is Marvel’s Newest Spider-Verse Hero a Nod to My Hero Academia?

September 27, 2022, 2:57pm

If there is anything Marvel has taught us in life, it is that you can have too many Spider-Verse heroes. From Peter Parker to Miles Morales and beyond, the publisher has welcomed dozens of spider heroes from across time and space. Of course, they all have their own quirks, and many were spawned by their own well of inspiration. And following their recent debut, fans are curious whether Marvel’s latest spider heroine is a nod to My Hero Academia.

So, let’s catch you up on the theory. The whole thing came to light when Hida Haruka debuted in the Marvel Universe a couple of years ago. The young girl, who hails from Earth-19966, was an average student whose life was turned around when they were bitten by a radioactive spider. For the most part, their origin story follows that of Peter Parker’s own, and they share the same sort of powers. But when it comes to looks, well – you can see why Izuku would do a double take.

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After all, the young girl bares a remarkable resemblance to Uraraka Ochaco. From her brunette bobs to her petite muscular frame, the comparisons are easy to add up. It only becomes worse when you realize her Sakura Spider outfit is colored white and pink just like Ochaco’s own suit in My Hero Academia. And when it comes to their personalities, both girls are headstrong and optimistic despite dealing with villains on the regular.

Recently, theories about the two girls popped up as Sakura Spider reappeared in the Marvel Universe, and this is their latest outing since debuting in Deadpool: Samurai. Of course, the fandom’s speculation went wild once Ochaco was brought into the picture, and it didn’t help that Deadpool: Samurai features an actual cameo from All Might himself. There is no denying Marvel is aware of My Hero Academia’s sway on the superhero scene, and the manga’s creator is a notorious fan of Spider-Man. If the publisher wanted to pay homage to Kohei Horikoshi’s work, basing a new Spider-Verse hero on one of his own characters would do the trick. So if you consider Sakura Spider a secret nod to Ochaco, just know you aren’t alone in that.

Do you see the resemblance here between the two…? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.