Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Star Brian Tyree Henry Reveals How His Own Childhood Inspired the Movie

Spider-Man fans are finally returning to the Spider-Verse this weekend, as Sony Pictures Animation is releasing the long-awaited sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will explore countless corners of the expansive multiverse that we were merely introduced to in the first movie, and there will be a ton of new characters from those different realities. As big as the franchise gets, however, the story is still keeping it’s focus on family. 

Miles Morales’ parents played an important role in the first film, and it appears the same goes for Across the Spider-Verse. In addition to exploring the Spider-Verse, Miles is also trying to figure out how to be a hero at home. At Tuesday night’s premiere of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Brian Tryee Henry spoke to ComicBook.com’s Aaron Perine about how his own upbringing helped shape his portrayal of Miles’ dad, Jefferson Davis.

“I know the kind of household I was raised in. I know the kind of parents I had and I wanted to do the opposite of that,” Henry explained. “I wanted to make sure that there were all different kinds of flavors represented. You’re raising this Afro-Latino son, who you don’t know is running around being a superhero, but you know that there’s secrets, that you’re trying to reach him, that he’s growing. What does that look like?”

Henry went on to explain that Jefferson and Rio are just trying to walk the line between being supportive and being suffocating, something that every parent wrestles with.

“I think every parent wants to feel like their child knows their love, that their child knows that they’re nurtured while also trying not to strangle their child at the same time,” he continued. “So I love that kind of dynamic that Luna [Lauren Velez] and I bring to Jefferson and Rio. And at the end of the day, we still care for him. We still love him no matter what kind of superhero is out there. He’s always been exceptional to us.”

Miles Morales returns to the big screen in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, hitting theaters on June 2nd. Miles (Shamiek Moore) reunites with fellow heroes Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) for another web-swinging adventure through the multiverse, finding himself at odds with the Spider-Society led by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). Other new heroes include Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), while new villain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) also enters the fray. The sequel to Sony Pictures’ hit 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, and written by the team of Chris Miller, Phil Lord, and Dave Callaham.