Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is quickly rising to become a source of pop-culture references that will extend the film’s relevancy. Not only did the film represent some of the Spider-People that we all know and love. It also introduced the concept of Canons to the Spider-Verse. Canons are widely recognized for the role they play in literature and media. But Across the Spider-Verse breaks it down to a more granular and personal level for the characters.
Every Spider-person we know, from Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man to Tom Holland‘s, has things that connect them. If Miguel O’Hara’s theory is correct about the Spider-Verse, the interruption of these connections will ruin not just the Spider-Verse. But every other Spider-person and non-Spider-People as well.
What Are Canon Events?
Canon events in the Spider-Verse are the defining moments in a Spider-Person’s life. It is their coming-of-age stories. They take the same shape and are the points at which all Spider-people are connected. The common Canon events for the Spider-People are the death of characters like Uncle Ben or Aunty May. Each Spider-man has to deal with a version of this loss. In some cases, they might also have to deal with the death of a police Captain who is close to them. Either the father of a girlfriend, as we saw with Gwen Stacy’s father from Andrew Garfield’s Spiderman.
Canons are a way of connecting the dots between various characters. Hence, Canon events are not just the moments that all Spider-heroes share in common. It is the link that connects all of them. They might not have the same villains, but they will all lose either an uncle or aunt and/or a policeman who is close to them. The importance of these canon events is the premise for the conflict in Across the Spiderverse.
Do Canons Mean that All Spider-man Films are Connected
From the explanation of canons, it is clear that all the Spider-man films are somewhat connected. The establishing of the things that count as canons, as was done in Across the Spider-Verse, offers a sense of continuity and cohesion to this superhero universe. This means that all the Spider-Man films, comics, TV shows, and games are ultimately connected. No matter how different they may appear on the surface and in the medium.
There is a growing trend of interconnected superhero universes, as seen with The Spider-Verse and on a larger scale with the MCU. This established the plausibility of canon events and how they connect all these characters. When a single event can impact all of these different adaptations and versions of a character, it creates a sense of cohesiveness and purpose. This can be incredibly powerful for fans. The multiverse-shattering events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was also talked about in Across the Spider-Verse, shows how a single event can reverberate across multiple adaptations. This creates a shared sense of history and meaning for these franchises and for the fans
What Does Breaking a Canon Mean for the Entire Spider-Verse?
According to Miguel O’Hara, breaking canon events disrupts the Spider-Verse. This causes all Spider-Heroes to lose their connection to each other and ruins universes. This is what happened when he broke a canon event. When Miles Morales learns that his uncle dying was a canon event that all Spider-People experience. He is reminded of this loss which had happened less than a year ago. But things get worse when he learns that the Police Captain in his life, his father, was also going to die. This affirms the promise Spot had made earlier that as his arch-enemy, their lives will always be connected.
Miles Morales is immediately aghast at the thought of losing his father. But Miguel decides to “arrest” Miles to protect the Spider-Verse. This kicks off one of the best battles that has ever graced a film. The validity of O’Hara’s claim comes under question, as seen in the film. What this means is that the Spider-Verse may not crumble. But it shows that with the Spider-Verse canon events, each Spider-Person deals with a version of the same tragedy, and it means they are all connected on the same level of loss and grief.
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