The popularity of Miles Morales as Spider-Man has exploded into the mainstream with Sony’s Spider-Verse films and Insomniacs Spider-Man game, leading many to wonder who could play the character in live-action as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2002’s Spider-Man, the character of Peter Parker has been the sole live-action version of Spider-Man across Sony’s franchises and Marvel Studios’ iteration of the web-slinger. However, with Miles only growing more popular thanks to the aforementioned properties, it is only a matter of time before the MCU includes its own variation of Miles’ Spider-Man.
Aside from Miles’ growing popularity, the MCU has included subtle hints that he could be introduced in the future. From Donald Glover’s appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming as Aaron Davis – Miles Morales’ uncle – to the tongue-in-cheek comment of Electro’s in Spider-Man: No Way Home that “There’s gotta be a Black Spider-Man somewhere out there”Miles Morales’ MCU future has been teased. While it is worth noting that these candidates for Miles’ live-action iteration do not all adhere to the character’s Afro–Latin American background, all have their merits. While Marvel Studios would ideally find an actor of this cultural background, here is every popular choice for live-action Miles in the MCU.
Contents
- 1 20 Lonnie Chavis
- 2 19 Maceo Smedley
- 3 18 J.D. McCrary
- 4 17 Dallas Dupree Young
- 5 16 Miles Brown
- 6 15 Alex Hibbert
- 7 14 Caleb McLaughlin
- 8 13 Chosen Jacobs
- 9 12 Myles Truitt
- 10 11 Marcus Scribner
- 11 10 Jaden Smith
- 12 9 Jharrel Jerome
- 13 8 Rhenzy Feliz
- 14 7 Marquis Rodriguez
- 15 6 Chance Perdomo
- 16 5 Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
- 17 4 Justice Smith
- 18 3 RJ Cyler
- 19 2 Shameik Moore
- 20 1 Tyler James Williams
20 Lonnie Chavis
Possibly the most age-appropriate actor on this list to play live-action Spider-Man/Miles Morales in the MCU is Lonnie Chavis. Chavis’ most popular roles come from the NBC Drama This Is Us in which he portrayed a young Randall Pearson in the show’s flashbacks. In 2020, he starred in David Oyelowo’s The Water Man with the young actor continuing to prove his merits. Chavis is still relatively young, not turning 21 years of age until 2028. With this in mind – and his prior acting performances – the actor could easily bring Miles to life in the MCU as a protégé of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
19 Maceo Smedley
Maceo Smedley is another suitably aged actor to portray Miles Morales in the MCU, with the actor turning 21 in the same year as Chavis. Also, Smedley already has ties to the MCU after previously playing a young version of Tyrone “Ty” Johnson, also known as the hero Cloak, in the Freeform series Cloak & Dagger. With additional roles in WGN America’s Underground and Netflix’s All About the Washingtons, he’s a comfortable fixture in front of the camera, but not so well-known that his presence would detract viewers from his potential portrayal of Miles Morales.
As with Chavis, Smedley’s age plays in his favor. Younger than peers who might be in the running for the coveted MCU role of Miles Morales, Smedley has both the chops and the range to win over viewers anxious to see Morales in his live-action glory. As a result, Smedley could easily fit in as part of the cast of future big-screen MCU Spidey adventures following No Way Home.
18 J.D. McCrary
Another actor who shares a birth year with Chavis and Smedley is J.D. McCrary. The young actor, singer, and dancer has previously made waves appearing on Little Big Shots and backing up Donald Glover/Childish Gambino on the song “Terrified”. In terms of his film experience, McCrary voiced young Simba in the live-action remake of The Lion King, which featured Glover as the older version. As evident from his roles as Kenny on the OWN sitcom The Paynes, McCrary has acting chops to fit his immense musical talent, meaning he is an ideal candidate for Miles Morales in the MCU.
17 Dallas Dupree Young
After bursting onto the scene as Kenny Payne in Netflix’s Cobra Kai, Dallas Dupree Young would be another great choice for live-action Miles Morales in the MCU. Young exhibited a great range of acting in Cobra Kai, going from a happy-go-lucky boy to an aggressive, troubled young man. As a result, the actor could easily bring that range to a role as complex with emotion as Miles Morales. Similarly, Cobra Kai showcased Young’s affinity for martial arts, meaning he could also bring the more physical aspects of Spider-Man to life as Tom Holland does with the MCU’s Peter Parker.
16 Miles Brown
If any actor seems destined to land the role of a character with his own first name, it may very well be Miles Brown. Best known as Jack Johnson in the ABC comedy Black-ish, Brown has similar multicultural roots as his proposed fictional counterpart, something the above candidates lack. His father – rapper Wildchild – is Black while his mother – Cyndee Brown – is Filipino and Mexican.
Aside from his cultural background and acting ability, Brown has many other skills. Akin to J.D. McCrary, his background in dance is as strong as his ability to act. Also, Brown released his own album titled “We the Future” in 2020, and he was tapped as one of Hollywood’s top 30 stars under 18 by The Hollywood Reporter. With such a range of talent, Brown could easily tackle the transformation of Miles Morales from a reluctant hero to the MCU’s Spider-Man alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
15 Alex Hibbert
Every so often, a child actor comes along who needs no previous acting experience in order to capture viewers’ hearts. Edward Furlong did it in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Alex Hibbert did it as “Little” Chiron in the groundbreaking, award-winning, and beautifully made film Moonlight. Acting alongside Mahershala Ali, who will bring the character of Blade to life in the MCU, Hibbert demonstrated natural abilities in front of the camera that became the heart and soul of the film’s first third.
Such earnestness is what made Miles Morales such a compelling character in both Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse. With Hibbert exhibiting similar earnestness in Moonlight, he could very well bring the role of Miles to live-action in the MCU. With Hibbert under the mask, the angst, sweetness, and heroic nature needed to keep Miles true to form will be accounted for.
14 Caleb McLaughlin
Perhaps the most popular actor often tipped for the role of Miles Morales in the MCU is Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin. As one of Stranger Things‘ most prominent characters, he excelled in comedic timing and delivery. Stranger Things 4 also exhibited his dramatic range, with the season finale allowing McLaughlin to break viewers’ hearts with a stellar emotional performance. Alongside fan casts linking him to the MCU, the Stranger Things writers want live-action Miles Morales to be played by McLaughlin, taking to social media to hail him as the perfect live-action casting for Spider-Man.
Alongside this, McLaughlin’s role as Cole, the wayward teen at the heart of the Netflix drama Concrete Cowboy, showed he has the gravitas needed to play Miles. All Spider-Men carry a heavy burden as heroes, from the guilt of watching loved ones and heroes die to the stress a secret life puts on family relationships, and McLaughlin has the strength to balance those things with the playfulness that’s also required to bring the MCU’s Miles Morales to life. While McLaughlin is slightly older than the other actors mentioned before him, Marvel Studios could easily age Miles up somewhat as a college student who strikes a friendship with Peter Parker.
13 Chosen Jacobs
While Chosen Jacobs is of a similar age to McLaughlin, the actor’s younger appearance would allow him to play Miles Morales either as a teen or an aged-up version. Jacobs is no stranger to large Hollywood productions either, after nailing the role of young Mike Hanlon in the recent Andy Muschietti two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel It. Alongside his young costars, Jacobs brought one of King’s iconic characters to life in a way that proved his acting credentials.
Again, the key to ensuring he sticks the landing is casting him before he ages out of the range of believability. While he could play a 15-17-year-old Miles Morales, Marvel Studios could bring an older version of Miles to the screen to adhere to Jacobs’ age. Not only would this give Marvel Studios more freedom to cast actors like Jacobs as live-action Miles in the MCU, but it would differentiate the character from both the comics and the recent Spider-Verse iterations.
12 Myles Truitt
Myles Truitt already has experience playing a super-powered character, thanks to his role as Issa Williams on the series Black Lightning. Of course, previous superhero work is not required for actors or actresses looking to make the transition to superhero filmmaking. Regardless, previous experience in the genre could aid Truitt as a potential candidate to play Miles Morales in the MCU.
In addition, Truitt has experience working alongside some heavy Hollywood hitters. In 2018, he was the child star of Kin and while the film performed poorly commercially, it saw him hold his own alongside Dennis Quaid, James Franco, Zoë Kravitz, and Michael B. Jordan. The ability to own his character without getting lost in the shadow of the MCU’s bigger stars is a must, and Truitt’s experience plays in his favor.
11 Marcus Scribner
Another biracial actor from Black-ish who would be a worthy candidate for who could play Miles Morales, Marcus Scribner got his acting start when he was 10 and is clearly comfortable in front of the camera. His athletic abilities might also come in handy for the action sequences that would undoubtedly be required for a role in the MCU.
Like many other candidates, Scribner’s age means the clock is ticking if he were to win the role, and it’s likely a stretch to place him as the 13-year-old Marvel fans first meet when Miles dons his signature black-and-red suit. As a result, aging Miles up to portray him as a college student could be vital to Scribner portraying the character. His former roles and athletic ability could aid his fan casting as Miles Morales in the MCU, though a younger actor may better suit the role.
10 Jaden Smith
The son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jayden Smith is no stranger to the camera. Having first appeared alongside his father in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness when he was just 8 years old, Smith has gone on to appear in films like The Karate Kid, After Earth, and more recently, Netflix’s The Get Down. While Smith could be seen as quickly aging out of the character of Miles Morales, his younger appearance could allow him to play Spider-Man in the MCU. After all, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield pulled off a teenage Peter Parker at ages older than Smith’s as of 2023.
While he could certainly pull off a turn as Miles, his focus on a music career might prove to be too much of a distraction for Disney. Similarly, Smith’s bold personality has led to a somewhat controversial online presence in recent years. Regardless, his acting chops and immense talent prove that he could carry the role, despite Smith’s fame potentially overwhelming a role that will be one of the biggest additions to the MCU since its inception.
9 Jharrel Jerome
Jharrel Jerome is both an actor and rapper, and that seems to play well into Miles Morales, whose love of music plays a big role in his animated counterpart. Alongside this, Jerome has proven his acting skills in projects like Moonlight where he played Kevin, Chiron’s love interest. As well as appearing in Netflix movies such as When They See Us and Concrete Cowboy, Jerome has proven his worth as an actor. Interestingly, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse saw Jerome voice the Earth-42 version of Miles Morales, linking him to a potential role as the character in live-action.
As is common with many fan-casts for Miles, Jerome is certainly too old to play a teen version of the character. While voice-acting enables Jerome to portray a 15-year-old Miles in Across the Spider-Verse, a live-action appearance would naturally be different. The MCU would have to age Miles up, without losing any of the character’s attributes or story beats that make him so popular.
8 Rhenzy Feliz
Much like Maceo Smedley before him, Rhenzy Feliz has already appeared in the Marvel universe after starring as Alex Wilder in Marvel’s Runaways. However, that show was never considered canon to the MCU, so there is a chance that he could show back up in a very different role in the future. This is even more possible with the inclusion of the MCU multiverse, which could easily explain Feliz’s future potential appearance as live-action Miles Morales. Much like the other actors on this list, Miles’ age would need to be altered for Feliz to portray the character, though his Dominican descent proves his cultural background links to Miles’ comic origins.
7 Marquis Rodriguez
Another, lesser-known candidate to play Miles Morales in the MCU would be Marquis Rodriguez. The actor is known primarily for his roles in projects like Definitely, Maybe, Luke Cage, and When They See Us. Despite being older than a lot of candidates on this list, Rodriguez has a much more youthful appearance that could certainly translate into a live-action Miles Morales. Also, Rodriguez is of Latin-American descent, meaning he would perfectly link to Miles’ cultural heritage.
6 Chance Perdomo
Chance Perdomo is another actor who could bring Miles to the MCU in live-action format. The actor is perhaps best known for his role as Ambrose Spellman in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Perdomo also received acclaim for his performance as Jerome Rogers in the BBC drama Killed by My Debt, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Perdomo’s talents speak for themselves, which could easily see the actor bring an older Miles Morales to the MCU alongside Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
5 Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
An actor also familiar with Hollywood productions is Jorge Lendeborg Jr. who previously portrayed the character of Memo in Bumblebee. Interestingly, Lindeborg has appeared in the MCU’s Spider-Man films as a schoolmate of Peter Parker’s named Jason Ionello, though the other MCU actors who have played multiple roles would allow him to play Miles Morales in live-action. Lendeborg has a similar cultural background to Miles, being of Dominican descent, and his young appearance means he could play Miles due to his former MCU high-school role despite being in his late 20s.
4 Justice Smith
Justice Smith has experience starring in major budget movies against special effects, so he could slide right in as someone who could play Miles Morales in the MCU. He played the main human character in Detective Pikachu, with Ryan Reynolds taking on the voice of his CGI partner. Smith has also appeared in the Jurassic World franchise, alongside an appearance in Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Smith is a lot older than Miles, but his youthful appearance means he could play a teenager if the MCU went in that direction with live-action Miles Morales.
3 RJ Cyler
RJ Cyler got his first big role in the drama movie Me and Earl and the Dying Girl in 2015, but he showed his action chops when he played Billy Cranston in the 2017 Power Rangers movie. While he played a young man on the spectrum, he was also able to show more range in the movie as the monster-fighting Blue Ranger. Cyler also had a chance at a comic book property with the underrated Swamp Thing TV show in which he had a recurring role.
Another interesting element about RJ Cyler as Miles Morales is the actor’s previous comments about wishing to play the character. In an interview with Screen Rant during promotion for 2017’s Power Rangers, Cyler outlined his desire to bring Miles Morales to life:
“I’d definitely want to be Miles Morales in Spider-Man. That’s my dream role, to be honest, to play Miles Morales, because for one, I know that I would totally geek out the entire time, because Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. I have a Spider-Man steering wheel, Spider-Man floor mats, that’s just me. So that’s my perfect role, that’s my ideal role for the future. Rather distant, or some other time, you know?”
2 Shameik Moore
Another actor who could play Miles Morales in the MCU is Shameik Moore. Moore is responsible for voicing Miles in both Spider-Verse movies for Sony, with the press tour for Across the Spider-Verse providing much discussion around the actor potentially bringing Spider-Man to life in live-action. In an interview with Empire, Moore admitted his wish to play Miles Morales in live-action, stating that “everyone knows I would be a great [live-action] Miles Morales. As I left the theater after that premiere, Jamie Foxx looked at me like… he knew, I think Tom Holland knows, too.”
However, like many other candidates on this list, Moore’s age may make his dream of playing Miles less likely, something the actor is aware of. Moore went on to say: “It just depends on how old they want Miles to be by the time they’re ready to do a live-action movie. That’s the conundrum with whether or not I end up playing him.” As Moore rightfully points out, Marvel will need to think about how old they want Miles to be in the MCU in order to give Moore a chance at making the transition from Miles in animation to live-action.
1 Tyler James Williams
Tyler James Williams is someone that a lot of people know thanks to two high-profile television roles. He was a young Chris Rock on Everybody Hates Chris, and then he starred as Noah on The Walking Dead. Since then though, Williams has earned critical acclaim for his role in Abbott Elementary, earning the actor multiple accolades including a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Clearly, Williams’ acting credentials speak for themselves. However, like many other of Miles Morales’ live-action candidates on this list, Williams’ age may be a hurdle for the actor’s potential MCU role.