Why Miles Morales' Secret Third Spider-Man Movie Is Worth Watching Before Beyond The Spider-Verse

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Published Mar 13, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant, CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more.

Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor.

He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre.

To learn more, visit his website at shawnlealos.net.

The third feature film in the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie franchise hits theaters in 2027, landing in between the MCU's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. This movie ends the franchise that has consisted of some of the best Spider-Man films ever made. They tell the story of the Ultimate Universe's Miles Morales.

However, what a lot of fans don't know is that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will be the fourth movie in the franchise, not the third. While everyone raves about the first two movies, which have 97% and 95% Rotten Tomatoes scores, respectively, there was a Spider-Verse short film that was made that is just as incredible as the feature films.

Nearly 2 Years Ago, Sony Released Miles Morales' Secret Third Spider-Man Movie

The monster in The Spider Within - A Spider-Verse Story

On March 27, 2024, Sony Pictures Entertainment released its secret Spider-Verse movie on YouTube, titled The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story. This is a Miles Morales story, and it never actually has him as Spider-Man in the film. However, it has a much deeper and more important message that plays into the franchise's themes.

In The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story, Miles Morales returns home and is obviously tired. While his dad has rented some horror movies for them to watch together, Miles just wants to go to bed. However, when he prepares for bed, something enters his room and begins to haunt and torment him.

The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story has over 11.59 million views on YouTube.

Directed by Jarelle Dampier, a storyboard artist who worked on Kung Fu Panda 4 and Invincible, and written by Khailia Amazan (K-Pops!), the movie follows Miles Morales as the weight of the world weighs down on him as he struggles to balance school, home, and his duties as Spider-Man.

It is a perfect follow-up to the stress he faced in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and shows why this teenage superhero is the most relatable superhero in Marvel movies today.

Why The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story Is A Must-Watch

Miles Morales with his dad in The Spider Within - A Spider-Verse Story

The best part about The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story is that it humanized Miles Morales even more than his own movies did. Miles has always struggled with hiding his identity from his family, trying to get through school, and protecting the city as Spider-Man. This was the culmination of that story.

The next film in the series, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, sees Miles meeting a variant of himself who made very different decisions. It will also show how Miles will finally balance his family and bring them back together while never giving up on his responsibilities as Spider-Man in his world.

This secret third Spider-Verse film is a straight allegory for anxiety and stress. Miles has to face his mental health issues and find a way to push on, even when it feels like his own inner demons are crushing him. This is a Miles Morales story, which is just as important as seeing another Spider-Man adventure.

This short film also has an important message behind it, as it was made in partnership with the Kevin Love Fund, which "helps destigmatize mental health challenges and ensures people who are struggling have the tools needed to thrive." Over $6,000 was raised for the fund thanks solely to this Miles Morales short Spider-Verse film.