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 live-action versions 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, 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.
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20 Lonnie Chavis Is A Great Choice For A Young Miles Morales
Appeared In This Is Us, The Water Man, The Boy Behind The Door
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 Has Experience With Marvel's Live-Action Roles
Appeared In Cloak & Dagger, Underground, All About The Washingtons
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 Has Acting & Music Talents
Appeared In The Lion King, The Paynes, & Little Big Shots
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 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 Could Bring His Cobra Kai Experience To The MCU
Appeared In Cobra Kai, Ready Player One, & Shameless
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 Is A Musician & Accomplished Actor
Appeared In Black-ish, Arcane, & Drunk History
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 Is A Natural Actor
Appeared In Moonlight, Black Panther, & The Graduates
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 ed for.
14 Caleb McLaughlin Could Bring His Stranger Things Talents To The Superhero Genre
Appeared In Stranger Things, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, & Ultra City Smiths
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 Could Be A Teen Or Adult Miles Morales
Appeared In IT, Purple Hearths, & Hawaii Five-0
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 Has Experience Playing A Super-Powered Role
Appeared In Black Lightning, Atlanta, & Stranger Things
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 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 Has Already Had An Extensive Acting Career
Appeared In Black-ish, She-Ra & The Princess of Power, & Dragons: The Nine Realms
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.
