Miguel O'Hara Was Never Right

Summary

The video "Miguel O'Hara Was Never Right" by Expy discusses the character Miguel O'Hara from "Across the Spider-Verse" and his flawed perspective. The video unpacks Miguel's belief that each universe must adhere to a strict timeline or "canon" to prevent collapse. However, evidence from the film suggests that universes, like those of Miles Morales and other Spider-Men, adapt and persist despite deviations. The video criticizes Miguel's narrow view, suggesting it's influenced more by his own insecurities than reality, and posits that a more flexible approach may better safeguard the multiverse.

Highlights

• Miguel O'Hara's belief in the need for a strict timeline is flawed. 🕰️
• Miles Morales' universe continues without collapse, despite not following the canon. 🌐
• The variability of Spider-Man narratives shows the multiverse's resilience against strict canon rules. 📜
• Miguel's theory could be a projection of his own fears and failures rather than actual spider-canon. 🎭
• The Spider Society complicates Miguel's theory by existing as a multiversal, collaborative entity. 🕶️

Key Takeaways

• Miguel O'Hara's strict adherence to the canon timeline is misguided and doesn't account for the multiverse's adaptability. 🕸️
• Miles Morales and other universes continue to thrive despite deviations, challenging Miguel's rigid views. 🌎
• The multiverse's nature is inherently flexible, suggesting Miguel's fears may be more about his insecurities than actual threats. 🤔
• The video suggests that future Spider-Verse narratives might further challenge Miguel's perspective, potentially proving him wrong. 🕷️
• Miguel's character highlights the complexities and nuances in understanding the multiverse in "Across the Spider-Verse." 🌀

Overview

In Expy's video, the character Miguel O'Hara from the film "Across the Spider-Verse" comes under scrutiny for his unwavering belief in maintaining a strict multiversal canon. Miguel argues that each universe needs to stick to its predetermined events to avoid disastrous results, but Expy questions this rigidity. Using events and character arcs from the movie, Expy shows that universes like Miles Morales' can sustain themselves even when deviating from supposed 'canon' paths, suggesting a more adaptable reality.

Miles Morales, the central figure, is presented as an anomaly in Miguel’s eyes because he was never assigned to be a Spider-Man by the 'canon' rules. Despite this, his universe thrives, challenging the idea that a deviation is inherently destructive. Expy also compares Miguel's actions and decisions to those of other Spider-Men, noting that cooperation and mutual influence between different universes have naturally become part of their realities, suggesting the multiverse thrives on versatility rather than strict adherence to Miguel’s perceived canon.

The discussion delves into the broader implications of multiverse storytelling as seen in the film, with Expy illustrating that Miguel's reasoning might be more a product of his own insecurities and past mistakes. By outlining various character developments and multiversal interactions, Expy posits that the Spider-Verse showcases a narrative where potential and survival do not hinge merely on following predefined paths but rather on embracing change and diversity in storylines. This perspective hints at an expansive future for the Spider-Verse saga, potentially rectifying Miguel's flawed assumptions.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Opening Arguments In 'Opening Arguments,' the narrator begins by discussing the nature of media and its role in conveying messages. They argue that while art is subjective, there are moments when clarity and directness are necessary. The chapter takes a turn as the narrator makes a bold statement that 'this man was wrong,' insisting that it is time to move beyond the superficial aspects of 'Across the Spider-Verse' to address deeper issues.
• 00:30 - 01:30: Criticism of Miguel's Theory The chapter "Criticism of Miguel's Theory" delves into the debate over Miguel's perspective on what it means to be Spider-Man. The narrator notes that initially many supported Miguel's view, but now there's a growing number of people who disagree and voice their critiques. The chapter encourages readers to think critically about aligning with Miguel, comparing this situation to the varied opinions during the events of 'Infinity War'. It sets the stage for arguments against Miguel's stance, highlighting the nuanced discussions around heroism.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Exploration of Multiverse Concepts The chapter titled 'Exploration of Multiverse Concepts' delves into the intricate ideas surrounding the multiverse, illustrated by a storyline involving characters like Miguel who believes in the necessity of the universe following a pre-defined path. The narrative follows Miles as he learns about the multiverse and the vast potential it holds, both creatively and destructively. This exploration is intertwined with Miles' personal journey of understanding his identity as Spider-Man, and the responsibilities and challenges that accompany it.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Failures and Inconsistencies in Miguel's Logic This chapter delves into the flaws and contradictions within Miguel's reasoning, particularly in his confrontation with Miles. Miguel holds a grudge against Miles, blaming him for being an anomaly that triggers catastrophic disruptions across multiple universes. He argues that the spider that bit Miles was never intended for him, implying that Miles becoming Spider-Man was a mistake. This perspective leads to a tension between Miguel's rigid logic and the unintended yet pivotal heroism Miles embodies, questioning the inherent responsibilities tied to power and identity.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Discussion on Canon Events The chapter discusses the concept of 'Canon Events' in the context of timelines and universes, particularly focusing on Spider-Man characters. It explains the significance of continuity and how certain events are meant to occur in specific timelines to maintain balance. One key example is the spider intended for one timeline's version of Miles Morales, who instead becomes his universe's Prowler. This is contrasted with another timeline where Miles becomes Spider-Man, and despite months passing, his universe remains unchanged. The chapter suggests that universes adapt to these events, and Miguel's intentions to eliminate anomalies are in pursuit of preserving this order.
• 04:30 - 07:00: Analysis of Multiple Spider-People’s Experiences The chapter discusses the concept of a character named Miguel who attempts to replace his counterpart in another universe. This is due to the original Miguel in that universe having died. The chapter analyzes the implications of this act from a metaexistential perspective, suggesting that the new Miguel is essentially reviving himself and continuing where his counterpart left off. This situation raises questions about the nature of identity and destiny, especially in the context of being Spider-Man. It also posits the idea that Miles becoming not just a Spider-Man, but a unique Spider-Man in his own right, could be considered beneficial under this scenario.
• 07:00 - 08:00: Questions and Counterpoints on Canon Theory The chapter covers various perspectives and debates surrounding the theory of canon within the context of Spider-Man. It touches on the logical inconsistencies and chronological complexities in the storyline, particularly focusing on how different versions of Spider-Man, such as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, align or contrast within the canon. The discussion highlights how Peter Parker was seen as the definitive Spider-Man, famous and happily married, before changes like the introduction of Parker Industries and the new sequence involving Miles becoming Spider-Man. This transition and overlap between Peter and Miles are depicted as confusing, with a specific scene highlighting the synchronized spider senses between the two, emphasizing the narrative and thematic contradictions present in the story arc.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Conclusion and Speculation on Miguel's Impact The chapter discusses the transformation of the character Miguel from a prowler to Spider-Man and speculates on how the survival of Aaron, another character, could have influenced Miles to follow a similar path, impacting the universe they inhabit. The chapter highlights that Miles becomes the new Spider-Man for his universe, taking over after the previous Spider-Man's demise, which was caused by Kingpin's actions in searching the multiverse for his family. The narrative emphasizes the significant role Miles Morales plays in the storyline.

Miguel O'Hara Was Never Right Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 good media usually takes its time to disseminate its messages across audiences on the assumption that the audience knows what is actually happening art is subjective and in a world of mass media sometimes you kind of have to say what you caught on so let me be perfectly subjective when I say this this man was wrong you need to leave i feel that we are at a point in time where we can finally look past the glitz and glamours of Across the Spider-Verse and actually address who
• 00:30 - 01:00 makes a good point throughout the whole movie because this isn't your typical beat the bad guys up type of film it addresses one question what does it mean to be Spider-Man and we have a unique situation in that at first a lot of people I found took Miguel's side and it's only recently that I've seen people who didn't take his side give their reasons on why he's wrong i am one of those people here's why do you remember how in Infinity War it seemed like almost everyone thought
• 01:00 - 01:30 that Thanos had a good point despite some obvious flaws that you only thought of when you finally give it some time yeah that's the same thing with Miguel now the problem with Miguel is that he thinks that the universe has to stick to its aligned path all of the movie is about Miles discovering the multiverse and its many possibilities including the possibility of total destruction now the deeper story arc is about Miles learning about what it means to be Spider-Man specifically a Spider-Man faced with
• 01:30 - 02:00 impossible choices and the realities of taking on the mask loneliness secrecy etc with great power comes great responsibility so what does that say about Miguel miguel is upset with Miles because according to him Miles is the anomaly causing all the dangerous rifts that are destroying entire universes the very spider that bit Miles was never meant for him and that would be true if Miles didn't end up becoming Spider-Man
• 02:00 - 02:30 regardless and with continuity too that spider was meant for this timeline's Miles who ended up becoming his universe's Prowler and like our Miles Morales his universe has progressed it's been months since the day Miles Morales became a Spider-Man with no changes whatsoever to his universe and we can assume the universe of the Prowler Miles in other words the universe is adapted miguel has good reason to want to get rid of the source of the problem even if
• 02:30 - 03:00 it is by false assumption Miles he tried to go into another universe and replace the Miguel that was there that Miguel had died so at a metaexistential level Miguel essentially is reviving himself he is continuing off where the other Miguel couldn't which according to that timeline shouldn't happen assuming that this Miguel was meant to be Spider-Man you could argue that this was a good thing under that logic Miles becoming the Spider-Man not a Spider-Man the
• 03:00 - 03:30 Spider-Man would make a lot more sense not only was he not meant to become Spider-Man because of this the Peter Parker of the time was very much the definitive Spider-Man he was famous he had a happy marriage he had basically everything outside of perhaps Parker Industries the whole sequence of events surrounding Miles becoming Spider-Man is chronologically insane we get this scene where Miles after getting bit has his spider sense synchronized with this Spider-Man this is a visualization of
• 03:30 - 04:00 his change from becoming a prowler to becoming a Spider-Man we can conclude pretty evidently that if Aaron lived Miles would have followed in his shoes like the other Miles but at a greater level this sets the tone for the rest of his universe this is going to be their Spider-Man now it does cost the previous Spider-Man his life because Kingpin is desperately searching the multiverse for his family and he gives them the Ganondorf down smash but it's solidified from that point on that Miles Morales is
• 04:00 - 04:30 the successor to Chris Pine Peter Parker so on one hand we had a Miguel that saw firsthand the consequences of his actions by assuming the place of another on the other hand we have a Miles that is about to get smacked with the responsibilities of being a Spider-Man and you could ask what's the difference they're basically doing the same thing besides the fact that the other Miguel's universe got hit with a source glitch replacement is different from succession
• 04:30 - 05:00 one assumes the place while another is given their place one made a choice one didn't realize they had one to begin with replacement is different from succession which is even weirder when you consider that Miguel is also a successor the Spider-Man of 2099 the only difference here is that it takes nearly a century before Miguel even gets to that point and he's not even a real Spider-Man if you follow the canon
• 05:00 - 05:30 timeline for how Miguel becomes Spider-Man 2099 there's no tragic event that sets him on that path it's actually an accident doesn't that sound familiar huh at worst Miguel is completely misguided in his hunt for Miles at best he's projecting his own fears and insecurities only a couple of times does he consider that the spot which is a side effect of Kingpin's multiversal plan is the actual threat a butterfly effect that Miles was affected by but
• 05:30 - 06:00 not the perpetrator of we even have a brief scene where we see him standing over every Spider-Man in victory so who wants to tell Miguel that that's the cannon huh he's hypocritical because his own perspective and evidence is not only contrary to what can end up happening but also is counterintuitive to the very structure of spider people in general which brings us to set evidence and why the spider society is this
• 06:00 - 06:30 multiversal operation that involves multiple spidermen from different dimensions all based on Nova New York 928 there's all manner of services including training grounds restaurants and okay I got to let this out why are y'all here my first counterpoint to Miguel's stash of evidence is the existence of the entire Spider Society the most jarring point of evidence is that every Spider-Man is completely different from completely different universes some might be similar but let
• 06:30 - 07:00 me get to that and the purpose of the Spider Society is to combat multiversal threats we can assume that Miguel brought everyone together when universes started disappearing certain technology was adopted to prevent Spider-Man from source glitching like Miles not to mention it's not just the Spider-Man but their villains oh not to mention it's not just the Spider-Man but their villains as well who are here imprisoned but nonetheless present this is all the brainchild of Miguel O'Hara and the base
• 07:00 - 07:30 premise for Miguel's whole stick is that the Spider-Man Ender universe has to stick to a certain timeline a certain cannon no deviations otherwise it all falls apart and I cannot honestly say that I know everyone's Spider-Man story but Miguel says specifically that they basically have to stick to what happens to them including their Uncle Ben moment here's the thing not everyone has an Uncle Ben what I mean by that is that not everyone has a defining moment that
• 07:30 - 08:00 equally mimics every other Spider-Man miguel shows Miles a history of every Spider-Man out there and there is a distinct pattern for Uncle Ben moments it is true that everyone had one including cool boy Rockstar Rebels Spider Punk who is all about breaking the norm and Miguel explains that canon has to happen otherwise a universe implodes using his universe as an example and referring to the now broken cannon of Pavier's universe as another but do you notice the two differences here his fault not Pavier's fault pavir
• 08:00 - 08:30 pavitra i'm so sorry his fault not Pavitra's fault that one is Miles's fault but can you blame Spider-Man for helping people no another issue is that Miles hasn't even gotten to his Uncle Ben moment it was actually an Uncle Aaron moment one that is very different from other Spider people as far as we know and Miguel seeing that as canon wants to stop Miles
• 08:30 - 09:00 from preventing that more specifically in this case it's when a certain police captain dies this helps establish the cannon but hold on now when Spot became a threat Miles saw his dad a soon-to-be police captain dying in the line of duty he also saw all the Spider-Man KO'ed by the Spot and a spot is a side effect of Kingpin's plan and in fact his existence was his choice because he was working for Kingpin he got in the way of a brand
• 09:00 - 09:30 new Spider-Man who was being helped by other Spider-Man which means which means which means that Miguel's whole cannon theory is bogus miles's universe which has been persisting for months has not seen any problems in fact the only deviating factor in Miles's universe is that he knows of the existence of other universes and wants to explore them through his world's resources quantum physics and whatnot now obviously if you
• 09:30 - 10:00 read into every frame there's likely more deviations that exist but if the cannon is meant to be so strict then the two universes of Miles Morales should be gone by now but they're not they've progressed and adapted to the multiversal changes smoothly i don't even think that the parlor Miles knows that Spider-Man is supposed to exist and to tackle the white elephant in the room Miguel is not Spider-Man he is a Spider-Man 2099 he is a near 100-year-old successor in a world
• 10:00 - 10:30 that plays by very different rules with very different contexts even if we just go by the cannon of this version of Miguel his tragic backstory Uncle Ben moment was way different it was his fault on a universal scale not just a random gunshot to a beloved parental figure or a police captain dying in the line of duty not to mention he's not technically Spider-Man if there were more Spider-Man 2099s into society then
• 10:30 - 11:00 I could find more weight in his argument as far as we're concerned it's just him even Peter B parker comments on this heck Insomniac Spider-Man who does exist here has his moment way after he becomes a Spider-Man that moment solidifies that he becomes the Spider-Man but he's also already taken down a major antagonist group and did a bunch of heroic Spider-Man stuff and let's not forget about Tom Holland's Spider-Man and this
• 11:00 - 11:30 is where the canon theory falls apart in my opinion miguel references the MCU Spider-Man as an especially difficult wrinkle but that would also mean that the MCU is canon to the Spider-Verse i mean obviously that's on the nose but ask yourself this does he know that the MCU is a fractured timeline multiple series and movies specifically Loki and the Multiverse of Madness show us the ongoing consequences of this timeline or
• 11:30 - 12:00 rather timelines because when Endgame happened and blah blah blah blah blah timeline shenanigans multiple branches of the primary timeline were created all still progressing while not erased completely it's only in Deadpool and Wolverine that we do see that there are timelines that are broken and it is when they lose their anchor being it'd be insanity to try and apply this logic to the Spider-Verse so let's do it assuming Miles is the anchor being his death would spell the end of his world but
• 12:00 - 12:30 that doesn't make any sense because his Spider-Man story happens because of a spider from another universe deadpool and Wolverine do show that it's entirely possible for a new anchor being to become the replacement of another world but this shouldn't be the case for Miles it's entirely by chance that he becomes Spider-Man but it does set into motion the rest of his story and he goes with it not to mention something like this would probably kill him you know who could tank this kind of damage the Spot
• 12:30 - 13:00 so assuming Spot is also an anchor being wouldn't stopping him lead to the universe falling apart maybe but it would also lead to the destruction of all the Spider-Man like Miles who could also be an anger being which means that I sound mental don't I terrible film theory aside the point is there's not enough depth and substance in Miguel's theory that it's 100% going to happen to every single Spider-Man yes
• 13:00 - 13:30 I am aware that nearly every spider being in the society is affected at one point or another in a way that correlates to Miguel's theory okay let's assume the theory is plausible by looking at Mombatan's anomaly that does not look like a typical anomaly that looks like the spot's sheer power breaking a world apart even if we go by the logic that Miles is the problem he's also the solution no one else saw the future as he did he might not have the exact power yet to beat the spot but
• 13:30 - 14:00 he's also the only one with the knowledge of Armageddon for everyone not just his world but the entire multiverse should the spot succeed another problem is to what extent the multiverse would collapse the MCU is its own chronological monster so how can we assume that the Spider-Verse breaking would actually affect it not to mention some Spider-Man don't even exist in the actual society like Spiderbite who's still in her own dimension like why is
• 14:00 - 14:30 Peter Beast still there this doesn't make any sense according to Wikipedia the suspension of disbelief is the avoidance often described as willing of critical thinking and logic in understanding something that is unreal or impossible in reality such as something in a work
• 14:30 - 15:00 of speculative fiction in order to believe it for the sake of enjoying its narrative in other words some stuff expects you to just go along with it in order to fully embrace what the fiction is presenting most fictional products rely on the suspension of disbelief i first encountered this concept in Bouldersgate 3 wherein this important artifact which is in the very vocalized possession of this character is suddenly thrust onto us the main character even if you don't have Shadow
• 15:00 - 15:30 Heart the initial guard of the artifact in your party it just automatically pops into your inventory when you approach specific story events you don't question it because it also protects you from this stupid thing and honestly it's his own beast of a story to make a video about you don't question it but I did it just didn't add up i felt this exact same way while I rewatched Across the Spider-Verse because there's way too much to notice and analyze when Miguel brought up his whole canon event theory
• 15:30 - 16:00 for starters Miguel points to specific canon events that help establish Spider-Man narratively it makes sense problem is it's a multiverse he's working with and in a multiverse where time and space are influencable even by mere mortals the possibilities are literally endless these hinge points are important but who's to say exactly that they all have the same level of impact for everyone let alone that Spider-Man has to get to that point to begin with miles hasn't
• 16:00 - 16:30 reached the police captain moment but he's had his Uncle Ben moment at least adjacent to it miles has also learned all of his Spider-Man skills and confidence from Spider-Man of other universes and let's not forget he became Spider-Man because of a Spider-Man because of a Spider-Man and let's not forget that he became Spider-Man because of a spider from another universe so all of this happened in one continuity it sounds absolutely mental
• 16:30 - 17:00 for me to say but that shouldn't have happened at least within the context of Miguel's theory even if it only applies to specific canon events who is to say that that's the norm you could counter this by saying that every universe is connected and while that may sound factual who determined that to begin with it wasn't Miguel you could point your finger at Kingpin and the most obvious choice is the spot because he's making Kingpin's consequences worse there is the web simulation but again
• 17:00 - 17:30 we're going with the notion that none of these universes should be connected not to mention there's literally technology for SpiderGwen to go back in time and see exactly what happened if the cannon as intended was meant to just be for each universe a Spider-Man from another universe seeing it all go down literally should not be a possibility counterpoint the what if episode where in Doctor Strange saved his fianceé first of all bull crap there's definitely a way to
• 17:30 - 18:00 save her without breaking the universe because that dude's a wizard how is there no way for him to save someone like what the the very existence of the spider society is contradictory to the logic of Miguel O'Hara because again why are you all here you see if everyone is meant to stick to their canon timeline why would you Mr o'hara want to bring together as many Spider-Man as is possible and have them physically
• 18:00 - 18:30 mentally and emotionally experience all these different variations and possibilities i'm going to sound mental here but you can't just place a Spider-Man in this kind of situation and not go back to your universe ever the same you've seen the possibilities you've seen the variations you would not return to your world not wanting to know what the future holds especially if Miguel shows you the simulation of the Spider-Verse and especially when technology that pinpoints each universe is lying around that's just asking for
• 18:30 - 19:00 anomalies to create themselves but sure the Spider-Man are good guys and won't just seek out this level of knowledge and power without a morally good reason you know who would though these people who's to say that a Kingpin of another world won't get inspired by their experiences and repeat what 1610's Kingpin did and even if we put the MCU as an outlier Miguel not knowing the MCU's Peter Parker by name while mentioning Doctor Strange solidifies its
• 19:00 - 19:30 existence sure you could argue that the Spider-Verse is a separate entity as seen here when Peter looks into what we can identify as a multiversal web but that Sonyiverse and the MCU are straight up shown makes Miguel's theory at best an educated guess at least when it comes to things having to be contained in one continuity without deviation there's simply too many butterfly effects that are possible as a result of multiversal interaction between Spider-Man and their
• 19:30 - 20:00 antagonists some of which is possible by the power of the spot alone he hasn't done much but that's not any less relieving miles becoming Spider-Man alone is its own butterfly effect he wouldn't have gotten involved with Kingpin's plan spider-man probably wouldn't have died miles gaining his powers should have never happened and there wouldn't have been an Uncle Aaron moment for him and guess what some of those butterfly effects have happened for the Spider-Man already look at
• 20:00 - 20:30 Mayday the daughter of Mary Jane and Peter B parker made possible because Peter B realized that he could actually do well as a parent after spending some time with 1610s Miles Morales we also have SpiderGwen and her case is interesting because of her Peter Parker's death she finds a renewed sense of connection with Miles Morales it's her anchor the thing that grounds her between being Spiderwoman and being a normal high schooler it's hard to keep that a secret when your dad is a police
• 20:30 - 21:00 officer one obsessed with stopping Spiderwoman who he thought had killed Peter one that still sticks to this obsession even after the revelation that it's his own daughter that he's aiming a gun at and this awkward situation was only made possible because of a vulture from the Renaissance and a superhero moment shared by Gwen Miguel and Jessica well Jess but you get the point at this time as well Gwen was already experiencing social isolation she's quit her band her only friend has died her
• 21:00 - 21:30 only other friend is in another dimension and her dad thinks he's getting close to capturing Spiderwoman aka Gwen all of this had many implications the vulture is confused by this world of color and lashes out the police respond and end up seeing both the vulture and Miguel even interacting with them people are saved by the spider people's combined efforts and ultimately Officer Stacy is webbed up and watches as his daughter vanishes into thin air thanks to Miguel cut to the end of the
• 21:30 - 22:00 movie and Officer Stacy has resigned as far as we're concerned the kind of cannon event that Miguel describes should it even exist for Gwen is null and void why because Officer Stacy made that choice a choice influenced by a certain string of events made possible by the very presence and decisions of multiversal forces here's the thing miles went through all of that without even knowing of all of the canon event
• 22:00 - 22:30 BS because that's what Spider-Man does he didn't have that metaexistential knowledge of what the Order of the Multiverse should be like because why would he he's just a dude from Brooklyn a dude whose experiences with other Spider-Man as a result of the Kingpin gives him a new set of goals in life and Rio's own advice literally sets the path straight for Miles but guess what where exactly is he going to get those experiences if he doesn't follow his dreams his multiversal dreams to be
• 22:30 - 23:00 frank his story is impossible without multiversal intervention and again if it is meant to be that way tell me why has his world not fallen apart and this is without factoring every individual moment that theoretically should not be possible these guys would have crash landed a helicopter without Miguel and Jess mary Jane would have never interacted with Peter B the family of another universe's Kingpin would have never experienced the universes merging together also all of NYC and Miles would
• 23:00 - 23:30 have never become either a Spider-Man or a Prowler oh and the Spider-Man should not know each other in such a widescale societal sense even if you go by this logic that the universe protects his cannon link in the description for the full video it's an indicator that some things don't belong in some places it's just chaos all around perhaps Beyond the Spider-Verse will correct this video and show that Miguel has a point but as of now his theories
• 23:30 - 24:00 and his evidence it's just not it it shows a limited mindset that while justified by traumatic events are ultimately a projection of his own failures and mistakes the degree to which Miguel believes he is holding the Spider-Verse together may end up being the multiverse's own undoing all because he couldn't bear to see that there are other options