Miles Morales, a teenager of black and Hispanic descent, is officially joining the main Marvel Comics universe as Spider-Man.
The new series will be led by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, who created the character in 2011, and will effectively replace the Spider-Man titles that were recently cancelled in the run-up to the event, the Verge reported.
While Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, will still be behind the mask for the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, Marvel is taking the opportunity to make Morales that much more important to the iconic superhero's mythos, especially as it continues to strive for diversity.
Morales has become a core part of the Marvel Universe as a consequence of the world-shattering events of Secret Wars, which sees the publisher's Ultimate imprint being folded into mainstream continuity. When the dust settles, Miles will also be inducted into the "All-New, All-Different" Avengers, right alongside Ms. Marvel, the new Captain America, and new Thor.
