Every superhero has an origin story, and you cannot reference Spider-Man without thinking of his tragic Uncle Benâs line about great power and great responsibility; it is as synonymous with the character as his web slinging, sarcasm and colorful costume. The latest Spider-Man film Into the Spider-Verse doesnât spend time redoing the moment, but instead paid tribute to one of its previous portrayals in Sam Raimiâs Spider-Man.Producer/screenwriter Phil Lord responded to a fan, who asked about the Uncle Ben quote in the Sony Animated film. He confirmed the audio clip was a line from the late Cliff Robertson, who portrayed the character in Raimiâs Spider-Man trilogy.RELATED:Â Into the Spider-Verse's Homages to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy
Robertson was an Academy Award-winning actor who found a new generation of fans when he portrayed Peter Parkerâs surrogate father Ben Parker in 2002. He died of natural causes on September 10, 2011, with his last appearance being a cameo in Raimiâs Spider-Man 3.
Robertson joined Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee, who passed away earlier this year, as a posthumous cameo within Into the Spider-Verse. The film both paid tribute to the variety of incarnations of Spider-Man throughout the years while also introducing audiences to lesser known Spider-Men (and women) from different universes.
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse stars Shameik Moore, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake Johnson, Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld, Liev Schreiber, Luna Lauren Velez, Lily Tomlin, Nicolas Cage, John Mulaney and Kimiko Glenn. The film is in theaters now.