Into the Spider-Verse's Homages to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Movies

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, in theaters now.

Sony's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has swung into theaters with pop-art sensibilities and an inventive, hyperkinetic style. It's a love letter to the iconic superhero's history across comic books, animation and live-action film. While there are certainly nods to Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield's turns as Peter Parker, the big-screen incarnation referenced the most is Tobey Maguire, who starred in three films directed by Sam Raimi.

Below is a comprehensive list of homages to Raimi's popular trilogy found in Into the Spider-Verse.

Subway Emergency Stop

As the Peter Parker of Miles Morales' universe shares his origin story in the film's comic book-style prologue, he's depicted using body and webbing to stop to a runaway subway train above the streets of New York City.

The sequence is drawn straight from 2004's Spider-Man 2, in which had the hero uses his body to stop a train sent careening out of control by Doctor Octopus. He emplyes webbing as multiple stress points to slow its momentum. The standout action scene from that film, the sequence was also homaged earlier this year in a quick moment from the PlayStation 4 Spider-Man video game.

Upside-Down Kiss

The most overt callback to the Raimi trilogy is another scene from opening prologue, as Peter Parker mentions him falling in love with Mary Jane Watson. The couple is seen enjoying an upside-down kiss but, in a wink to the audience acknowledging this is an alternate universe, the positions are reversed with MJ upside-down rather than Peter.

The sequences comes from 2002's Spider-Ma, in which Maguire's Spider-Man receive his first kiss from Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane after saving her life from a group of street toughs in the rain. The scene is recreated again in Into the Spider-Verse as Peter B. Parker from a different universe recounts his own origin, with the kiss depicted with Peter upside-down, as in the original film.

Dinner, Interrupted

The prologue contains one more nod to Spider-Man 2, as Peter and Mary Jane are seated inside a restaurant, only to be interrupted by a taxi sent flying through the window. Warned by his Spider-Sense, Peter spins around in the nick of time to knock the vehicle back outside.

Near the end of Spider-Man 2, Peter (there in his civilian clothes) and MJ are having an important conversation in a cafe about their relationship. However, they're interrupted by Doctor Octopus throwing a car into the cafe as Peter regains his powers just in time to pull himself and Mary Jane out of harm's way.

NEXT PAGE: Into the Spider-Verse Doesn't Forget That Scene From Spider-Man 3

Spider-Dance

The final homage within the prologue opening recreates the infamous dance sequence from 2007's Spider-Man 3, complete with Spider-Man throwing up finger guns as he confidently strides through the streets of New York, with Peter Parker later remarking that he "probably shouldn't mention that."

The scene took place within a montage during the live-action film after the symbiote bonds with Peter Parker. With the artificial boost to his confidence, Maguire's Peter Park buys a new outfit and dances triumphantly, to the confusion of passersby. Unlike the 2007 film, Into the Spider-Verse depicts its dancing superhero in his red-and-blue costume as he replicates the moves.

Spider Bite

While every origin of Spider-Man involves the unsuspecting hero-to-be receiving his powers from a spider bite, Miles Morales' moment of empowerment is a direct callback to Raimi's 2002 film. After tagging a utility room beneath Alchemax's Brooklyn facility with his uncle Aaron Davis, Miles stops to take a photo of his work with his phone. But before he can sanp it, he receives the spider bite.

The Raimi film depicts Peter receiving a bite during a class field trip, with the genetically enhanced spider landing on his hand and taking a bite as the photographer attempted to take a picture of Mary Jane Watson for the school paper.

Home Sweet Home

Later in the film, Miles, Peter and Gwen Stacy visit the home of the deceased Peter Parker to search for clues about Kingpin's plan for the particle accelerator, and for a way to return the other Spider-heroes to their home universes. The Forest Hills home boasts a design remarkably a remarkably similar to that seen in the Raimi trilogy, right down to the interior layout and color palette.

Of course, the key difference in Into the Spider-Verse is that, while both houses have a paved back lot instead of a backyard, the animated film's shed leads to a secret Batcave-style hideaway filled with different suits and vehicles for the late hero.

Familiar Webbing

As Kingpin powers up his multiverse-threatening particle accelerator in the film's finale, the extra-dimensional energies begin to project themselves across the room in web-like patterns.

The patterns strongly resemble those seen in the opening titles from Spider-Man 3, albeit before the webbing is overtaken by the black symbiote as the sequence progresses.

Handwritten Note

With bad guys defeated and the multiverse saved, Miles' father, police officer Jefferson Davis-Morales, discovers an unconscious Kingpin webbed up above the street. Stuck to the villain's chest is a handwritten note from Miles signed, "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

While Peter Parker long attributed his heroic feats in the comics to "your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," the wall-crawler leaves a handwritten note for the authorities with subdued robbers in the 2002 film.

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.