Looking to join the MCU, ‘Michael’ star Juliano Valdi targets Spider-Man variant role
Juliano Valdi has an eye on a very specific MCU role — and said as much.
Pressed on which superhero he’d want to take on, Juliano Valdi didn’t hesitate: Miles Morales. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the young actor — who broke out as Young Michael Jackson in the blockbuster biopic Michael — said he’s eyeing the role whenever Marvel flips the switch on a live-action take.
“I’m getting to the age where I really wanna play Miles Morales, so hopefully I can do that. I’m not 15 yet, but I would love to hop in the MCU. ”
Valdi added that his mom thinks he even looks the part, and he’s already imagining web-slinging in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be a swift franchise hop for the rising star: Michael has become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, with a sequel reportedly in early talks.
Even Spider- Man himself has been talking up Miles’ eventual live-action arrival. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Tom Holland said he wants to help usher in the next kid under the mask.
“I definitely have a desire to bring Miles Morales to the screen and to shepherd whoever the lucky young kid is who gets that job, in the way that Robert Downey Jr. did for me,”
Marvel hasn’t announced a live-action Miles project or any casting, but the studio has long signaled interest in introducing the character on screen beyond animation.
Where Miles stands on screen
Miles Morales is already a fixture in animation and games. Shameik Moore voices him in Sony’s Oscar- winning Spider-Verse films, and Nadji Jeter plays Miles in the hit PlayStation games from Insomniac. The animated trilogy currently looks like this:
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
- Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse — in the works
Another name in the mix
Valdi isn’t the only young star who’s thrown his mask in the ring. Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things ) has also campaigned for Miles, saying the character’s impact goes well beyond a costume.
“I think Miles represents something bigger than myself; it represents something bigger than most people,”
McLaughlin has pointed to his New York roots and the way the Spider-Verse story resonates with audiences as reasons he feels connected to the character.
For now, it’s all wish lists and fan casting. Marvel Studios has not announced a live-action Miles Morales or any casting for the role.