Spidey Shoots For Halloween Fun In New Special With The Avengers

There is something about the holidays — especially those toward the end of the year — that always seems to spark a little extra excitement, curiosity and imagination.

While there may be a split call on which holiday is truly the best, it can probably be agreed that for kids, or even kids at heart, one of the most exhilarating is none other than Halloween.

It’s the night you can dress up and become anyone you wish, be that a hero, a singer or even your favorite food. The sky feels unlimited as imagination crosses over with reality — all while enjoying that always-critical haul of candy that is quickly devoured.

It’s a day, or sometimes night, filled with costumes, sweet treats, minor playful frights and spending time with friends. A universal experience shared across generations that naturally lends itself to becoming the perfect backdrop for storytelling.

Holiday-centric specials are commonplace among series, especially in animation, as they allow characters to engage with something instantly recognizable to audiences. They also naturally open the door to grander stories that make the holiday feel a little extra special.

And, in the best cases, those special episodes become yearly rewatch traditions.

This year, the all-new  Spidey and the Avengers: Halloween Team Up! special is already poised to join the ranks of those annual must-rewatches.

After all, Spidey and the Avengers together on Halloween?

That feels pretty grand in itself.

Spoiler warning below as we break down this oh-so-charmingly heroic special.

“Spidey and the Avengers: Halloween Team Up!” releases September 24 on Disney Jr., followed by Disney+ on September 25.

The story opens not with some grand feat or danger that brings our heroes together, but rather with something much more relaxed and informal.

Spidey, Iron Man, Black Panther, Hulk, Captain America and Wasp are all mission-ready.

Only this mission is about getting ready for a Halloween party.

Sure, they’re already in their superhero costumes and could jump into a fight at a moment’s notice, but instead we get a rather charming slice-of-life angle as these characters simply interact while preparing for the celebration.

Their dynamics are on full display, from Hulk getting a little spooked by some fake decorative bats to Spidey going all-in on the Halloween spirit by wearing a suit of knight’s armor over his Spidey suit.

Because apparently being Spidey isn’t enough of a Halloween costume when you’re already Spidey.

However, the relaxed festivities don’t last for long.

After an unfortunate encounter with a bin set up for bobbing for apples leaves Spidey a little wet, he’s alerted to a disturbance at the museum.

There, Spidey and Iron Man find themselves facing a recently discovered cauldron that seems to have a life of its own. Their attempt to investigate instead results in one major Halloween trick when Hallows’ Eve is released.

A trapped witch being freed on Halloween already sounds like a recipe for trouble.

Especially when Hallows’ Eve has a reputation for tricking and scaring people.

Finally free on her favorite night, she wastes little time putting her magic to use. With a rhyme and a wave of her wand, Hallows’ Eve can cast spells capable of creating all sorts of Halloween discord — including bringing a giant T. rex skeleton to life and transforming a pumpkin into her new assistant, Jack O’Lantern.

It’s not long before the Halloween party has to wait and the rest of the heroes are pulled into the action.

Suddenly, what began with fake bats, costumes and party games has transformed into a battle against very real Halloween magic.

And Hallows’ Eve soon discovers another way to gain the upper hand.

Hulk is afraid of bats.

It’s something she quickly leverages against him as she works to ruin the heroes’ Halloween celebration.

Yet it’s here that something introduced much earlier in the special becomes more than a simple Halloween gag.

Spidey’s knight costume.

With a little encouragement from his friend, Hulk begins to embrace his own inner knight. Not because putting on armor suddenly makes him fearless, but because imagining himself as someone brave helps Hulk begin to recognize that same courage within himself.

There may be a grand battle and a larger-than-life threat hanging over Halloween, but there is also a surprising amount of heart packed into this special.

Not only because of the dynamics between these characters, but because of a message Spidey calls out from the very beginning:

Halloween is the night you can become anyone you want to be.

It’s true for kids and even parents.

Halloween gives someone the chance to pretend to be somebody else and, in a small way, walk a mile in their shoes. Sure, it may not be a fully lived-in experience, but putting on something far outside the norm can allow you to see and feel yourself a little differently.

Such is the case with Hulk.

He doesn’t suddenly become brave the moment he has armor on. The uncertainty and fear are still there.

But he begins to realize that, yes, he can be brave like a knight — all while still being Hulk.

Sometimes pretending to be someone else can help you discover something that was already inside you.

All it took was Hulk seeing himself differently and believing in himself enough to find it.

Halloween or not, that is such a critical lesson.

Seeing these characters together enjoying the holiday in a lower-stakes setting is charming. Seeing them leap into action against a magical threat when many of their usual abilities lean more toward superhero strength and technology is exciting.

But underneath all the costumes, magic and Halloween spectacle is another reminder of just how powerful teamwork and belief in yourself can be.

And that is timeless.