Who Is Ganke? How Across The Spider-Verse Changes Spider-Man's 'Guy In The Chair'
Contains spoilers for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" changes one of Miles Morales' most interesting friends.
When it comes to being a superhero, one of the biggest drawbacks is a life of loneliness. After all, there's an incentive to keep one's identity secret in a bid to protect loved ones. Miles Morales, however, has a trusted confidant in Ganke. One of Miles' closest friends, Ganke is more than aware of Spider-Man's secret identity, frequently helping the webhead as his 'Guy in the Chair.' It's a role that Ganke takes in stride, proudly wearing his badge of helpfulness.
Created by Brian Bendis and Sara Pichelli in 2011, the character has emerged as a key part of the Miles Morales mythos. While speaking with IGN, Bendis opened up about how fans have become so invested in Spider-Man's 'Guy in the Chair' that he receives requests on social media to spare the character from any peril. This cult-like following is why his inclusion in the "Spider-Verse" films feels so interesting. Ganke briefly appears in 2018's "Into the Spider-Verse," but it's "Across" that has hardcore fans of the character talking.
In the critically-acclaimed sequel, Ganke (voiced by Peter Sohn) appears how fans expect him to. He's roommates with Miles (voiced by Shameik Moore) and looks to be only the one who knows he's Spider-Man. Though his appearance in "Across the Spider-Verse" is brief, it's clear that he and Miles are on good terms and have been through a lot together. However, Ganke mentions that he has no interest in being Miles' 'Guy in the Chair' or sidekick, a subversion from the character's previous appearances.
Ganke has no interest in being Spider-Man's sidekick
Over the last few years, Ganke's notoriety as Miles Morales' 'Guy in the Chair' has exploded. The character is a prominent force in the PlayStation video game "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales," where he effortlessly falls into the role of being Miles' helpful comrade. While the character doesn't explicitly appear in Tom Holland's "Spider-Man" trilogy, it's an open secret that the character of Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) is fashioned after Ganke. Brian Bendis, one of the creators behind Ganke, said as much in an interview with the "Ultimate Spin" podcast. "But, yeah, it was bizarre and flattering," Bendis said. "I don't even know if Ganke was the inspiration, or they just got to their own place with a character like this on their own ... It's weird only because Ganke wasn't part of Peter's story — he was part of Miles' story."
As the character becomes more popular, primarily because of his role as a sidekick, it's curious to see "Across the Spider-Verse" throw this notion out the window. It will be interesting to see how the character returns in the upcoming threequel "Beyond," and if he'll finally assume his role as the 'Guy in the Chair.'
There's a certain self-awareness to the character's decision to forego his destiny as a sidekick. In "Across the Spider-Verse," Miles' roommate can be seen playing "Marvel's Spider-Man 2," the upcoming PlayStation video game, which prominently features Ganke... as the 'Guy in the Chair.' Does the film Ganke know what the video game Ganke has to go through, which is why he doesn't want to be the 'Guy in the Chair'? Think about this multiverse stuff too hard and you'll probably melt your brain.