Original artwork, not a still
I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble.
— Spider-Man 2 · 2004
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
May's speech is the film's heart in miniature: it has Peter hear, from the person he loves most, why Spider-Man matters, and it turns his return from a matter of duty into one of hope. It has long outlived the film as a reminder that heroism means sacrifice, and fans still reach for it in tributes to the Raimi trilogy.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Spider-Man 2Show the scene
In Spider-Man 2 (2004), Aunt May is facing eviction and packing up her house, with a neighbour boy, Henry, helping her pack the pans. Henry asks Peter, a photographer, why Spider-Man has vanished from the papers; May says he quit. May tells Peter that Henry wants to be Spider-Man when he grows up, that kids need a hero, and then gives her speech about the hero in all of us, who keeps us honest, gives us strength and makes us noble. Peter, who has quit being Spider-Man, listens in silence, and she then asks him to lift a desk into the garage.
Sources (3)
- Springfield! Springfield! transcript: Spider-Man 2May's house scene with HenryReference checked
- Wikiquote: Spider-Man 2May Parker sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Spider-Man 2PlotReference checked
Context reviewed