The recently released film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" features a colorful cast of characters, one of which is Hobie Brown, a therapist who also goes by the Prowler. In the film, Hobie plays the role of confidant and guide to Miles Morales as he navigates the challenges of being Spider-Man across parallel universes.
As a therapist myself, I found Hobie‘s characterization and role in the film intriguing. Through my professional lens, Hobie represents some profound themes related to self-identity, conformity versus individuality, and the courage to pursue one’s calling.
In this blog post, I will share an in-depth therapeutic perspective on Hobie‘s character and what he signifies for both Miles and the audience more broadly.
Embracing Uniqueness Over Conformity
One of the most pronounced themes in Across the Spider-Verse is resisting blind conformity and instead embracing what makes you unique as an individual. This message shines clearly through Hobie Brown‘s characterization. With his easy-going, kind, and humorous personality, Hobie presents a stark contrast to the other Spider people Miles encounters, especially the lone wolf temperament of Miguel O‘Hara.
As a therapist, I appreciated the diversity of personalities displayed across the Spider characters. It showcases that there is no one formula for being a hero – we each have to embrace our own individual gifts and quirks to unlock our inner power. I often say something similar to my clients who feel they need to conform to some societal standard to be enough.
Hobie clearly marches to the beat of his own drum. He has no interest in following rules just for the sake of rules. As he tells Miles, "I‘m not about to let anyone tell me who I should or shouldn‘t be." This resistance to conformity is an important message for people of all ages. As renowned psychologist Erich Fromm explored in his classic book The Fear of Freedom, there is a strong temptation within human nature to escape the burden of individuality by "adapting to anonymous authority and by conforming to a leader".
However, that form of identity rooted in conformity comes at a heavy psychological cost. It undermines self-confidence, creativity, and the willingness to defy the status quo. Heroes like Hobie teach us to question whether expectations and guidelines genuinely align with our inner truth rather than follow them blindly. As Hobie says, resisting conformity allows him to “be comfortable in his own skin”. And given the secrets he hides as the Prowler, that ability proves crucial.
Research by developmental psychologist Erik Erikson underscores this point – showing how establishing a firm sense of identity in adolescence requires questioning the accepted norms and exploring one’s own beliefs before making them our own. Hobie models that process for Miles, giving him the safety to bring all of himself to the table – uncertainties, mistakes, fears and all.
Over years as a therapist, I’ve seen far too many clients who clung to external formulas for the “right” career, relationship or lifestyle and ended up hollow and lost. Like Hobie, I encourage my clients to make choices aligned with their inner wisdom rather than outside pressures. That’s ultimately the path to purpose and fulfillment.
The Longing for Belonging
Another element I really appreciated about Hobie’s character was how he highlighted the intrinsic human need for connection and belonging. Contrary to the lone wolf temperament of someone like Miguel O’Hara, Hobie clearly craves community. As a therapist, I can say decisively that this longing for meaningful relationships is nearly universal.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlines this powerfully – showing that the need for belonging is central after basic needs for food, water and shelter. Decades of attachment research also demonstrate that forming stable, caring bonds gives humans the security to explore life boldly from a firm base.
However, Hobie also cautions Miles not to lose himself in others. As he aptly notes, “Trusting other people doesn‘t mean you stop trusting yourself.” This speaks beautifully to the tricky balance many clients struggle to walk – maintaining fierce independence and self-trust while also opening up to intimacy and mutual support.
Hobie models that it’s not black and white but rather holding paradoxical truths in tension. We all deeply need belonging – whether to friends, family, mentors like himself, or the broader community. As Brown poetically says, talking to Miles “I got your back…but don‘t forget to watch your front too.” At the end of the day, we have to choose for ourselves.
I remind my clients regularly that relationships should empower both people involved to show up fully as themselves, not melt into some compromised version. Hobie lives that principle through how he guides Miles – creating safety so he can take risks and grow into his powers rather than simply cling to Hobie’s certainty. He coaches Miles’ agency beautifully.
Contradictions Between Words and Actions
However, while Hobie preaches the gospel of radical individualism, his actions reveal noteworthy contradictions. Upon first meeting Miles, he freely divulges his secret identity as the Prowler – displaying a blatant disregard for his own safety or separation between his personal and hero identities.
This contradiction reveals lingering questions around the authenticity of Hobie‘s self-identity. While his playful, jokester tendencies clearly show his true colors, the easy admission of his secret hints that Hobie may still be on his journey to fully embracing all aspects of himself.
As therapists, when we see a disconnect between someone‘s stated values and their actual behaviors, it often indicates subconscious limiting beliefs or experiences silently holding them back. They have not yet brought the disparate pieces of themselves into a coherent whole.
I once worked with a client named Sarah who spoke passionately about wanting to be assertive and set firm boundaries with others. However whenever we role-played scenarios, she struggled to directly voice her needs without downplaying or yielding automatically. Through deeper exploration, we uncovered how Sarah’s aggressive, domineering father had subtly trained her as a child that speaking up was “selfish” and she should focus only on pleasing others.
Like Sarah, Hobie is eminently likeable and dispenses wisdom freely. But the potential incongruity in his characterization provides an added layer of depth. It reflects how many of us walk a winding road in learning to fully accept ourselves – contradictions and all. Rather than undermining his message on individuality, Hobie‘s struggles make that message even more impactful.
Courage to Pursue Your Calling
Finally, I believe Hobie also personifies the courage required to fully step into one’s powers and potential. He models the ethic that “with great ability comes great responsibility.” Hobie has moved past simply resisting pressures to conform and getting cozy with himself. He has claimed his “superpower” as a healer and guide to serve those in need.
However, as evidenced by Hobie’s lingering inner contradictions, that level of courage does not come easily. Self-doubt and anxiety often plague those who walk the road less traveled. Uncertainty around paying the bills or making an impact leads many to abandon their true callings altogether.
Indeed, a recent study found that only 20% of people feel they are living their calling – with most citing fear and lack of self-confidence as top barriers. But as Hobie knows, courage is not the absence of fear. True courage means feeling the fear but choosing to act anyway. It means leaning into our passions and gifts because using them to help people matters more than rewards or glory.
For Miles, that courage means daring to be Spider-Man despite messing up. And for counselors like Hobie, it means shining a light through their service – providing “a web for support” when people need it most.
Hobie as Mentor and Guide
Throughout Spider-Verse, Hobie Brown fills the classic archetype of the mentor or guide for the hero. He dispenses nuggets of wisdom, challenges Miles‘ assumptions, and helps him integrate the many pieces of himself into a more unified whole.
Some of my favorite quotes that capture the richness of their mentor-mentee relationship include:
- "You‘ve gotta trust the universe to help you find your way"
- "The only thing that needs fixing is your perspective"
- "If you wanna be special, you‘re gonna have to put in the work"
Through this bond, Hobie gives Miles a safe space to process his insecurities about living up to expectations and lean into what being Spider-Man means for him.
Miles even explicitly thanks Hobie for being a guide and anchor amidst the chaos:
“Back there, when I was faded… you talked to me, you kept me from freaking out. Thank you.”
And Hobie in turns encourages Miles to have courage:
“I got you, man. But you can’t expect me to catch you every time you fall. Time for you to trust your powers”.
This demonstrates a hallmark of positive mentoring – empowering the mentee to soon stand on their own rather than foster dependency. As a therapist, I aim to provide that same secure foundation for change while also cultivating self-efficacy and resilience.
The Web of Life
One of the more mystical elements Hobie introduces is this concept of “the web of life connecting us all.” From a therapeutic lens, this metaphor has profound relevance. Pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung often wrote about the interconnected nature of humanity through bonds both seen and unseen.
And Quantum physics points to entanglement across space and time that mirrors this notion of an invisible web linking us beyond what we can perceive. Hobie’s words elegantly capture how, in times of intense distress, we can feel held by forces larger than ourselves.
Personally, I’ve had many clients describe the sense of an unseen presence holding them up when they felt like crumbling. They felt carried as if my simple act of witnessing their pain with empathy kept their head above water. Often during sessions when tears fill the room, I also feel suspended in something grander, as though we tap into the shared heartbreak and resilience of humankind.
While western psychology has traditionally focused more on individual minds, innovative therapies like Internal Family Systems highlight that we are each “a system within a system”. Just as every spider person that Miles encounters changes his trajectory, we shape each other’s paths daily in ways big and small. Hobie speaks to this truth – helping Miles embrace connection rather than isolation on the hero’s journey.
Final Takeaway as a Therapist
As a therapist, I found Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse full of rich themes related to the journey of coming into one’s own. Hobie Brown encapsulates so many vital principles I seek to impart to my clients about self-identity. Around boldly embracing their uniqueness, forging bonds without losing selfhood, and discovering their inner power to achieve the extraordinary.
Hobie’s character captured the therapy process itself so beautifully – modeling openness and compassion while also spurring Miles to maintain fierce self-trust. And although Hobie still wrestles some inner demons around fully integrating his identities, he shows up fully to hold space for Miles to spread his wings. That ability to meet people where they are with wisdom and grace makes all the difference.
Too often in popular culture, mental health support gets depicted in exaggerated, stigmatizing ways. But Hobie Brown shines brightly as a grounded example of how everyday counselors and therapists can inspire people to find the hero within. He lives out singer Emma Goldman’s call that “the most violent element in society is ignorance”. By reflecting people’s dormant courage and purpose back to them, each of us can be a real-life “Hobie Brown” supporting growth and healing in our sphere of influence.
As Spider-Verse poignantly shows, the world needs more everyday heroes who offer a web of support as others come into their power. Each of us has opportunities to provide that nurturing foundation – whether through parenting our children, mentoring young people in our community, or simply bearing witness to friends’ struggles. We can each be Hobie Brown.