Last week, we told you about a leaked agreement between Marvel and Sony Pictures that included a bulleted list of “Mandatory Spider-Man Character Traits.”
The document clearly dictated that the character is “Caucasian;” “not a homosexual (unless Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as a homosexual);” “does not sell/distribute illegal drugs,” and, most peculiarly, “does not have sex before the age of 16, does not have sex with anyone below the age of 16.”
Related: Andrew Garfield Asks “Why Can’t Spider-Man Be Gay?”
Spider-Man creator Stan Lee has now voiced his views on the agreement. “I think the world has a place for gay superheroes, certainly. But again, I don’t see any reason to change the sexual proclivities of a character once they’ve already been established. I have no problem with creating new, homosexual superheroes. It has nothing to do with being anti-gay, or anti-black, or anti-Latino, or anything like that… I just see no reason to change that which has already been established when it’s so easy to add new characters. I say create new characters the way you want to. Hell, I’ll do it myself.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Fair enough — but his answer doesn’t really address the weird specificity of the document. Agreements of this kind are industry standard, but was anyone worried that some amped-up film exec would rewrite Spidey as a freewheelin’ gay drug-dealer who’s casually dating a sixteen-year-old?
We highly doubt it. And were such changes made, it still wouldn’t be enough incentive to revisit the franchise after watching The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
h/t: Newsarama
Bailey Bednar
and yet marvel is releasing a new spiderman comic where he is half black and half latino… i guess it really was only the gay thing that was the ‘problem’.
Trevor McGee
Peter Parker
Bryan Piccolo Ona Cruz
I’d let this pass. â?º
Ronald Silby
I don’t have a problem with Peter Parker not being gay. There has never been any indication that he was, that I can remember. Why change the character now? Go with what works for crying out loud! EDIT: Besides, Spiderman has enough problems just being Spiderman!
Ton Saeliew
Does the agreement specify that “Peter Parker” must possess those qualities or “Spider-Man” in general? I’ve no problem with Peter Parker but “Spider-Man” is just a title, and Marvel comics agrees with this assessment since they have Miles Morales (half black & Latino) as the new main Spider-Man.
Brian Kelly-Ried
Who cares? If a character happens to be gay so be it, but spiderman is sooooooo straight. The Mile Morales character is from the ultimate universe after that Peter Parker dies. He’s from NYC hello it wouldn’t be unusual for him to black/Latino.
Michael Razzano
Who cares I’m gay and I don’t think every character has to be portrayed as gay at sometime ! Its just stupid that people get offended by this !
Matt1961
‘weird specificity’ is just called brand protection in any other case. Stan Lee and Marvel have a right to impose any restriction they want on trademarked or copyrighted material they own, including the orientation of a superhero. He’s right, let’s make a gay superhero that was gay at birth and comes our as awkwardly as the rest of us have.
Captain Obvious
Marvel much like many other studios has had hateful and bigoted creations over the years so news like this should surprise no one. May I direct you to the villain “Man-Ape” who hates technology, baths in the blood of white gorillas, eats the gorillas, and derives power from the . He’s an African man who hates white people and wears the skin of a gorilla to essentially look like one.
It’s probably the most r@cist character I’ve ever come across and hasn’t been done away with with a sincere apology.
Marvel much like the other studios only sees straight white males as heroes and everyone else is a joke or a sidekick. Stan Lee hides his true beliefs by keeping his lips zipped but if you read his drivel the real persona is clear.
It’s not about making every character non-white or gay but showing everyone as having the potential to be a hero. How terrible would that be?
Oh and Miss Lee also had a white jungle man character named Kazaar I believe who was considered a white God by Africans. Aside from being a closeted fag she sure does hate blacks.
Avery Alvarez
I see some gamergaters found this site. Funny, because they really hate gays, and judging by their Youtube videos, really hate when gay male characters are portrayed in any media, so of course they’d complain about this.
And their “Save white, straight dudebros in comic book movies. Our pain izzz reeeeeel, yooo. Make ur ownnn” rhetoric is just as funny here.
As for, “let’s make our own gay hero”
Umm hello, there already ARE gay superheroes?
Umm, hello, the studios still refuse to make a movie starring them, or even including them?
Are you not aware of this really clear as plain day fact?
@Brian Kelly-Ried: WTF is “sooooooooo straight”?
@Ronald Silby: So, homosexuality is a “problem”
Avery Alvarez
@Michael Razzano: Do you mean “gay”, or perhaps, “drunk”?
No one here has suggested that every character has to be gay. You’re the only one who has said it so far.
It’s funny that you chastise others for being offended, when here you are being offended at other people being supposedly being offended/
kurt_t
Wait. Spiderman isn’t gay?
KM201
In fairness, Stan Lee did try to push out a gay super hero movie/tv series, but the creator, Perry Moore, died and it’s been in development hell ever since. Perhaps it’s now time to resurrect it after eight years. Just a thought. 😉
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4237161/Stan-Lee-to-create-worlds-first-gay-superhero.html
Scott Lawrence
This irks me, how many closeted teen and twenty something’s get married love a straight life and then come out, a lot so why couldn’t spidey do the same. I prefer superman to come out, he lead a double life, which back in the day is what I thought was code for being gay.
hamoboy
Perry Moore’s book was painful to read. It was really bad, and that was even despite that fact that I loved the idea of a gay superhero. It was like reading the plot of a comic book series without the gorgeous artwork.
Junior Rosas
It specifies that the traits must be followed as such to stay true to the character. That’s why Miles Morales can be black/ latino, because obviously it stays true to his origin.. so basically until we get a gay Spider-Man, we won’t see him depicted as such in the movies any time soon
Kieru
@Bailey Bednar: The new Spider-Man is a character named Miles Morales; not already-established Peter Parker. Different character… just like Stan Lee wants. See how that works?
Dann Mitton
His comments strike me as weird especially since Iceman and Colossus have both been rescripted as gay in various incarnations. Doesn’t make sense then: why can’t Spider-man take a turn?
John Capers
Spidery always had Mary Jane love story already active and accepted by true fans
Masc Pride
I don’t see any issue. Mr. Lee’s statement sounds completely reasonable. We don’t know details regarding how or why the agreement came about. Maybe a film exec did pitch the idea of making him gay. Simply doubting it doesn’t make it impossible. Also, specificity isn’t unusual in entertainment; casting calls are a perfect example.
Avery Alvarez
@John Capers: You don’t get to define “true fans”
Also his love, his crush, could be for anybody.
aliengod
What’s the problem? Peter Parker/Spiderman’s identity was established many years ago. Why is it an issue that he’s not gay/black? Does everyone have to be gay or black? Just a ridiculous story. This is a non-issue.
Derek Perron
Such a misrepresentation- the said he couldn’t be gay unless he was depicted as such in the comics.
DC Sheehan
‘Sexual proclivities’ says it all. He’s not our friend.
TriForceKid1013
You guys do know Miles isn’t new and has been around for a few years now (since 2011) he’s not new he’s just based in a different universe. He’s talking about Peter Parker specificly meaning he’s already been established as white and straight so there is no reason to change Peter Parker just for the sake of changing him.
odawg
@Bailey Bednar: The character isn’t Black and Latino. Latinos can be any race. The character is a Black Latino.
Rod Suárez
Not depicted as gay UNLESS it THAT Spider-man has been depicted as gay [in the Comics] by Marvel. The rules are all about Peter Parker not ALL Spider-men.
Cam
What a shock the old guy supports the instutionalized bigotry of Hollywood.
Nyroy Dixon
Oh yawn everyone!
Bromancer7
So Peter Parker can’t be gay in movies because it goes against the comic lore of the character, but it’s fine that Johnny Storm can be Black in the movies despite him being a blonde-haired blue-eyed white dude for almost 55 years in the comics. Uh-huh. No double standard there you old fucking Jew bastard.
TriForceKid1013
@Bromancer7: And real comic fans are pissed about that as well because they did it for no reason. Although Im not sure Stan Lee was involved in that since Fox has the rights to the Fantastic Four and they also made Galactus into a giant cloud in the second movie.
Derick Lindsey
It doesn’t matter. Now that Andrew Garfield isn’t spider man, I could care less. I wanted to see him kiss a dude ð???
Taurmaurils
@Bailey Bednar: The document specified that *Peter Parker* is caucasion, young, straight, etc.
*Spider-Man* had no such restrictions. People should really read the whole document.
Taurmaurils
@Taurmaurils: Caucasian