We’ve unearthed a pertinent clue as to why the latest spate of Spider-Man films have been such a slog: According to a leaked agreement between Sony and Marvel, there are a great number of things Spider-Man can’t do or be: He’s “not a homosexual;” he “does not abuse alcohol;” he “does not use foul language;” he “does not have sex with anyone below the age of 16.” (In regards to that last one — Duh?)
No mention whether he can/can’t eat yummy flies on the weekend.
However, there are also several character traits he absolutely must possess: he is unswervingly “Caucasian;” he “gains powers from being bitten by a spider;” and, though “heterosexual,” he still has the innate know-how to “design his first red and blue costume.”
For a fellow who’s able to shoot thin ropes of spiderweb out of his wrists to traverse New York skyscrapers and catch enemies in a viscous mess of goo, the poor guy is kept on an astonishingly tight leash.
Andrew Garfield, who’s been longing to portray Spider-Man as gay, is no doubt devastated by this news.
h/t: Gawker
redcarpet30
Well that’s fucked up. Guess I just read how the homophobic sausage is made in Hollywood.
Jerome Schwab
If marvel knew what ive done in a Spider-Man costume they would be utterly shocked.
Avery Alvarez
Well, homosexuality right up there with drug abuse, torture, and pedophila.
And yet there are still so many who claim Hollywood is “liberal”
Creamsicle
It sounds like they’re just trying to be consistent with the comic depictions of Peter Parker. They specifically note that they can change the homosexual stipulation if Marvel has portrayed that particular Spider-Man (Whether or not it’s a reinterpretation of Peter Parker) as gay. It’s more a list of traits to which they must adhere so that comic book nerds don’t say, “Damn movieverse,” and choose not to see the film at all.
That said, I hope that we start to see more of gay superhero movies. It looks like Avengers is paving the way for Avengers Disassembled, Civil War, and the eventual formation of the Young Avengers, the teen superhero team that is 80% non-hetero.
Merv
If he’s not gay, he’s not gay. However, it would have been better if they put that characteristic near the top of the list, after male, instead of after a long sequence of negative items. Also, they should have phrased it positively that he was a heterosexual, instead of “not a homosexual.” I don’t have a problem with the character being straight, but there seems to be some subtle homophobia involved in how it’s described.
ric
I wonder if the reason he must stay Caucasian is maybe just maybe some believe in that myth or stereotype about black men in the crotch department. And they don’t want the audience to get detracted by a big bulge. Just wondering. And believe me all of us black men are not blessed. In my case I was blessed. Have a great weekend.
Boxton Beats
I wonder if that’s pertaining to a contract set with the creator of the character?
spideyboy1111
I’m perfectly OK with that… not offended at all.
As a gay male… I don’t want a straight character to be turned gay just to please my kind… it’s table scraps.
I feel that way about race changes as well…
Hollywood should put faith in the amazing and great minority characters in comics… and put them in leading roles…
I’d much rather have a movie with Hulkling, Wiccan, Karolina Dean, Northstar, Greymalkin, Anole, Julie Power, etc… than have Spider-man, Iron-Man, or Hulk be gay…. thats so petty to me. it’s basically saying “We don’t have faith in _____ gay character, so instead we will piggy back someone elses name and brand.
i don’t want that.. i find it incredibly insulting. So I’m glad Peter Parker wont be gay.
bbg372
That is not at all what it says. It says that Peter Parker and HIS Spider-Man alter-ego must be white. It puts no racial qualifications on a Spider-Man character who is not Peter Parker. It even states that Spider-Man can be gay, including Peter Parker, so long as his alter-ego is also established as gay. Stop trying to generate faux outrage for views.
Catherine Gordon
I’d be okay with a gay Spiderman.
Kieran
When they say “not a homosexual” they mean he can’t be the swishy homosexual stereotype so beloved by Hollywood.
RIGay
“Must no appear in crap-tastic “reboots” of classic movies”
kookookachoo
I’m a comic fanatic, of sorts. He is written as hetero, I have no problem with it. He is also intellectual property, so as it says above, Marvel would need to approve and write any such changes to the story. I can’t say to Tolkien’s estate, “hey dudes, re-write those suckers to include some gay ones.” Or “Let’s magically turn one of the two girls in “…the Wardrobe” into a lesbian”. Same thing, kinda. lol
Arcamenel
He isn’t a real person he can be a bisexual persian chemist if they wanted but they don’t think that would get people to watch it.
DarkZephyr
@kookookachoo: I don’t think its so much that he has to be heterosexual as to how they worded it, really.
Scott Lawrence
But ya are Blanche, ya are!!
MaxMan
There’s a petition going around (Buzzfeed I think) to have Dev Patel be the next Spiderman. I’m down with that.
Troy Tette
I’d be OK with a gay Tobey Maguire
Will Gore
Umm…Stan Lee created Spider-Man. If he decides that Spider-Man is gay, then he is gay. Stan Lee is the God of Marvel….therefore, what ever Stan Lee says, goes.
Aaron Owen Bailey
Wasn’t aware he ever was..
Daws
Gay actors in Hollywood have said for years how homophobic it is. That’s why some stay closeted out of fear for their career. It’s sad.
Daws
@Will Gore: Stan Lee made a comment in the past few months about why he didn’t create a gay superhero. Something to the effect of it being too foreign to him or something stupid.
Glenn Stubblefield
Does anyone really care if Spider-Man is gay or not? Really?
Roland Hamburger
Soy should just STFU already because they care only about the Money and nothing to do with the Character behind the movie…FOX is worse as they change everything about their characters just to look cool. But they suck too
George Scherer
That’s a silly title, considering Toby McGuire was already Spider-Man…I bet they want to try a straight man this time! ð???
offbeatoh86
You’re overreacting to this! The document is a guide to keep the movie Spider-Man in line with the comic book version. Peter Parker is a White, Heterosexual male in the comics and Marvel wants to keep that consistent in the movies. Nerds can be very fickle when it comes to changing the details of well-established stories. Miles Morales, the Spider-Man from the Marvel Ultimate universe, is Blatino & Gay so if a Spider-Man movie was made starring him, it would follo that the character should be Gay in the movie too. What we should be angry about is if they made an Ultimate Spider-Man movie and Miles was portrayed as straight.
Johnathan-Perry O'Brien
Really spider can be whatever he wants
Cagnazzo82
@offbeatoh86: First off, Miles Morales is *NOT* gay. The storyline in the comics is actually that his girlfriend’s family works for Hydra. /clearly you have not read the comics.
Secondly you do not need a list to know spider-man doesn’t smoke or sell drugs. The fact that they listed homosexuality next to being a drug dealer is what people have a problem with.
machuffin
There’s nothing shocking about this, it’s just kind of gross that 1) we are reading it in print and 2) they feel the need to say it. I wouldn’t want any of the straight super heroes to be gay. Why would they be? Also, not sure Andrew Garfield has been “longing” for a gay Spider-Man. He mentioned it in print once, and previously to Marc Webb, once that we know of. A discussion is far from longing. Just saying; let’s not exaggerate.
Dizzy Moogle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk6omPlM8bw
John Burnett
That’s ok, the new Iceman is gay!
Nyroy Dixon
Some of these comments are a bit dramatic who cares! Gay or not
sourwolf
It’s obviously one thing to want to Spider-Man to follow comic!Peter as closely as possible; I have no problem with that. But it is another to say that all versions of Spider-Man (unless it’s done by Marvel previously) has to be a non-gay Caucasion. In other words, all new incarnations unique to the movie-verse must be a non-gay Caucasian. And, movie!Peter Parker can be a sauve millionaire for all they care, just make him a straight Caucasion male.
Trevor McGee
Let’s just name someone, “Peter Parker,” …….. &, decide he “can’t be Gay…”
Scott Deer
Hopefully he’s never written to be.
Cam
So I’m supposed to be shocked that executives are homophobic?
Sansacro
@offbeatoh86: You are missing the point; as has been pointed out, who cares if he’s heterosexual, but listing him as “not a homosexual,’ along with prohibitions against drug use and underage sex, is what is offensive and homophobic.
Lewis Kinslayer
Please stop with the sensationalist headlines. He isn’t allowed to be portrayed as LGBT in the movies first. He IS allowed to be if it has been done in the comics FIRST.
Steve McSheffrey
Why would he be gay? There are gay super-heroes published but Spider-Man’s not one of them…
Blazipitous
Meh! Who cares?!
Richard Rackley
Not Homosexual. The article says nothing about bisexuality! !
Richard Rackley
Loophole!
Dennis Mitchell
Or black…
William Thomas Bramlett II
Such bullshit
William Thomas Bramlett II
Alex is bi
Jeremiah Pointer
It’s not SPIDER-MAN who’s not allowed to be gay. It’s Peter Parker. Anyone else under the mask can be more diverse. Sexually and racially.
offbeatoh86
@Cagnazzo82: As for my error, I had been under the impression that Miles is Gay because of a rumor that circulated around the Nerdosphere a few years ago. I never learmed the truth because I don’t read Ultimate Spider-Man. Most of the comics I read are newer series that don’t require knowledge of previous storylines. And, yes, listing Homosexuality with all the other restrictions makes it look like Marvel is equating Homosexuality with smoking & drinking, but I don’t think that’s so. The list also says that Spider-Man has to be male so you could say that they’re equating being a woman to being a drug dealer.
Cagnazzo82
@offbeatoh86: If you’re ever interested in a fantastic read you should definitely check out Mile’s book by Brian Bendis. It’s one of the most phenomenal spider-man books I’ve ever read.
But yeah, I think for the movies it should go without saying who Peter Parker is/what he looks like and what his interests are. I don’t take much issue with the homosexuality listing but I just felt it was unnecessary. Spider-man’s entire persona revolves around characters like Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, Felicia Hardy etc… There’s literally no room to make him gay, so having to list that seems, I don’t know, it comes off like an insecurity on the part of the exec writing it.
Also the spider-man universe expanded so much since the movies came out, with great female characters like Silk and Spider-Gwen… I’d imagine it’s only a matter of time before Sony portrays those characters on-screen at some point, so listing spider-man as not being female may have already gone out the window by this point.
Michael Haynes
But I so wanna be entangled in Peter Parker’s web Shewwwwww
AthanWinter
Poor Spidey, he should have lived in Europe where Age of Consent is often rather low. 14 and 15 in most of the Northern and Western European countries. A few is conservative with 16, 17 or 18.