Stan Lee on "Black Spider-Man"

[Logan Westbrook]

Stan Lee on "Black Spider-Man"

A black actor playing Spider-Man? Stan Lee doesn't necessarily think it's a bad idea, but he thinks it might be confusing for those watching.

Spider-Man [http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-High-Definition-Trilogy-Blu-ray/dp/B000UR9T82/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1276187962&sr=8-6] creator, Stan Lee, has offered his take on Community actor Donald Glover auditioning for the part of Spider-Man, and more generally on a black actor playing the character. Speaking in a telephone interview with MTV [http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/06/09/stan-lee-donald-glover-spider-man-casting-campaign/], Lee said that it wasn't a race issue, simply that people know Spider-Man as a white character. He also made it clear, however, that this was just his opinion, and it wasn't his job to try and influence Marvel, or tell it what to do regarding movies.

"He's a great actor," said Lee. "I've seen him, and he's terrific ... I certainly think he should have a chance to audition. [But] here's the point: We've already had the Kingpin in 'Daredevil' portrayed by a black man, where he was white in the comics, and we've had Nick Fury portrayed by a black man where he was white in the comics. "

"[But] not that many moviegoers are familiar with them. Everybody seems to be familiar with Spider-Man, so I say that it isn't that it's a racial issue - it's just that it might be confusing to people. But that's a matter for the people at Marvel to take into consideration. I certainly don't want to weigh in on it in any way, except to say I think Glover is a fine actor," he added.

The campaign to get Glover an audition for the part of Spider-Man in the the upcoming movie was born on science-fiction blog io9 [http://io9.com/5552684/donald-glover-for-spider+man-why-the-hell-not], and then spread to Twitter, Facebook, and even the Washington Post and New York magazine. So successful was the campaign, the "#Donald4Spiderman" hash tag was one of the top ten trending topics over the memorial day weekend. Glover, who spearheaded the campaign, made it clear that he didn't want to be handed the part, he just wanted the chance to audtion.

Source: io9 [http://io9.com/5559655/smilin-stan-lee-weighs-in-on-donald-glover-for-spider+man]





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[Queen Michael]

You know, a black Spidey might be an interesting new look for the web-slinger. I say give him the part. Assuming he's got the acting skills, of course.

 

[dududf]

I don't care, just so long as the actor can act.

It will be confusing for those not following the movie however.

 

[Pandalisk]

Agreed, Seeing Spiderman as white for the better part of my life it would be very weird to see him being played as a black character, regardless of the actors ability. Everytime i see spider man i imagine the white character he is, and whenever he takes off his mask i'd be damn well Confused were he to be black.. Although it does sound interesting...

Although i have to say, the King Pin in the movies was awesome black

 

[Digikid]

BAD idea. Stick to the storyline.

 

[joshthor]

i love danny glover, he is hilarious, and why not give him an audition? but i cant see him as spiderman. it would be too weird to have a black spiderman.

edit: lol oops. i meant donald glover. (i love him on community) i knew who i was talking about in my head, but then it came out as a different black guy. (although, how funny would danny glover be as spiderman?) im too old for this shit.

 

[HungryHungryHobo]

My only real gripe with this has nothing to do with Glover's race but everything I have read about this reboot has a much younger Spider-Man being portrayed around high school age close to the cannon of Ultimate Spider-Man. While I do admit race is a very small issue in this trying to pass someone who has been portrayed as being college age and definitely at least to me looks too old to be playing a sophmore in high school. Does anyone else feel the same way about this?

 

[Casual Shinji]

Uhm, isn't Peter Parker white?

I think it's a really stupid idea to change an established character's skin color.

 

[Orhid]

No.

I barley withstanded Nick Fury but Spider Man would be last straw.

 

[Sethzard]

It will be interesting. It might go well, but at the same time it might feel weird.

 

[Miumaru]

Peter Parker is a skinny little white nerd boy....who becomes a buffish little white boy with super powers. He is a nerd hero. So unless we can make Black Panther and Luke Cage white....

 

[Eldarion]

I'd be fine with a black spider man IF they did a new character, new backstory, new motivation ect. But if they want to do that why not make him a new superhero? Eh this whole thing is silly anyway.

 

[MR.Spartacus]

Actually about Nick Fury...

If I remember right the "Ultimate" version was always black, and made to look like a bit like Samuel L. Jackson. I really don't care though as long as it's good. Although if his uncle specializes in cooking rice then...

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

My only complaint with this is, if a new Spawn movie came out and Al Simmons was played by a white guy "Oh racist. Took a black character and put a white guy in the role." Whereas this way around its "oh it's not really fair to say it has to be a white guy to play Spider-Man"

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I think too many people would jump on this and cry "Racist" one way or the others. There would be the people who, no matter how good an actor Glover is, would scream that Marvel is appeasing the black community and that he was handed the role. Then there would be the other people who would say he's not black enough in the movie. His backstory isn't right, his character isn't right, he doesn't act the way a black person would.

My view is the same as this:

Peter Parker is a skinny little white nerd boy....who becomes a buffish little white boy with super powers. He is a nerd hero. So unless we can make Black Panther and Luke Cage white....

I just can't see Peter Parker as anything but the skinny white nerd that he is.

 

[Reolus]

White people need heroes too.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

Personally I don't really care what they do with the new Spiderman movie, as everything I've heard about this "reboot" screams run away, run far away!!! at me. The cynical perspective that us comic book nerds will rail bitterly and then go watch it anyways (but we'll at least be angry about it) isn't strictly true, and I definitely will not be going to watch the new Spiderman film unless everyone starts raving about how amazing it is after it's released, so they can do whatever the hell they want to because I plan on staying home.

And really, casting a non-Caucasian as Peter Parker in spite of decades of precedent in the comics and 3 previous films would be the least of this reboot's sins from the looks of it. Let's make the cast younger and set it in highschool, what a wonderful idea! Hate them so much.