Andrew Garfield campaigns for a gay Spider-Man
“Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in the history of fiction because we don’t see skin color, we don’t see gender, we don’t see sexuality…”
Thirteen years after imagining a gay Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield reaffirms his desire to see the famous Marvel hero open to all identities.
In full promotion of The Uprisingthe actor explains why he still thinks that anyone should be able to recognize themselves in the Spider-Man costume.
In 2013, while promoting The Amazing Spider-Man 2Andrew Garfield had already launched the idea of a homosexual Peter Parker. The actor said he joked with producer Matt Tolmach about the possibility of transforming Mary-Jane Watson, traditionally nicknamed MJ, into a male character.
“I was joking, but not completely about MJ… I was like, ‘What if MJ was a man? Why couldn’t we find out that Peter is exploring his sexuality? That’s not even really revolutionary! Why couldn’t he be gay? Why couldn’t he be attracted to boys?’ he said at the time.
Garfield even went so far as to suggest Michael B. Jordan to play this male version of MJ in his saga. “I’ve been obsessed with him since ‘The Wire’. He’s so charismatic and talented. It would be even better: we’d have interracial bisexuality!”
Thirteen years later, the subject came back on the table. Asked by Entertainment Weekly on his 2013 statements, Garfield has obviously not changed his mind.
“It was a form of rebellion that was close to my heart, he explains. I still believe that anyone can be in this costume. This is precisely why this character is universally loved. Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters in the history of fiction because we don’t see skin color, we don’t see gender, we don’t see sexuality. Everyone can imagine themselves in this costume.“
For the actor, the idea goes far beyond the character of Peter Parker:
“I like the idea of a place where everyone is respected and everyone is included. It was just a way of saying, ‘Why not?’ And if you have a strong opinion one way or the other, you’re going to reveal something about yourself.“
For now, there is obviously no indication that Marvel or Sony are considering making Peter Parker a gay character. The Spider-Man currently played by Tom Holland remains at the center of the franchise, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day released this summer.
