Donald Glover as Spider-Man?

[SeanDMan]

Go go closet racism.

[GhostMachine]

Go go closet racism.

Nope. `Twas meant as a joke. (And someone at the other board I posted it at actually got that real quick)

I just don't think there are certain characters that would work if you changed their race, because you'd have to change other things as well.

On the other hand, people are upset over the live action Avatar The Last Airbender movie, because it has a mostly caucasian, instead of Asian cast. And even though I don't give a shit about that series, I can see why the people are upset and actually agree with them about the casting. (If I read right, what makes it even worse is that all or most of the non-caucasian actors in it play badguys)

[MalaCloudy Black]

Go go closet racism.

He's from Tennessee, it's not closeted. >_>

[TCO]

I really don't think any of this is closet racism, it's just that Peter Parker is caucasian so people want a caucaian to play him and because Spider-man is such an iconic figure that such a drastic visual change of the character just wouldn't work. Your casual fans really wouldn't care if Nick Fury or Wilosn Fisk recieve a change in race because they won't be that aware and/or care enough about the change.

Though it could be funny, just imagine how people would've reacted if Jason Statham had played Nelson Mandella in Invictus!

Edited June 11, 2010 by The Cool One

[MalaCloudy Black]

Shit, I'd have watched Invictus a thousand times more then.

[Draevyn]

For me, when I watch a movie based on a comic book, or a book. I want the character to at least look the same as what I've pictured while reading, or what is illustrated in the comic book, which is why I don't think Donald Glover works. I've never seen him act, but I just couldn't grasp a black Spider-Man.

[LL!]

Wow. All the arguments for why he shouldn't be black so far have been completely and utterly stupid. There is no reason why he shouldn't. NONE.

[LittleDaniel]

People keep saying that Spiderman is an icon, and therefore shouldn't be portrayed by a black man. But...Spiderman wears a mask. And a full-body suit. How do we know there's not a black man under there?

[SeanDMan]

People keep saying that Spiderman is an icon, and therefore shouldn't be portrayed by a black man. But...Spiderman wears a mask. And a full-body suit. How do we know there's not a black man under there?

Thank fuck somebody finally said it.

[TGC]

People keep saying that Spiderman is an icon, and therefore shouldn't be portrayed by a black man. But...Spiderman wears a mask. And a full-body suit. How do we know there's not a black man under there?

Thank fuck somebody finally said it.

Thats how?

[Kyle_]

For me, when I watch a movie based on a comic book, or a book. I want the character to at least look the same as what I've pictured while reading, or what is illustrated in the comic book, which is why I don't think Donald Glover works. I've never seen him act, but I just couldn't grasp a black Spider-Man.

This. I for one wouldn't have a problem with Glover playing Spiderman, but that's why it would be difficult people to understand because he's portrayed as white in the comics, movies, TV shows, etc.

[LL!]

People don't need to understand why he's black. He was BORN THAT WAY. So what if he has been portrayed as white all his life? The color of his skin doesn't make him less of a nerd, doesn't make him immune to the bite of a radioactive spider, doesn't make him less likely to get powers, doesn't make him less likely to fight crime, and only somewhat makes him less likely to work for a bigot at a newspaper.

[livid]

That point would make sense had Marvel not already changed two of it's characters from white to black. They may not be as big as Spiderman but they were white in the comic books and the changed worked out pretty well for both characters. I get what you're saying but that's still not a real good reason why he can't be black.

I would love if Glover got a chance to get the part but that's looking unlikely. I just hope that whoever they hire (Jamie Bell or whoever else) do a good job and that they have a good cast around them. And with the rumor of Michael Fassbender being considered to play the villain, I think that just might happen.

[SeanDMan]

Origin stories change all the fucking time, I don't understand why when it involves skin pigment everyone starts burning crosses.

[TCO]

Wow. All the arguments for why he shouldn't be black so far have been completely and utterly stupid. There is no reason why he shouldn't. NONE.

I don't think there really is an 'argument' persay. Peter Parker is white, so the actor that plays him should in theory be white. If you're OK with changing a key part of the physical apperance of such an important character for such an important franchise then all the power to you. Both are valid points, but even Stan Lee said he should be white.

It's not racism either because if Peter Parker were drawn as black for almost 50 years, I'm

sure people would object to a white guy playing him. Plus since when is Donald Glover an acting phenomenon? Are we basing his credentials of carrying a massive movie franchise on two seasons of a comedy show?

[LL!]

Wow. All the arguments for why he shouldn't be black so far have been completely and utterly stupid. There is no reason why he shouldn't. NONE.

I don't think there really is an 'argument' persay. Peter Parker is white, so the actor that plays him should in theory be white. If you're OK with changing a key part of the physical apperance of such an important character for such an important franchise then all the power to you. Both are valid points, but even Stan Lee said he should be white.

It's not racism either because if Peter Parker were drawn as black for almost 50 years, I'm

sure people would object to a white guy playing him. Plus since when is Donald Glover an acting phenomenon? Are we basing his credentials of carrying a massive movie franchise on two seasons of a comedy show?

WOW! Are you SERIOUS? It is set in stone that Peter Parker is white? There is no argument? I wish you had some semblance of an idea for what you're saying. Putting aside that Spider-Man/Peter Parker is an "icon," what you just said would have to go for Kingpin as well. If you're gonna bring the point up that he's an "icon" (so he should be portrayed as what he's always been portrayed as) then you completely miss the point of what it is that makes them an icon. Skin pigment does not make a character an icon, his actions do. The character he portrays do.

Like Sean said, origin stories change all the fucking time. Comic books change shit around all the time. At the end of a story arc a character could die, only to be brought back at the start of another. If it is so easy to suspend your disbelief and allow a character to live again just because you want to change the story, then I don't see how anyone can't fathom a character changing their fucking pigment.

[TCO]

Wow. All the arguments for why he shouldn't be black so far have been completely and utterly stupid. There is no reason why he shouldn't. NONE.

I don't think there really is an 'argument' persay. Peter Parker is white, so the actor that plays him should in theory be white. If you're OK with changing a key part of the physical apperance of such an important character for such an important franchise then all the power to you. Both are valid points, but even Stan Lee said he should be white.

It's not racism either because if Peter Parker were drawn as black for almost 50 years, I'm

sure people would object to a white guy playing him. Plus since when is Donald Glover an acting phenomenon? Are we basing his credentials of carrying a massive movie franchise on two seasons of a comedy show?

WOW! Are you SERIOUS? It is set in stone that Peter Parker is white? There is no argument? I wish you had some semblance of an idea for what you're saying. Putting aside that Spider-Man/Peter Parker is an "icon," what you just said would have to go for Kingpin as well. If you're gonna bring the point up that he's an "icon" (so he should be portrayed as what he's always been portrayed as) then you completely miss the point of what it is that makes them an icon. Skin pigment does not make a character an icon, his actions do. The character he portrays do.

Like Sean said, origin stories change all the fucking time. Comic books change shit around all the time. At the end of a story arc a character could die, only to be brought back at the start of another. If it is so easy to suspend your disbelief and allow a character to live again just because you want to change the story, then I don't see how anyone can't fathom a character changing their fucking pigment.

When I said there is no argument, I meant that both sides have valid points and neither can 'prove' the other wrong, not that 'he's white, shut up'. You could counter argue this until the cows come home, I just feel that white characters should be portrayed by white actors, black characters by black actors, asians by asians etc, especially for Spider-man which I love. If it doesn't go that way, meh.

If Donald Glover gets it congratulations to him and I'm sure he'd do a fine job. I'll still gladly go see the movie, it won't bother me in the slightest.

[Daniel Bryan]

I wonder, if it was suggested Spider-Man be played by a blonde guy, would people be as bothered as they are by this?

[apsham]

Jesus christ - both sides of this are fucking absurd.

You have the people who are for the change on one side entirely over-reacting to the idea that some people want the character to remain familiar and the way that he has for years - blatantly trying to call out racism on those who just want Spiderman to be the Spiderman that they've known all along, and then you have the people who are against any kind of change just because "Stan Lee says so" or because the character has been white all along - I don't see any reason why Glover cannot get an audition, after all just him GETTING AN AUDITION is what this was all about in the first place. I don't think anyone could have seriously believed that he would get the part, indeed it would have been a major re-tooling that I am sure the filmmakers wouldn't have planned for from the beginning.. but either way...

I'll just say once again that on the surface - this just doesn't work for me, and I think if Glover had been cast as a result of some huge internet push, the movie would have gone down in history as "that black Spider-Man movie" and that's pretty much impossible to not say about such a major character. I'm not for a racial change in the character and I'm not against it either, everyone just needs to calm the hell down.

I wonder, if it was suggested Spider-Man be played by a blonde guy, would people be as bothered as they are by this?

You can't compare a change of hair colour to what we're talking about here and act like it's the same thing, it's no where near the same thing.

[Kyle_]

I wonder, if it was suggested Spider-Man be played by a blonde guy, would people be as bothered as they are by this?