While great power does come with great responsibility, it doesn’t need to solely rest on the shoulders of Peter Parker as Spider-Man. For decades, the pages of Marvel Comics have primarily focused on Peter as the main character to shoulder this heroic burden. Yes, he may be one of the most iconic superheroes in the history of comics, but Marvel Comics has since introduced a diverse cast of web-slinging heroes. It’s time that the MCU, too, moves forward and introduces more Spider-People. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the perfect launchpad, especially as it contributes to the Multiversal narrative. Even current Spider-Man Tom Holland wants to see a diverse spider-universe.
Throughout the MCU’s Infinity Saga, franchises were built around heroes who were straight, white, and predominantly male. While recent projects have aimed to be more inclusive of characters of varying backgrounds, Spider-Man himself—across multiple franchises, reboots, and remakes—has remained white, straight, cisgendered, and able-bodied. Of course, Sony Pictures Animation initially presented the idea of someone else becoming Spider-Man in the groundbreaking Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which placed biracial Black and Latino teen Miles Morales in the spotlight. However, the Spider-Man universe as a whole needs to catch up. There are a plethora of interesting and complex and movie-worthy Spider-People to build franchises on.
Who Else Could Be Spider-Man?
With the window being open for an array of new Spider-People to flood into the MCU comes a throng of fascinating potential frontrunners whose stories can be told. Spider-Punk stands out with his design alone and openly incorporates the influence of punk rock culture in New York amid his crusade against President Norman Osborne’s V.E.N.O.M. troops. The Spider-Punk comics retain the original theme of the Peter Parker era, though later branch off into the Spider-Geddon run, and step back from traditional Spider-Man storytelling. Cindy “Silk” Moon has been teased by Sony Pictures Animation to appear in future projects as they continue to build onto their universe. Introducing Moon would introduce a young woman Korean-American hero, and would allow room for more cultural representation on a broader scale. Pavitr Prabhakar, much like Moon, offers another take on Spider-Man from an Asain perspective. Hailing from India, Prabhakar debuted in Spider-Man: India was initially published in his home country by Gotham Entertainment Group.
May “Mayday” Parker as Spider-Girl found herself in and out of Marvel Comics from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s. Daughter of Peter Parker ad Mary Jane Watson, this alternate universe Spider-Girl still holds ties to her father, though her run acts as a female-centric series. While there are heavy connections to the Peter Parker era, the diversity stems from seeing heroine that breaks the redundancy of Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson. A second Spider-Girl, Anya Corazon, further pushes these boundaries. She marks herself as one of Marvel’s first Latina superheroines, along with other Latino Spider-Men such as Arácnido Jr. or Spider-Man 2099. Junior became the protector of Mexico City after developing powers similar to Spider-Man of Earth-616; Oscar Isaac is to voice Spider-Man 2099 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
What New Villains Could Be Introduced?
As exciting as it is to think there are plans to unite the Sinister Six, there’s an even more urgent need to see fresh faces to replace these all-too-well-known Spider-Man villains. Felicia “Black Cat” Hardy has quickly risen in popularity as both a love interest and as a villain-turned-anti-hero. However, neither of these labels set out to define her; rather, she works to take back what she thinks the word has taken from her. Silver Sable sets out to follow the lead of Black Cat’s blurred morality, and challenge the binaries between “hero” and “villain” while acting as a mercenary. She contributes to the complexities in Spider-Man’s life and her past struggle with Nazis during World War II opens up a dialogue of how international politics leave lasting impacts on fictional media. The introduction of women villains into the cinematic Spider-Man universe has been far overdue—Silver Sable and Black Cat are a strong start.
The introduction of the Scorpion warps the perception of J. Jonah Jameson that has been solidified by J.K. Simmons after his creation follows a life of villainy. In consequence of his costume bonding to his body, Mac Gargan was tasked to hunt down the web-slinger. His tremendous overlap with multiple teams and characters across the Marvel Universe allows him to meld franchises and present an opportunity to introduce both Secret Invasion and Thunderbolts arcs into Spider-Man titles. His role as a villain dips farther beneath the surface of destroying Spider-Man. Master of disguises, the Chameleon is true to his name. What gives Dmitri Smerdyakov his true ability to stand out is that his sheer inability to be redeemed and pure lack of morality impose the truth that not everyone can be saved from themselves. It diversifies a character trope that’s been beaten down by an expectation that has been met on a common basis.
The Importance of a Diverse Spider-Man Universe
Image via DeviantArt
Diversity shapes the world of fiction just as it shapes reality. Each and every person represents a unique walk of life based on how they perceive the world. Just as the means of reality differ on a personal basis, it is important to see that reflected through the diversity of the Spider-Man universe. Peter Parker is iconic, as he always will be, though the Spider-Man universe must be asked to let him go and move on. Without diversity within the Spider-Man universe, those who want to resonate with the characters have yet to be fully seen. For many Spider-Man fans, they see Parker within themselves. They take away aspects of his personality or his cultural experience and connect with it. Others who do not fit in the same demographic deserve to share that intimacy, too. It’s just as Stan Lee once said.
Diversity across the Spider-Man permits truth to ring through Lee’s vision for how the character is interpreted, and the infinite ways in which that interpretation may take place. Anyone can be behind the mask; anyone can wear the mask. It’s a matter of seeing a reflection of self through representation. Being able to approach a character that has become so important to the world of pop culture and go beyond the groundwork of who Parker is is a step forward towards inclusion. Just as Lee had said, there is the ability for anybody who reads (or watches) Spider-Man in any part of the world to imagine themselves under the costume. Bringing diversity to Spider-Man turns that sentiment into a reality.
