ok this seems to be getting notes outside of my circle so iβm going to add some more context to this
so in a july 2013 interview with entertainment weekly, andrew garfield said that heβd been discussing the possibility of a bi peter parker with marc webb, the filmsβ director, and matt tolmach, one of the producers. this was just a little over a year before the amazing spiderman 2 was released. choice quote:
Recently, he says, he had a philosophical discussion with producer Matt Tolmach about Mary Jane or βMJβ to fans. βI was kind of joking, but kind of not joking about MJ,β he tells EW. βAnd I was like, βWhat if MJ is a dude?β Why canβt we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? Β Itβs hardly even groundbreaking!β¦So why canβt he be gay? Why canβt he be into boys?β
Garfield even has an actor in mind: βIβve been obsessed with Michael B. Jordan since The Wire. Heβs so charismatic and talented. Itβd be even betterβweβd have interracial bisexuality!β The star has clearly suggested a sexually flexible Spidey to his director, Marc Webb, as well. When EW later mentions the idea to Webb, the director says, βMichael B. Jordan, I know.β Oh, so heβs heard this too? βUh, are you kidding?β
so, in andrewβs own words, he wasΒ βnot jokingβ about this, and michael b. jordan was not just a random suggestion andrew threw out during an interview - heβd actually discussed the possibility with the director.Β
for what itβs worth, michael b. jordan was open to it. in a july 2013 interview with vh1, michael said:Β
Spider-Manβs Andrew Garfield recently said that the superheroβs sexuality is open to interpretation, and he named you as someone heβd want to play his gay lover in the film, should Marc Webb choose to go that route.
No thoughts on that, but I am a fan of Andrew. Heβs a talented actor, I admire his work, and Iβd definitely love to work with him in the future. Heβs a funny guyβheβs got a sense of humor and I love people that wonβt take themselves too seriously all the time, so itβs cool for him to come out and say how he felt or joke around or whatever. It was fun, I laughed at it.
itβs worth noting that one month prior, in june 2013, it was announced in the hollywood reporterΒ that shailene woodley, originally cast as mary jane, would have all of her scenes cut from spiderman 2. note this excerpt from the article:
βI made a creative decision to streamline the story and focus on Peter and Gwen and their relationship,β said Webb. βShailene is an incredibly talented actress, and while we only shot a few scenes with Mary Jane, we all love working with her.β
The plan now is for Watson, one of Peter Parker/Spider-Manβs iconic love interests, to be introduced in the third movie.
It is likely that Woodley will not return and that the part will be recast.
"Of course Iβm bummed,β Woodley told Entertainment Weekly, which first reported the news. βBut Iβm a firm believer in everything happening for a specific reason. β¦ Based on the proposed plot, I completely understand holding off on introducing [Mary Jane] until the next film.β
okay, so - couple things:
βwatson, one of peter parker/spider-manβs iconic love interestsβ - notΒ βmary jane,β but the gender neutralΒ βwatsonβ
the director complimented shaileneβs talent and work ethic, indicating that nothing in her performance was a problem; nonetheless,Β βwoodley will not return and the part will be recastβ
and woodley says,Β βbased on the proposed plot, i completely understand holding off on introducing [mary jane] until the next filmβ
and the brackets around [mary jane] indicated that sheβ¦ didnβt say mary jane. she said something else. maybeΒ βwatson.β maybeΒ βMJ.β
and, of course, one month later, andrew garfield and marc webb were publicly running around comic-con calling for a bisexual spiderman and michael b. jordan as MJ.Β
now, when later asked about the entertainment weekly interview, andrew claims that he wasΒ βjokingβ and thatΒ βit wouldnβt make sense for peter parker to suddenly discover heβs into boysβ but thenβ¦ he delivers a three-minute monologue about lgbt teen suicide and the importance of representation and almost starts crying. so make of that what you will.
then, shortly after comic-con, in august of 2013, stan lee was asked a couple of times about andrew garfieldβs call for a bisexual spiderman. his thoughts:
This past weekend, Comicbook.com covered Fandomfest in Louisville, Kentucky, where we reported onΒ Stan Leeβs reaction to a question about Andrew Garfieldβs idea to make Spider-Man bisexual. Stan Lee said, βHeβs becoming bisexual? Really? Who have you been talking to? I donβt knowβ¦seriously I donβt know anything about that. And if itβs true, Iβm going to make a couple of phone calls. I figure one sex is enough for anybody.β
In an interview yesterday with WGN radio, Stan Lee was once again asked about Andrew Garfieldβs comments. The radio host asked, βThereβs one thing that happened recently, and I think this is one thing that makes you a little bit mad. Andrew Garfield suggested that maybe MJ could be a man. Was that out of left field?β
Stan Lee replied, βBoy, that was so out of left field! I donβt understand why he said that, and one of the quotes I gave, he wanted to talk about I think Spider-Man being bisexual, and my only comment was I thought one sex at a time ought to be enough for anybody.β
When asked where he thought Andrew Garfieldβs comments came from or if he was just trying to include another audience, Stan Lee said, βOr maybe sometimes you say something just to be noticed or to create a controversy, who knows? But heβs a great guy and heβs a fine actor, and I hope this doesnβt hurt him in any way.β
so likeβ¦ stan lee was not on fucking board. stan lee was talking aboutΒ βmaking a couple of phone calls,β and suggesting andrewΒ βsaid something just to be noticed or to create a controversy,β and intimated,Β βi hope this doesnβt hurt him in any way.β
and then, of course, andrew was let go from his contract, and sony struck a deal with marvel to reboot spiderman according to a legal licensing agreement - in place prior to the andrew garfield movies, actually - requiring peter parker to be heterosexual and white.
now, earlier this year, andrew garfield took part in a roundtable discussion with several other actors, including dev patel.
at one point, around the 36-minute mark, dev mentions that he regrets participating in avatar: the last airbender, saying:
I saw a stranger on the screen, like, I didnβt really relate to. And I was just like, this is a terrible extension of me. This is not what I want to represent in any way.
I love what you just said, that it felt like you were looking at a stranger, and feeling like you were perpetuating something thatβs toxic. And something thatβs shallow. And something that has no depth. No matter how much depth was attempted to be bought into it and sold. And then you go β millions and millions, for me it was, you know, Spiderman stuffβ¦ Thereβs millions and millions of young people watching who are hungry for a hand here. Someone to say,Β βYouβre okay. Everythingβs okay. Youβre seen. Youβre seen very deeply.βΒ And we have opportunities to do that with those kind of behemoth films. And more often than not, the opportunity is not taken. And itβs absolutely devastating and heartbreaking because thereβs so much medicine that could be delivered through those films.
then the interviewer asks,Β βbut why is it not taken?β and andrew replies,Β βwhy do you think? why do you think?β
tl;dr andrew garfield and marc webb were lobbying for a bisexual spiderman and sony literally fired both of them, signed a licensing agreement with marvel, and rebooted the entire franchise to ensure that would not happen. thanks for coming to my ted talk.
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