Marvel Introduces a Mixed-Race Spider-Man to Replace Peter Parker - TIME NewsFeed
He's the latest creation by Marvel Comics and takes over as the new Spider-Man, appearing for the first time in “Ultimate Fallout” No. 4, a comic book from the "Ultimate Spider-Man" series that comes out today. In case you're wondering what happened to Peter, he died back in June's issue after a fight with Green Goblin. (If that last line alarmed you, really, it shouldn't, as Peter is still flicking webs in the larger Marvel universe, and you'll see him next summer in Marc Webb's new film.)
Brian Michael Bendis, who has written every issue of "Ultimate Spider-Man," told the Associated Press he wanted to create a new character that came from a completely different background and world view. The idea of a multi-ethnic Spidey has long been in the works, though the Marvel Comics writer gives some credit to African American actor Donald Glover, who last summer lobbied to audition for the star role in The Amazing Spider-Man. After the buzz around Glover playing the Queens-bred alter ego went viral, it became a top trend on Twitter and sparked debate about race, racial casting and whether or not Peter is indeed white.
“It's certainly long overdue,” Bendis told USA Today, adding that the racial representation of superheroes is still “crazy lopsided.”
Axel Alonso, Marvel's editor-in-chief and fanboy of superheroes of color “Luke Cage” and “Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu,” said that creating a non-white Spider-Man “was a conscious decision and that the company prides itself “on reflecting the real world in all its diversity.”