Let the freak outs and controversy begin... NOW!

The idea of gay superheroes is in no way new to the world of comic books, its just that the more commonly recognized characters are rarely given this trait.  In the past few years major DC characters like original Green Lantern Alan Scott and Batwoman Katherine Kane have come out of the closet.  And with the exception of 2009's "The Watchmen", gay superheroes haven't truly been seen on the big screen, but current Spider-Man Andrew Garfield wants to change that.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Garfield addressed the recent issues with the character of Mary Jane Watson in the upcoming Spider-Man film.  "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" star Shailene Woodley had been cast and shot scenes as Peter Parker's eventual love interest and wife, but her scenes were later cut to focus the attention on the relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacy.  At this time its uncertain if Woodley will play the role of Mary Jane in a subsequent film, or if the role will be recast.  But Garfield said that he would like to see the role given to a man,

"I was kind of joking, but kind of not joking about MJ," Garfield said. "And I was like, 'What if MJ is a dude?' Why can't we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? It's hardly even groundbreaking! So why can't he be gay? Why can't he be into boys?"

Garfield even gave a possible casting choice for the role, actor Michael B. Jordan, praising Jordan's charisma and talent.

The new Mary Jane Watson? (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Wonderwall)
The new Mary Jane Watson? (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Wonderwall)
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While Spider-man being gay would definitely be a step towards more mainstream acceptance of LGBT, I'm nearly certain that it won't happen.  Recently we've seen changes to the ethnicity and gender of comic book characters with Lawrence Fishburn playing Perry White in "The Man of Steel" and Jimmy Olsen now being Jenny Olsen.  But they are minor characters and those changes didn't necessarily change any important parts of the character.  But during a time when much of the country is arguing over the marriage rights of gays and lesbians, this would truly be a dangerous route to take such a recognizable comic book character in a mainstream film.  For as long as the comic has been around, Mary Jane has been the gorgeous redhead who is completely out of Peter Parker's league, but loves him nevertheless.  And while fans of Spider-Man may be accepting of LGBT lifestyles, this is a change to the core of the story that they may not be ready to accept.

via IGN

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