Race & Spider-Man: Sony Confirms a Glass Ceiling for Miles Morales

[JarodRussell]

Additionally, while I dislike the Fast & the Furious movies, one thing it has going for it is *plenty* of minority protagonists, and it rakes in the cash. It's kind of cynical to say that this all depends on money, but there is certainly appeal.

Action franchises are pretty high on the minorities in major roles, for some reason.

Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Matrix, Fast and Furious, Expendables, Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours, Bad Boys, Rush Hour,... all very successful.

Except for skin color, what would be the difference? Have black Peter Parker beat up racists just to make a point?

Not black Peter Parker, Miles Morales. That last detail makes all the difference.

Well that would be a different character, which then makes a point. Kinda what I was going at with a black Superman. It would affect his backstory and motivation.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I would like to think that their reasoning is much the same as that which dictates that we won't get Jean-Paul Valley as Batman; namely that to the general public Peter Parker IS Spider-man or Bruce Wayne IS Batman and that (as far as the studios are concerned anyway) most people have no real interest in another character assuming that mantle. I would like to think that it's not down to race.

Having said that, audiences took to a Zorro who wasn't Don Diego De LaVega and TDKR ended with another character assuming Batman's mantle (though he hasn't gotten a spin-off movie and presumably won't, given that Ben Affleck is now Batman/Wayne).

It might also be interesting to see what happens if Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes takes over as Captain America or Don Cheadle as Iron Man. Will this prove that audiences are interested in the superhero mantle, not the man behind the mask? And if so, is the ball back in Sony's court?

 

[JarodRussell]

But when people watch a Batman movie, do they want to see a guy that dresses like a Bat and kicks criminals' asses, or do they want to specifically see Bruce Wayne? I think the former, not the latter. I think that it would have made no difference to the success of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight if they changed the name from Bruce Wayne to Dick Long.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Well, yeah, that's why I'm pointing to Zorro (whose most recent incarnation was a character created specifically for the film) and mentioning the possibility of someone else taking over as Cap or IM.

In fact, the more I think about it, with Sony wanting an expanded Spider-man cinematic universe, that may well be the way to go, so as to avoid the need to reboot. Introduce Miles in Spider-man 3 or 4 and have him take over from Andrew Garfield's Peter in the next film. That way, they can keep their cinematic universe going, assuming that their Sinister Six and Venom spin-offs are as successful as they hope.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

"Aren't you a little short to be Batman?"

I know you're just kidding, but Gordon-Levitt (5'9") is only an inch shorter than Keaton (not that Keaton cut the most imposing figure as Batman) and one or two inches shorter than Clooney depending on the source, so it's not that big a difference, and nothing that a pair of lifts couldn't fix if they were actually concerned about it.

 

[BillJ]

I would question whether or not Sony would have the rights to Miles Morales as a specific character in the first place. The movie rights were sold to Columbia (who was then bought by Sony) back in the 90s, and I harbor doubts that the contract would be worded so vaguely that Sony would automatically hold the rights to a character created within the last five years.

This is likely a huge reason.

 

[Ethros]

God I can't stand Avi Arad. On all the DVD extra material he's on for the variety of Marvel movies he so utterly comes across as not caring whatsoever about the characters or franchise and clearly is just all about the $$$. Zero enthusiasm or interest whatsoever in his voice.



Also, didn't Andrew Garfield recently say that it would be cool if Miles Morales replaced him as Spider-Man.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Andr...place-Him-Future-Spider-Man-Movies-42775.html

As he's also said he probably doesn't wanna be playing the role post-40. Seen as he's 31 in a few months, and if Sony really want to make a big franchise out of Spider-Man ala the MCU have done, then it's a good idea. Otherwise they'll have to reboot it all yet again in a few years.

 

[Mr Light]

How about a Peter Parker starring movie that introduces Miles Morales as his partner?

 

[BigJake]

Have black Peter Parker beat up racists just to make a point?

Yes. Yes. With lots of Parliament Funkadelic playing in the background.

 

[Tosk]

How about a Peter Parker starring movie that introduces Miles Morales as his partner?

Personally, if there ever was one, I'd rather keep them separate...but I can see the appeal of that approach.

How about a rebooted Spidey series where Parker Parker (as an already well-known Spider-Man, ie: no origin story needed) dies very early on in the first film and inspires the newly powered Morales to take up the mantle? ...Or I can see that back-firing if fans rage against being tricked into seeing a Spidey movie "where he's barely in it".

 

[Ovation]

Have black Peter Parker beat up racists just to make a point?

Yes. Yes. With lots of Parliament Funkadelic playing in the background.

I'm torn. On the one hand, I love Parliament and think any excuse to get their music to a wider audience is worth it. But considering this particular idea, I feel the need to revise my statement to almost any excuse.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

So Sony will shove a Sinister Six Prequel (ASM2) and a Sinister Six movie down our throats. But they won't pick up on a Spider-Team Up? There loss.

Imagine 2 Spider-Men vs this Oscorp Legion of Doom! lol

 

[Mr Light]

<< Personally, if there ever was one, I'd rather keep them separate...but I can see the appeal of that approach.>>

Separate but equal was overturned in '54

 

[Shaka Zulu]

How about a rebooted Spidey series where Parker Parker (as an already well-known Spider-Man, ie: no origin story needed) dies very early on in the first film and inspires the newly powered Morales to take up the mantle? ...Or I can see that back-firing if fans rage against being tricked into seeing a Spidey movie "where he's barely in it".

No, all that they have to do is have the same accident happen to Miles (who's an employee of Peter's new company Parker Enterprises), have Peter realize this fact, team up with Miles later on, fight alongside him, and then die, passing the torch. Just like what happened in the recent Zorro movies.

What would be even better is if at the same time, May Parker also decides to help out and be Spider-Girl, with both becoming a duo and fighting crime in New York (along with Arana, the other Spider-Girl.)

 

[Trekker4747]

I can *almost* see the logic in this in a, "the unfamiliar public only knows Peter Parker as Spider-man" sort of way. But I don't see why that need completely rule Miles Morales out. They could introduce him as a secondary character/side-kick in a movie, have Peter die or retire in the same movie (or next one) and let Miles then carry the torch.

Introduce him slowly enough and over the course of maybe a couple of movies and you could get the audience familiar with the character.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The thing is, Peter Parker is such a neutral character, his skin color makes no difference.

Black Superman would be very different. A black kid ("adopted" by white parents perhaps?) growing up in a small town in Kansas...

Are you under the impression there are no African-Americans living in rural or smalltown America? Kansas was actually a destination for freed slaves before and after the Civil War.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

This character has only existed for three years to less than stellar sales, I'm not sure why he would be expected to be part of the Spider-Man films at this point.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

This character has only existed for three years to less than stellar sales, I'm not sure why he would be expected to be part of the Spider-Man films at this point.

That's not entirely accurate. Before Marvel "killed" 616 Peter off and replaced him with the "Superior Spider-Man". Ultimate Spider-Man was outselling his mainstream counterpart. Superior Spider and Amazing Spider (now that Peter is alive again) sales are were/are stronger than Ultimates now, but in 2012 Miles was the main man.

 

[tighr]

I would question whether or not Sony would have the rights to Miles Morales as a specific character in the first place. The movie rights were sold to Columbia (who was then bought by Sony) back in the 90s, and I harbor doubts that the contract would be worded so vaguely that Sony would automatically hold the rights to a character created within the last five years.

This is likely a huge reason.

I am not a lawyer, but I would imagine the contract Columbia originally signed probably included the entire Spider-Man universe, past, present, and future. This would allow them to make films based on upcoming Spider-Man comics that hadn't been released at the time of the comics. The fact that Miles Morales wasn't around at the time doesn't matter, because he's part of the universe.

Although I agree that it would be cool for a spider character to show up in the Avengers as a huge eff-you to Sony.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Well, the 'whole universe' thing seems unlikely, given that Kingpin and Ben Urich appeared in the Daredevil film (Fox owned that character at the time, IIRC).