To straight actor and ally Andrew Garfield, the dual role of Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego, Spider-Man, doesn't necessarily have to be hetero, and it's an idea he first suggested back in 2013.
"Why canāt we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? Itās hardly even groundbreaking!ā Garfield said in an interview, as The Advocate reported at the time. "Why canāt he be gay? Why canāt he be into boys?"
He suggested Parker's longtime love interest, MJ, could be a dude, and he had one particular actor in mind to play MJ: an Oscar winner with those same initials (and a bonus "B").
"I've been obsessed with Michael B. Jordan since The Wire. He's so charismatic and talented," Garfield said. "It'd be even better ā we'd have interracial bisexuality!"
In a follow-up interview with Entertainment Weekly to promote his new film, The Uprising, Garfield repeated his advocacy for a Spidey who likes guys.
"It was an exercise in rebellion that I felt passionate about," he said. "I just still believe that anyone can be in that suit."
Tom Holland, currently playing the role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, said the same thing in 2019, as Out reported.
So, who could play a strong queer Spider-Man in a future installment? We've come up with a short list of 5 out gay and bi actors we'd love to see play our friendly gayborhood Spider-Man!
Kit Connor
Kit Connor, 22, first appeared in films that include Get Santa and Rocketman when he was a child actor, before breaking out at 18 with his role as a bi teen in the Netflix rom-com series Heartstopper.
āKarim DianĆ©
Karim DianƩ attends The Critics Choice Association's 3rd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association
Karim DianƩ, 24, plays the Star Trek franchise's first out gay Klingon on Star Trek: Star Fleet Academy, and is out in his real life as well.
Omar Rudberg
Actor and pop star Omar Rudberg, 27, played Simon Eriksson in the Netflix series Young Royals in 2021.
David Dawson
British actor David Dawson, 43, starred alongside Harry Styles in the gay romance drama My Policeman. While he's far older than our other potential Spideys, his steamy energy makes us think he could still sling a web into our hearts.
Brandon Flynn
The 32-year-old actor (that is only two years older than Tom Holland!) may be best known for playing Justin Foley in the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, but he is also pop icon Sam Smith's ex-boyfriend. You may also recall his roles in Hellraiser, Who Am I?, and The Senior.
Let us know what you think of our Spidey casting choices and who you would choose, or make a suggestion of your own, by posting a comment on our Facebook, X, Threads and Instagram pages!
