Backlash For Zendaya Playing Mary Jane In Upcoming Spider-Man Film

Source: Jon Kopaloff / Getty

This is 2016 right? I’m not too sure sometimes with how people react to somethings. Like Zendaya playing the leading role in the upcoming ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ film.

Looks like people went to Twitter to voice their opinions on the African-American actress that will be playing typically a Caucasian role as “Mary Jane”. The director of the new film, James Gunn, took to Zendaya’s defense.

“Since Mary Jane is being played by a Black woman, can MLK be played by a White man in a next movie about him?” one Twitter user wrote.

Gunn did not confirm Zendaya’s appearance in the role — still just speculation spurred by a report from The Wrap. But the director did want to clarify that people with race-based gripes “have lives that are too good.”

“People get upset when something they consider intrinsic to a comic book character changes when adapted for a film. I get this…,” he wrote.

“That said, I do not believe a character is the color of his or her skin,” Gunn continued.

It is “shallow,” he added, if a character’s main attribute is the color of his or her hair or skin.

“Whatever the case, if we’re going to continue to make movies based on the almost all white heroes and supporting characters from the comics of the last century, we’re going to have to get used to them being more reflective of our diverse present world,” he said.” – Love B Scott 

And they say race  isn’t a factor in the world we live in.