Queer Voicesandrew garfieldspider-manpansexual

Andrew Garfield Wants A Pansexual Spider-Man

"We're scared of things that aren't us."
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By 

Deputy Director of News & Analytics, HuffPost

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Andrew Garfield is ready for a less heteronormative Spider-Man. 

"I'm excited to get to the point where we don't have to have this conversation where we can have a pansexual Spider-Man," Garfield said during an interview with Mic while discussing the leaked licensing agreement between Sony and Marvel regarding the film version of the character for "The Amazing Spider-Man" and its sequel.

"We're scared of things that aren't us," he added. "Love is love. Skin is skin. Flesh is flesh. We're all wrapped in the same thing. I have no preference."

The actor, who played Peter Parker in both films, was referring to documents from the Sony Pictures hack published by Gawker in June that listed the character's mandatory qualifications as "Caucasian and heterosexual," "not a homosexual (unless Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as a homosexual)."

"Spider-Man" co-creator Stan Lee defended the studio's requirement Spider-Man be a white, straight male,  saying that there is no reason to change a character that has already been established. For his part, Garfield believes the hero can be anyone.

"The beauty about Spider-Man, for me, is that he's covered head to toe," he told Mic. "That's why everyone thinks it could be them in that suit. You don't see skin color. You don't see sexual orientation. You don't see how old the person is, gender, the whole thing. I celebrate that. Anyone can be a hero in their own lives."

Unconventional Superheroes Who Have Broken Comic Book Stereotypes
Ms. Marvel(01 of06)
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Last year, Marvel introduced its first Muslim superhero who headlined her own comic — Ms. Marvel is a female teenager with very regular problems in life (overbearing parents, sibling rivalry, a crush who has friendzoned her, and an inability to belong to the ‘popular’ crew).Khan made her first appearance in the 2013 August issue of Captain Marvel prior to starring in her own comic book. A Pakistani-American, Khan is part of the Muslim community in New Jersey City. With inhuman genes and shapeshifting abilities, Khan can stretch, expand, compress her entire body or parts of her body.Khan dresses up just like the previous Ms. Marvel, her idol - Carol Danvers. (credit:Facebook)
Priya’s Shakti(02 of06)
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Inspired by Hindu mythological tales, Ram Devineni, Lina Srivastava, and Dan Goldman created Priya, a young woman who survived a gang-rape, and went on to battle gender crimes in India with the blessings of Goddess Parvati. Priya’s Shakti was created in 2012 following the horrific Delhi gang-rape. (credit:Facebook)
Super Sikh(03 of06)
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Deep Singh's entrance into the comic book world created quite a flutter, given that the ‘part-Batman, part-Jason Bourne' secret agent is possibly the world's first crime-fighting sardar. Stylishly opting for a red turban and a well-fitted suit, instead of the classic underwear-over-tights superhero attire, this United Nations secret agent is a huge Elvis patron when not fighting the Taliban and other notorious criminals. Super Sikh was a successful kickstarter project by writer Eileen Alden and Silicon Valley executive Supreet Singh Manchada. (credit:Facebook)
Burka Avenger(04 of06)
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Meet Burka Avenger , aka Jiya, a young schoolteacher who employs her school teacher skills to fight crime against women and education. She is specially trained in the martial art of 'Takht Kabaddi' that involves throwing books and pens, and uses her burqa to mask her identity (a much more effective technique than a skimpy mask). This TV show character was created by Pakistani singer Haroon Rashid in 2013 as a reaction to girls’ schools being shut down by Pakistani extremists. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Omega Sentinel(05 of06)
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Potentially the first Indian female character to appear in the popular X-Men series ( in 2000), Karima Shapandar is not a mutant, but an Omega Prime Sentinel, a human programmed to seek out and destroy mutants. The ex-Indian police officer was eventually disassembled by Professor X and Magneto, to return to her human state but retained her super powers, and lost part of her memory in the process. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Maya(06 of06)
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Who wouldn't want the ability to control water and fire? Well, this DC creation who first appeared in Justice League International (JLI) in 1993 does precisely that: Indian superhero Chandi Gupta or Maya discovered these abilities at a very young age, and eventually channelled them into fighting for the JLI. (credit:Wikimedia Commons)

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