# Why can't Spider-Man be black? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704 "2010-06-27T20:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/101 "2010-07-07T14:44:24Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Or a Batman with a mustache. Or a mullet. _Crime’s worst nightmare, the Dark Knight_ in front; party in the back! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/102 "2010-07-07T15:30:01Z")
> [@](#): > > … or a Batman with a mustache. or[a Tarzan with one leg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iSo11jZeZ4&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/103 "2010-07-08T21:46:51Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > Not all black people with money problems are street kids. > > I don’t think using the term “white culture” is the best way to describe Peter. Poor, wholesome and nerdy would be a better way. Donald Glover from Community is pretty much exactly that. Except for the wholesome part, which can be worked on. Exactly (not sure if he/his character’s poor, though). He’s dorky, cute and funny, and he even raps (IRL, as Childish Gambino) about getting shit about ‘acting white.’ If the reboot is being set in present day, I don’t see a huge problem. But yeah, crazy fans. But as with Bond, I think they would shut up if it worked. After all, the series can’t possibly get WORSE. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/104 "2010-07-08T21:55:51Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I remember there being all sorts of complaints on here about The Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four being portrayed by a Latina, Jessica Alba, and the fact that she was a different ethnicity from her character’s brother. > > Can’t we look past race?! I had no problem with a Latina playing Susan Storm; it was just that the blonde hair looked terrible on her. I can easily imagine the Storms parents being of two races; Sue could simply take after her mother. My bigger problem was that Sue Storm is an uber-babe, and I’m in that minority that is underwhelmed by Alba’s appearance. Maybe if she ate a cheeseburger. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/105 "2010-07-08T22:19:45Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I had no problem with a Latina playing Susan Storm; it was just that the blonde hair looked terrible on her. As did the blue contact lenses. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/106 "2010-07-08T22:23:10Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I had no problem with a Latina playing Susan Storm; it was just that the blonde hair looked terrible on her. I can easily imagine the Storms parents being of two races; Sue could simply take after her mother. > > My bigger problem was that Sue Storm is an uber-babe, and I’m in that minority that is underwhelmed by Alba’s appearance. Maybe if she ate a cheeseburger. If i remember right, the reason she dyed her hair blonde was because of the outcry from comic fans. Also, some of the websites and podcasts I listened to back then, don’t remember which specific ones, many people were still not happy about Alba playing Sue. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/107 "2010-07-09T13:21:05Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > As did the blue contact lenses. What did you want them to do? Find an actress of her caliber who already had blue eyes and blond hair? Good luck with that! ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/108 "2010-07-09T14:49:03Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > What did you want them to do? Find an actress of her caliber who already had blue eyes and blond hair? Good luck with that! Well, Scarlett Johansson is what, blonde/green? That’s a bit closer, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/109 "2010-07-09T14:53:47Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > If i remember right, the reason she dyed her hair blonde was because of the outcry from comic fans. Also, some of the websites and podcasts I listened to back then, don’t remember which specific ones, many people were still not happy about Alba playing Sue. I think I was unclear. I don’t think Jessica Alba was well-cast as Sue Storm; she’s far too young, for one thing. (Sue is a good five to ten years older than Johnny, I think.) I just meant that the idea of two siblings, even full siblings, seeming to be of different ethnicities doesn’t bother me. My oldest brother is far, far more light-skinned than or the rest of the Rhymers; he could easily pass for white. This is because my mother’s father was half-white, and that light skin color passed the rest of us by. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/110 "2010-07-09T14:56:48Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > As did the blue contact lenses. Honestly didn’t notice. I was too busy hating the movie, I 'spose. But I tend not to notice eye color anyway, unless it is very striking. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704/111 "2010-07-09T15:43:43Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > My oldest brother is far, far more light-skinned than or the rest of the Rhymers; he could easily pass for white. This is because my mother’s father was half-white, and that light skin color passed the rest of us by. There’s a Doper who has a relative who’s pretty much cut herself off from the family in every public aspect of her life because she wanted to pass as white. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-spider-man-be-black/544704.md?page=5)