The Disney star's reported casting as MJ has received negative responses from fans, but the legendary Spider-Man creator thinks that 'it'll be absolutely wonderful.'
- Aug 24, 2016
AceShowbiz - Zendaya Coleman's reported casting as Mary Jane in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" has got negative responses from fans, but Stan Lee has shown his positive reaction. The legendary Spider-Man creator who also created the character of MJ thinks that the Disney star's take on MJ will be "absolutely wonderful."
"If she is as good an actress as I hear she is, I think it'll be absolutely wonderful," he told Toronto Sun. The 93-year-old legend claimed that it would be fine to change a character's physical appearance from the comic book to the big screen. He recalled and went on to point to the late Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin in Ben Affleck's "Daredevil, The Movie" debuted in 2003.
"In the Daredevil movie, the Kingpin - who had been white in the comics - he was a black man playing the role, and he played it beautifully," he said. Lee noted that a comic book character's physical appearance in the movie was not the most important elements. "The color of their skin doesn't matter, their religion doesn't matter," he said. "All that matters is that this the right person for the role."
Previously, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" helmer James Gunn also defended the casting following the social media backlash from fans. He claimed that a character whose primary attribute was the color of his/her skin or his/her hair "is shallow and sucks." He noted, "For me, what makes MJ MJ is her alpha female playfulness, and if the actress captures that, then she'll work."
Zendaya stars alongside Tom Holland in the upcoming solo flick which is directed by Jon Watts from a script written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein. The film centers on Holland's Spider-Man who will be back to his high-school roots.
"Spider-Man: Homecoming" will swing into U.S. theaters on July 7, 2017. Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei are set to reprise their roles as Tony Stark and May Parker respectively. They are joined by Donald Glover, Michael Keaton, Logan Marshall-Green and Martin Starr.
