*WARNING! This article contains the use of profanity, it is all used in quotations and only to further the point of the article*
The Nerd world threw a party when news arrived that Marvel’s most iconic character, Spider-Man, would be returning to the studio. Sony’s Spider-Man films had been a love-it-or-hate-it affair since the first one released over a decade ago. Even fans of the Toby McGuire or Andrew Garfield movies seemed to be happy to hear that the web slinger would be returning home. It’s no secret that Marvel Studios has been cranking out nothing but magic since they returned to the silver screen with the first Iron Man film. While most fans are in agreement that this move is great for the character that level of seeing eye to eye does not seem to extend to who will be playing the web-head or even who’s Spider Man’s alter ego will be. Will we see a return of Peter Parker or will this begin the Miles Morales era in film? No one knows yet. Marvel probably doesn’t even know yet but that hasn’t stopped every Nerd with a Twitter or Youtube account from weighing in on the subject. The most common name I have seen pop up in fan suggestions is Donald Glover. There appears to be an overwhelming amount of young Marvel fans who want to see Glover take over as Spidey and cite his experience voicing the character in a couple episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man last year. I cannot deny that Glover is loaded with talent as an actor, writer and musician however I do not believe he should even be considered to play Spider-Man in a live film.
Donald Glover, much like Spider-Man himself, has an alter ego. One he has used to record over 100 rap songs under the moniker “Childish Gambino”. Glover’s first Gambino album, ‘Sick-Boi”, released in 2009. Since then his music, like much popular hip hop, has been a constant stream of female degradation, glorification of violence, and promotion of drugs. Of course all of these themes are represented in what seems to be the typical fashion and accompanied with gratuitous amounts of profanity and racial slurs. Songs with titles such as “Bitch Look at Me Now”, “Fucks Given” and “Fuck it All” are good examples of these types of edgy and negative themes in Mr. Glover’s music. Of course the actor/performer has the right to pursue different paths and just because someone plays a superhero doesn’t mean they have to be the most sterling and imperfection free person alive. Look at Robert Downey Jr. who had years and years of legal issues before he became Iron Man. As far as I can tell Glover has no criminal history at all so why would I be against him yet have no issues with Downey? Well Robert Downey didn’t glorify anything is why. He doesn’t have songs that can easily be found online depicting women as sex objects, using the N word and promoting a culture of negativity on albums and “mixtapes” that have a market strategy of targeting 15 to 25 year olds. Robert Downey isn’t on record saying “God damn, Summer looking like son of Sam, I’m killin’ n*ggas. Hang with models and a couple strippers” like Glover has as recently as last year.
Spider-Man is Marvel’s Superman. He is their lead character, the best selling and still probably most beloved comic character by children under the age of 10. Children as young as two and three know who Spider Man is before they even know who the president of the United States is. To these young minds whoever plays Spider Man IS Spider Man. There is no Donald Glover or Andrew Garfield to them there is only Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Spider-Man. So how do we explain to these children who may stumble upon Mr. Glover’s music that Spider-Man is “Killing niggas” and “nutting in strippers”. Or how do we explain why Mr. Glover, who these kids will see as Spider Man, is shaking his willie on mommy’s laptop screen in Magic Mike 2? Spider Man stands for something just like Superman does. This isn’t Frank Castle or Wolverine we’re talking about. This is a character that represents integrity, responsibility and being a good person in the face of adversity. Mr. Glover, however talented and honestly hilarious he is (see his writing on 30 Rock) should not be applicable for this part as too much of the body of his career is a direct affront to these principles.
