When Zendaya was originally cast as MJ in Spider-Man, she received some negative feedback from audiences. However, Stan Lee decided to speak to the Toronto Sun, where he defended the Euphoria actress. Those who opposed Zendaya’s choice explained this by the fact that traditionally Mary Jane was portrayed as a white redhead. Stan Lee decided to state that skin tone has nothing to do with the character and is not an integral part of it.
Stan Lee defended Zendaya when netizens claimed she was the wrong choice for MJ in Spider-Man
Speaking in an interview with the publication Toranto Sun Stan Lee shared, “If she’s as good an actress as I’ve heard, I think she’ll be great.”
He added: “The color of their skin doesn’t matter, their religion doesn’t matter, all that matters is that the person is right for the role.”
The late comic book writer also drew comparisons to the 2003 film Daredevil, which cast the late African-American actor Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin. He said: “In the Daredevil movie, Kingpin, who was white in the comics, was a black man playing the role, and he played it perfectly.”
Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn also expressed support for Zendaya.
After posting this, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn took to his social media to defend Zendaya. He wrote: “I don’t believe a character is the color of his skin. Either way, if we’re going to keep making movies based on almost all white heroes and supporting characters from comic books of the last century, we’re going to have to get used to them being more reflective of our diverse present. world.”
Gunn continued, “Perhaps we can be open to the idea that while someone may not initially fit the way we personally imagine a character, we may be—and often are—pleasantly surprised.”
The legendary Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95 later in 2018, and the Marvel fandom was shaken to its core. Zendaya took to her Instagram to pay tribute and wrote: “A legend herself. Thank you for everything you have given us. It is a great honor for me to be a small part of your world. Relax in Superpower.”