Tom Holland Wants Marvel To Represent More Than The “Straight White Guy”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe got a lot more diverse in Phase 3, and Phase 4 is set to introduce an even more diverse roster of heroes, in wake of Avengers: Endgame. One Marvel actor who seems to be all for that diversifying of the franchise is Spider-Man: Far From Home star, Tom Holland.

In a recent interview Holland framed the matter in a pretty straightforward and blunt way, stating that the MCU needs to reflect a world that, “isn’t as simple as a straight white guy.”

Holland was talking with Gay Times about the need for big mega franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe to continue pursuing greater diversity, and was asked if fans should expect to see a major LGBTQ Marvel character in the coming years. As the Spider-Man actor responded:

“Yeah of course. I can’t talk about the future of the character because honestly I don’t know and it’s out of my hands. But I do know a lot about the future of Marvel, and they are going to be representing lots of different people in the next few years. The world isn’t as simple as a straight white guy. It doesn’t end there, and these films need to represent more than one type of person.”

Ever since making his MCU debut as Spider-Man in Captain Marvel: Civil War, Tom Holland has quickly been brought up to speed on what it means to be a headlining Marvel star. So far, the young actor has landed on his feet when it comes to the celebrity a Marvel role like Spider-Man brings: he’s always warm, charming, and humble in person, and has adapted well to welcoming a global-sized audience of many diverse fans, in a very open and genuine way.

His onscreen version of Peter Parker has also been subtly updated for a modern world: Peter’s primary group of friends / love interests (Ned, MJ, Liz, Flash, and new rival Ben Davis) are predominantly people of color, in reflection of the modern NYC and Queens neighborhoods we know of today. In fact, Spider-Man: Homecoming’s biggest and best twist hinged on subverting audience expectations about race, as Peter’s high school crush Liz (Laura Harrier) was actually the bi-racial daughter of Vulture (Michael Keaton). All in all, Spider-Man has been one of the first MCU franchises to really implement a diverse cast, without making the diversity and “event” in and of itself.

As for the rest of the MCU: Black Widow will be the second female-led film in the franchise; Shang-Chi will be the first Asian-led production; while major LGBTQ characters have been rumored to be soon making their debut as well.

Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame are now in theaters, with Endgamehitting digital on July 30th and Blu-ray on August 13th. Captain Marvel is now available digitally and on home media.