LogFAQs > #924257621

Can anyone who doesn't read comics name Captain America's love interest? What about Thor's? Hulk? Most anyone here can name one or more love interests of Peter Parker. And there's a reason for that.

We think we like Spider-Man because he jumps, swings from webs, and cracks jokes. But if we're honest with ourselves, it is a love story at heart. Whether he's pursuing Mary Jane Watson or Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man is a story about a geek who becomes somebody and gets the girl. It's basically Twilight for boys. (And with slightly better writing.)

Making him gay isn't as arbitrary a change as it would be for most superheroes. Captain America makes out with Falcon? It's business as usual only Cap's taken his friendship to the next level. Spider-Man suddenly likes dudes? The whole story has changed because the story heretofore has been built around his love for a girl.

I'm all for progress, but I'm not about treating stories as political tools whose only significance is being a vehicle for a greater cause. If a straight character is made gay, that's fine. But don't seek out a specific character to be the bastion of progress when you know you're changing what makes them who they are. If you need to reveal a character is gay, don't make it the guy who's had six girlfriends and two marriages. Make it the guy with the bland or non-existent love interest. People watch movies for characters, not important life lessons.

Progress needs to flow with a story, not get in the way of it.