WARNING: This story contains spoilers from the “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
As if “Spider-Man: No Way Home” didn’t have enough epic reveals [spoiler alert]: Marisa Tomei said she campaigned to have her character be a lesbian in the franchise’s final installment. The 57-year-old Oscar winner dropped the bombshell in a Dec. 19 interview with the Geeks of Color.
“There was a moment, where I felt that May — maybe she should just be with a woman because Ben is gone,” claimed Tomei, who plays Peter Parker’s Aunt May Parker in the critically-acclaimed superhero flick. She was referring to her character’s deceased husband Ben Parker, who is infamously murdered by a burglar in the comic books and films.
If that wasn’t juicy enough, the “My Cousin Vinny” star even proposed that her on-screen lady lover be none other than Sony Producer Amy Pascal.
Marisa Tomei and Tom Holland in a scene from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017).Columbia Pictures“And we were kind of talking about it,” the Brooklyn native explained while erupting into laughter. “And so I actually really wanted Amy Pascal from Sony to be my girlfriend!”
She added, “I was like, “No one even has to know, Amy. I’ll just be in a scene and you’ll be over there. And I’ll just be like ‘Hey!’ It’ll just be a subtle thing.”
Unfortunately, her idea for a cinematic coming-out party was shut down by film execs.
“No one went for it at the time,” lamented “The Big Short” actress.
The proposal was widely blasted with one traditionalist dissenter tweeting, “Let’s forget completely about Uncle Ben and go straight to Aunt May being lesbian. Yeah, the fans will be super happy — Said no one. Ever.”
Conservative rapper Eric July seconded their sentiment, writing, “Hollywood brainlet, Marisa Tomei wanted MCU ‘Aunt May’ to be lesbian, because ‘Ben was gone anyways.”
“These people have no idea who these characters are,” he added. “Stop giving Marvel the benefit of the doubt just because they nostalgia-baited you.”
Marisa Tomei arrives at the premiere of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” at the Regency Village Theater on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, in Los Angeles.InvisionHowever, others lapped up the idea of Aunt May’s same-sex awakening.
“Not gonna lie, this would’ve been awesome,” tweeted one Marvel fan. “We were deprived of cool lesbian aunt May and that is the biggest mistake of the entire franchise right there.”
Indeed Marvel is no stranger to LGBTQ comic book figures. Earlier this year, the comic book company unveiled its first-ever gay Captain America character, which it debuted during Pride Week in June.
