Superhero films are no longer Hollywood’s coin of the realm. Video game-based films are a safer bet — think the “Super Mario” franchise, “A Minecraft Movie,” and the “Sonic the Hedgehog” saga.
Even “Superman,” the most consequential hero in the comic book canon, didn’t deliver the box office bounty as expected last year.
Yet a certain wall-crawler defies this pop culture trend.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” set to open July 31, just reached the best <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/06/spider-man-brand-new-day-presales-record-1236959396/">first-day presales</a> figures since 2021, according to Deadline. The film’s latest trailer, released June 17, teased fellow superheroes (like the Hulk) and pointed to yet another summer blockbuster.
Spidey crushed the competition with 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which earned nearly $2 billion worldwide. The fourth installment in the series may not make that much money, but it’ll prove we still have a soft spot for Lycra-clad heroes.
Why does Spider-Man endure?
We’ll start with Stan Lee. The Marvel Comics maestro cracked the superhero code in his early days, understanding that flawed, relatable heroes matter more than invincible ones.
Spider-Man’s alter ego, Peter Parker, was a picked-upon teen who pined for the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane, and struggled to make ends meet. His boss barked at him at The Daily Bugle, his schoolmates bullied him, and the world took away his parents at an early age.
A radioactive spider bite changed everything, at least on paper. He was still the sweet, insecure kid deep down. That’s true in both the comics and on the big screen.
Tobey Maguire’s “Spider-Man” (2002) found the web-slinger struggling to woo his beloved Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), even though he could have spilled his secret and potentially won her over in a super way.
His innate decency wouldn’t allow it. And he knew it also might put her life in jeopardy.
Credit Hollywood’s casting gurus for finding the right Spideys at the right time. Maguire nailed the character’s naive approach and Everyman status. Andrew Garfield, his immediate successor, conveyed a similar sense of unease while slowly growing into his skills over two “Amazing Spider-Man” movies.
Tom Holland effortlessly took the baton, and his aw-shucks shtick from “Captain America: Civil War” gave the film endless highlights. His Spidey even read his frenemies their Miranda rights during that film’s epic battle royale.
Would any other hero approach a fight in that fashion? In a way, Spidey is one of us — uncomfortable with being a hero.
If anything, Spider-Man getting the girl in the recent films could prove problematic. We love him a wee bit more when he’s pining for the girl of his dreams, not swinging from rooftop to rooftop with her by his side.
That’s why the big moment at the end of “No Way Home,” where Doctor Strange causes Zendaya’s MJ to forget all about her beau, sets “Brand New Day” up in a satisfying manner.
It also helps that the “Spider-Man” film series never went woke. Sony technically holds the keys to the webbed character’s cinematic kingdom, but it pairs with Disney’s MCU to bring him to screens.
While Disney movies like “Eternals” and “The Marvels” pushed a progressive agenda, the “Spider-Man” saga focused on the fun. That meant no awkward gender swaps or forced same-sex subplots. Zendaya’s MJ isn’t technically the classic character from the comics and big-screen adaptations. Her nickname was a tip of the cap to the source material.
Her MJ shared a few woke asides in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” her first feature as the character. That’s where it started and ended, and she sounded like too many Gen Z types anyway. No lectures, no clunky messages beyond the hero’s signature wisdom, shared by Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Even the animated “Spider-Verse” movies have avoided woke flourishes and maintained their cinematic excellence. The visuals from the first two installments — and a third has been delayed until 2027 — set a very high bar at a time when CGI animation is routinely stunning.
Embracing the Miles Morales arc of the Spidey universe expanded the film’s appeal to a broader audience without detracting from the character’s core traits. So did the recent “Spider-Noir” Prime Video series, giving the web crawler a neo-noir edge.
Credit also goes to the minds behind the recent “Spider-Man” live-action films.
The saga’s newest iteration has felt organic in a way that has eluded both “Star Wars” and the once-mighty MCU. We’re watching Peter Parker grow up, establish his personal boundaries, and realize his full potential.
The aforementioned franchises felt as if they were being assembled on the fly, with no overarching plan. The saga also found a way to shake up the formula without losing audiences.
Consider the loss of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) in “No Way Home.” Her death allowed Peter Parker to grieve a loved one in powerful ways. Yes, this saga is full of humor and heart, but it’s also achingly human.
Holland recently nominated Owen Cooper, 16, of “Adolescence” fame, to take over as the next Spider-Man. That change is inevitable, given the character’s enduring popularity and Spider-Man’s creative DNA. Peter Parker should be a youthful figure. It’s part of his appeal and distinctive persona.
At 30, Holland is getting a little long in the tooth to be playing a college student — even if he looks young enough to pull it all off.
Either way, Spider-Man isn’t the mightiest Avenger, let alone the toughest superhero. He’s still able to put fannies in seats better than any other costumed crusader.
Long may he swing.
***
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News&#8217; Big Hollywood. He&#8217;s also the host of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hollywood-in-toto-podcast-w-christian-toto/id1186449155">The Hollywood in Toto Podcast</a>. Follow him at <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en">@HollywoodInToto</a>.

Celebrity Sightings In Glasgow – August 3, 2025

Why Spider-Man Is The Last Superhero Standing

Box Office

Entertainment

Hollywood

Marvel

Peter Parker

Spiderman

An actor featured in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney&#8217;s</a> latest Marvel animated series says his &#8220;biggest fear&#8221; about the project was that it would be &#8220;annoying and woke.&#8221;
Voice actor Hudson Thames, who stars in the upcoming <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney">Disney</a> series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” said in a recently published interview with Collider that he was worried that the series would follow the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fans-abandon-marvel-cinematic-universe-over-woke-storylines-and-unfocused-narratives">woke trajectory</a> of so many other recent Disney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">projects</a>. After reviewing the script, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it was “awesome.&#8221;
“My biggest fear was that it was gonna be annoying and woke, and it wasn’t,” Thames <a href="https://collider.com/your-friendly-neighborhood-spider-man-star-woke-concerns-hudson-thames/">told</a> the outlet. “I was like, ‘Yes, this is great, it’s so well written,’ like, it feels real. I’m the oldest of five boys, so I feel like I kind of know what’s happening in their lives and in high school, and it felt like it was doing that justice.”
Thames also played Peter Parker/<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spiderman">Spider-Man</a> in the Marvel animated series “What If&#8230;?” in 2021.
This departure from overtly woke storylines comes after several instances of the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming under fire for being too leftist. This resulted in some major box office flops and an overall reputation for being woke.
Disney investor Nelson Peltz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-investor-slams-shift-to-woke-marvel-films">slammed</a> the company for its turn to “woke” themes with its Marvel superhero films. Peltz spoke with The Financial Times in March 2024, mentioning films like the female-led &#8220;The Marvels&#8221; and &#8220;Black Panther.&#8221;
“People go to watch a movie or a show to be entertained,” Peltz told the outlet. “They don’t go to get a message.”
“Why do I have to have a Marvel that’s all women?” he added. “Not that I have anything against women, but why do I have to do that? Why can’t I have Marvels that are both?”
These attributes went beyond just the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. The &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; spinoff series &#8220;The Acolyte&#8221; was also trashed for pushing a leftist agenda, including overt LGBTQ themes, and was rewarded with bad ratings and a cancelation after just one season. The lead actress blamed the cancelation on“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amandla-stenberg-blames-hyper-conservative-bigotry-for-the-acolyte-being-canceled">hyper-conservative</a>” bigots. But it was more likely that the majority of viewers didn&#8217;t want the leftist propaganda.
Could Disney have gotten the message that woke doesn&#8217;t sell? That remains to be seen, but for now it appears that &#8220;Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man&#8221; is at least politically neutral, according to the lead actor.
Showrunner Jeff Trammell previously <a href="https://www.cbr.com/jeff-trammell-defends-your-friendly-neighborhood-spider-man/">discussed</a> what fans can expect in the narrative. &#8220;You know, I want to give a cliché, &#8216;expect the unexpected&#8217; answer but, honestly, I think you can expect Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. He&#8217;s hanging around New York; it&#8217;s not a huge intergalactic adventure.&#8221; 
“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” became available on Disney+ starting January 29.

Hudson Thames

Actor In Disney’s New Spider-Man Series Was Scared It Would Be ‘Annoying And Woke’

Disney Pivots? Spider-Man Voice Actor Says New Series Isn't 'Annoying And Woke'

Disney

Television

U.S.

Wokeness

Marvel&#8217;s &#8220;Spider-Verse&#8221; sequel has been banned from release in theaters in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and across the Middle East — reportedly over the inclusion of a &#8220;Protect Trans Kids&#8221; poster seen in the film.
&#8220;Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse&#8221; was previously set to hit theaters in the region on June 22, but those plans are reportedly now off after the highly-anticipated animated super hero film failed to &#8220;pass censorship requirements&#8221; in the area, <a href="https://www.esquireme.com/culture/film-and-tv/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-banned-from-release-in-uae-saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Esquire Middle East</a> reported.
The report noted, that the word comes after speculation across social media prompted calls to in to local exhibitors, namely Vox Cinemas — the leading theatrical firm in the UAE and Saudi Arabia — and were told reportedly that film was not releasing.
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Spider-Man: Across The SpiderVerse has been banned across the Middle East, because of a &#39;protect trans kids&#39; flag that appears in the film. <a href="https://t.co/FVDySUBlYJ">pic.twitter.com/FVDySUBlYJ</a>
&mdash; Cinema Brainiac (@CinemaBrainiac) <a href="https://twitter.com/CinemaBrainiac/status/1669189360762363905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In the region, films particularly geared towards kids — as this one certainly is — must meet certain guidelines that adhere to &#8220;local customs and values,&#8221; the outlet noted.
While there has been yet no official reason for the film being banned, <a href="https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-banned-in-uae-and-saudi-arabia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gay Times</a> noted that it was reportedly because of the pro-Trans kids flag shown on screen in the room of one of the fictional characters Gwen Stacy.
In 2018, &#8220;Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse&#8221; had a successful run in the region throughout that year and early into 2019. However, the film did not include any blatant references to transgender kids or to the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2022, Disney&#8217;s Pixar film &#8220;Lightyear&#8221; faced the same fate, as it was also shelved and didn&#8217;t get released. That film&#8217;s ban was believed to be due to the animated movie&#8217;s inclusion of an LGBTQ love storyline and a kiss between two female characters, one of whom had a lead role in the film.
&#8220;Lightyear&#8221; was banned &#8220;due to its violation of the country&#8217;s media content standards,&#8221; the country&#8217;s media regulator said in a tweet, at the time, while not specifying which standard had been violated, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-pixars-lightyear-banned-in-saudi-arabia-over-same-sex-kiss-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
It&#8217;s not the first time a movie was banned in the Middle East for homosexual content. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/lightyear-banned-gulf-saudi-lgbt-1235163872/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a> noted that in April, 2022, &#8220;Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness&#8221; was denied a theatrical release due to its inclusion of a gay character.
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for kids&#8217; entertainment content.)
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/did-sony-make-gwen-stacy-trans-in-new-spider-man-film">Did Sony Make Gwen Stacy Trans In New &#8216;Spider-Man&#8217; Film?</a>

Spiderverse-1

‘Spider-Verse’ Sequel Banned In Saudi Arabia, UAE Over Trans Flag: Report

'Spider-Verse’ Sequel Banned In Saudi Arabia, UAE Over Trans Flag: Report

Celebrities

LGBTQ

Movies

Saudi Arabia

Transgender

Some fans of the new animated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marvel-to-unveil-gay-spider-man-in-disney-owned-companys-latest-lgbtq-nod" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sony</a> film &#8220;Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse&#8221; are convinced that the fictional character Gwen Stacy is transgender.
In the sequel to Sony&#8217;s highly successful &#8220;Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse&#8221; (2018), viewers observed that the color palette used in several of Stacy&#8217;s scenes &#8220;appear imbued with the pastel blue, pink and white&#8221; colors of the transgender Pride flag, The <a href="https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/05/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-gwen-stacy-trans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pink News</a> reported. There is also a &#8220;Protect Trans Kids&#8221; sign on the wall of Stacy&#8217;s bedroom.
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&quot;Protect Trans Kids&quot; ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse</a> <a href="https://t.co/iZnKYLYTOA">pic.twitter.com/iZnKYLYTOA</a>
&mdash; Spider-Man Brasil 🕸️ (@SpiderManBRA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpiderManBRA/status/1643175969908195328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A third example comes from a scene where Stacy reveals her secret identity as Spider-Woman to her father, who is a police officer reportedly wearing a &#8220;trans Pride flag badge&#8221; pinned to his uniform. The Pink News reported that many viewers interpreted the scene as a metaphor for coming out. The colors of the transgender Pride flag are also incorporated into the animation.
&#8220;Gwen Stacy is trans,&#8221; one fan wrote. &#8220;Her whole arc is a trans allegory. The colors are the trans flag. But most telling. HER WHITE COP DAD WEARS THE TRANS COLORS ON HIS UNIFORM. NO F***ING COP IS THAT MUCH OF AN ALLY UNLESS THEY HAVE A TRANS FAMILY MEMBER!&#8221;
Another added, &#8220;All the &#8216;you haven&#8217;t read the comics&#8217; people are funny because neither have they. Miles isn&#8217;t the same Miles from the comics, why would Gwen be? Infinite multiverse of possibilities and we can&#8217;t have a trans Gwen? Silly.&#8221;
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Trans (and even cis) fans have every right to say Gwen Stacy is trans, even if the movies never outright confirm it. You can’t deny that it’s been hinted at.
The fact is— if she can make somebody feel represented, who are you to tell them they’re wrong? <a href="https://t.co/5QCuHIbTQR">pic.twitter.com/5QCuHIbTQR</a>
&mdash; The Green Kasey 🎃 (@RawbertBeef) <a href="https://twitter.com/RawbertBeef/status/1665542810815135744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Trans (and even cis) fans have every right to say Gwen Stacy is trans, even if the movies never outright confirm it,&#8221; another social media user wrote. &#8220;You can&#8217;t deny that it&#8217;s been hinted at. The fact is— if she can make somebody feel represented, who are you to tell them they&#8217;re wrong?&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-46074">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Others, however, slammed the idea and said wearing colors of the &#8220;trans community&#8221; doesn&#8217;t make you transgender.
&#8220;So if you wear colors of the quote unquote trans community you&#8217;re automatically trans or a ally to the trans community even though these colors were here before that make that make sense&#8230;and no Spider-Gwen is not Trans,&#8221; one person tweeted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marvel-welcome-its-first-openly-trans-actor-spider-paul-bois">Marvel To Welcome Its First &#8216;Openly Trans Actor&#8217; In &#8216;Spider-Man: Far From Home&#8217;</a>

Spider-Verse-1

Did Sony Make Gwen Stacy Trans In New ‘Spider-Man’ Film?

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spiderman">Spider-Man</a> is coming out of the closet as a lace-garbed, effeminate crime fighter in Marvel Comic’s latest genuflection to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq">LGBTQ</a> community.
The Disney-owned company is about to introduce a gay version of the iconic web master, who will appear in the upcoming comic book issue Edge of Spider-Verse #5.  The news was revealed on Twitter by Marvel writer Steve Foxe.
“SURPRISE: I had the huge gay honor of helping to co-create WEB-WEAVER, who’ll make his debut in EDGE OF THE SPIDER-VERSE #5 this September!” Foxe tweeted.
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Marvel introduces its first gay Spider-Man as the latest Edge of Spider-Verse variant.<a href="https://t.co/NBfaib3dpU">https://t.co/NBfaib3dpU</a><a href="https://twitter.com/steve_foxe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@steve_foxe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kristaferanka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kristaferanka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DanSlott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanSlott</a> <a href="https://t.co/DCfYWKEETo">pic.twitter.com/DCfYWKEETo</a>
&mdash; CBR (@CBR) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBR/status/1541811396748492800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In a separate tweet, Foxe assured readers the gay Spider-Man won’t be a proxy for all gays.
“Something I realized immediately when conceiving Web-Weaver is that he can’t–and shouldn’t–represent ALL gay men,” Foxe wrote. “No single character can. His fearlessly femme identity is central to who he is, but it’s not the STORY…which you can experience for yourself in September!”
Fans on Twitter were not all on board for a same-sex Spidey.
&#8220;Dude why do you have to ruin Spider-Man?&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/edulanza_10/status/1542244766213177345?s=20&amp;t=YnxV_ZP6gnT3HTuzgTBlCw">tweeted Eduardo Lanza</a>. &#8220;Stan Lee said not to make him gay, your doing something out of some else idea, changing a few things and calling it original character. Don&#8217;t you brainstorm before this kind of things?&#8221;
&#8220;A gay Spider-Man?&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/mistim/status/1542527025155538945?s=20&amp;t=UIm0E7iyrWKnOlXxb3ONgw">tweeted Misti Morgan</a>. &#8220;The large majority of Americans do not support this lifestyle. And won’t support the body of work you are presenting.&#8221;
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The next unnecessary tokenized Spider-Man character to be announced for the upcoming unnecessary Edge of Spider-Verse is the &quot;first gay Spider-Man&quot; known as &quot;Web-Weaver.&quot; Creator Steve Foxe calls it a &quot;huge GAY honor!&quot; Check out the full clip now LIVE on YouTube! <a href="https://t.co/EPDJrSQ0cu">pic.twitter.com/EPDJrSQ0cu</a>
&mdash; Eric July (@EricDJuly) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricDJuly/status/1542252024577904646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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It’s the latest comic-book hero to be painted as gay. Last year, Marvel rolled out a gay Captain America named Aaron Fischer, who took the baton from the original Captain America, Steve Rogers.
“Marvel Comics is proud to honor Pride Month with the rise of this new LGBTQ+ hero,” the woke company said at the time.
“Aaron is inspired by heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life,” writer Joshua Trujillo said at the time. “He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten. I hope his debut story resonates with readers, and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Parent company Disney, which bought Marvel in 2009 for $4 billion, recently injected the gay agenda into its latest “Toy Story” film, portraying a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disney-pixars-lightyear-banned-in-saudi-arabia-over-same-sex-kiss-report">same-sex kiss</a> between two animated female characters. The scene has caused the film to be <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/chris-evans-lightyear-same-sex-kiss-b2101549.html">banned in 14 countries</a> and may have contributed to its dismal box-office performance in the U.S.
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced</a> plans for kids’ entertainment content.)

Spider-Man Explores Singapore During His Time In Town For “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”

Marvel To Unveil Gay Spider-Man In Disney-Owned Company’s Latest LGBTQ Nod

Marvel To Unveil Gay Spider-Man In Disney-Owned Company's Latest LGBTQ Nod

Major movie studios censoring or altering content to appease China has been one of the biggest stories in Tinseltown for several years now. A new report, however, reveals that at least one entertainment company wasn’t willing to play that game.
Multiple unnamed sources told the Hollywood trade publication, <a href="https://puck.news/the-chinese-had-one-note-on-spider-man/">Puck</a>, that Sony Pictures refused to make changes to its 2021 blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in order to secure a release in the Middle Kingdom.
According to the outlet, &#8220;Chinese regulators&#8221; (China’s National Film Administration answers to the Chinese Communist Party) were bothered by “patriotic” scenes in the movie’s climactic action sequence at the Statue of Liberty. The CCP asked Sony to cut shots that clearly showed Peter Parker and his squad of good guys battling villains on top of Lady Liberty. When the Japanese-owned company rebuffed that request, censors then asked producers to minimize the statue or darken scenes that included it so it would be less noticeable.
Once again, Sony said no. As a result, China banned the film.
Analysts estimate that Sony’s decision to pass up the rich box office potential in the world’s largest movie market likely cost the film between $170 and $340 million.
That said, the web-slinger’s latest outing managed to rake in huge profits even without the help of Chinese audiences. It was the top-grossing movie of 2021 and the third highest-earning movie of all time, just behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avengers Endgame,” earning $800 million domestically.
While “No Way Home” may represent the biggest movie Sony has declined to change to please Xi Jinping, it’s not the only one. The studio famously stood behind director Quentin Tarantino in 2019 when he refused the Chinese government’s request that he make changes to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” the film many critics call his magnum opus. The CCP reportedly did not like the way the historical drama portrayed Bruce Lee, a national hero in China.
While the two-time Oscar winner is known for insisting on final-cut rights in all his contracts to prevent studios from tampering with his work, he told <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/01/quentin-tarantino-oscar-nominations-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-star-trek-bounty-law-tv-series-1202829629/">Deadline</a> Sony “absolutely backed me, 100%.” He revealed that while he would have been willing to make minor changes, “there is a certain line you cannot cross.” That line, he said, included censoring content for political reasons.
“To actually remove an entire scene because the country finds that scene objectionable?” Tarantino asked rhetorically, “No.” Chinese regulators ended up putting the film “on hold” and never later released it to theaters.
Still, even those studios who are notoriously willing to kowtow to China are finding it more difficult to release films in the country. The CCP sent shock waves through Hollywood when it started denying release dates for a number of Marvel films, including “Black Widow,” “Eternals,” and “Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings,” a movie that was, ironically, in many ways specifically tailored to appeal to Chinese audiences.
Now that the CCP is letting fewer Hollywood films into the country, there’s less financial incentive for studios to preemptively shape content to pass muster with Chinese censors, meaning more studios may soon be following Sony’s lead, albeit for different reasons.

Sony Refused To Censor ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ For China, Sacrificing Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars

China wanted Sony to cut patriotic scene from “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Sony refused.

Censorship

China

A 22-year-old college student who is known by his alter ego, &#8220;The Pro-Life Spiderman,&#8221; has been arrested after climbing a San Francisco skyscraper to draw attention to the pro-life cause in hopes of raising $1 million. Despite being nabbed by authorities, the young man says he has no regrets.
ABC 7 <a href="https://abc7news.com/man-climbing-salesforce-tower-pro-life-spiderman-maison-des-champs-climber/11815461/">reported</a> that Maison Des Champs was arrested as he reached the top of the tallest building in California, the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, Tuesday afternoon.
Des Champs, who posted videos of his stunt to social media, maintained that it was &#8220;fun&#8221; and he would &#8220;do it again.&#8221;
According to his <a href="https://www.prolifespiderman.com/#/">website</a>, Des Champs&#8217; ultimate goal is to help send an abortionist based in Washington, D.C., to jail for alleged crimes and raise money for pro-life causes.
&#8220;My name is Maison Des Champs. I am a rock climber that has recently started climbing Skyscrapers to end abortion. The goal is to get Dr. Cesare Santangelo put and jail and raise $1,000,000 for pro-life charities,&#8221; his website reads.
In April, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/under-fire-abortionist-in-2012-we-would-not-help-baby-born-alive">reported</a> that Santangelo had come under fire following the discovery of a box of aborted babies allegedly on its way from his abortion clinic to a medical waste facility.
The Daily Wire also noted that pro-life activists believe Dr. Santangelo has been allowing living babies to die in his clinic after botched abortions and that he may be violating the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. The law <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/senate-bill/3">prohibits physicians from performing</a> partial-birth abortions except when the mother’s life is in danger. Santangelo is the <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanOnRecord/status/1511383125221572614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1511383125221572614%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wusa9.com%2Farticle%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fdc%2Fanti-abortion-activists-claim-they-took-115-fetuses-from-outside-a-dc-clinic-lauren-handy-progressive-anti-abortion-uprsing-surgi-clinic%2F65-bd49467d-939c-476b-b3c1-bf6120ec453e">sole</a> abortionist practicing at Washington Surgi Clinic, where the box of aborted babies reportedly came from.
“The moment we opened the large bucket and discovered the body of Christopher X, a beautiful 30+ week baby boy with hair on his head, we knew that he was most likely born alive,” Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) member Terrisa Bukovinac told The Daily Wire, in reference to a baby that PAAU named after they found his remains.
“We’ve long known Santangelo is too cheap to use feticide and the chances of a baby this advanced in gestational age being delivered whole without the use of feticide is extremely high,” Bukovinac also alleged in a statement given to The Daily Wire.
LiveAction, a pro-life group, also recorded Santangelo explaining how he would let babies die if they were accidentally delivered during abortions. His comments can be seen here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is the abortionist currently under fire for the mangled baby bodies recovered right here in DC. Live Action recorded him saying years ago that he would let babies die if they were accidentally delivered during abortions. <a href="https://t.co/Lqb9cOYdwE">pic.twitter.com/Lqb9cOYdwE</a>
&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1511445188916531203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While it is unclear how much money Des Champs has raised, he told ABC 7 that his purpose is not to judge women who pursue abortions.
&#8220;These doctors are literally killing these babies on the table and leaving them out to die,&#8221; Des Champs said. &#8220;We&#8217;re not trying to yell at women who want to have an abortion, we don&#8217;t want to blame them&#8230; we just want to let them know there are other options.&#8221;

Salesforce Tower

‘Pro-Life Spiderman’ Arrested After Climbing San Francisco Skyscraper In Hopes Of Raising $1 Million For Charity

22-Year-Old Pro-Life Activist Climbs 60 Story Building To Raise Money, Bring Attention To Abortionist

Abortion

San Francisco

Fans of the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie couldn’t help but notice a change in the dialogue. During an airing on Britain’s ITV, one line deemed “homophobic” by critics was altered completely for today’s audience, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/25/spider-man-fans-respond-to-homophobic-line-cut-from-film/">reported</a>.
This film version featured Tobey Maguire playing Peter Parker. During the controversial scene in question, Maguire insults another character (Bone Saw, played by wrestling legend Randy &#8220;Macho Man&#8221; Savage) during a wrestling match by saying, “That’s a cute outfit. Did your husband give it to you?”
In the edited version, however, Maguire’s line is cut to, “That’s a cute outfit.” 
One perceptive fan documented the change on Twitter, causing an avalanche of both positive and negative reactions. 
“THEY REMOVED PETER PARKER’S HOMOPHOBIA,” the user <a href="https://twitter.com/PaperPlaneTF/status/1517947398936535040">shared</a> in the clip, which as of Monday had close to 650,000 views. 
Many commenters argued that the line no longer made sense since it didn’t even attempt to be funny. They suggested that editors should have changed it to “Did your mom give it to you?” 
Others were confused why the line had to be changed at all. “So many things happen in this world, countless deaths, robberies, and many other things. And what makes people mad is a JOKE in a SPIDER-MAN MOVIE. Learn to take a joke. seriously. And the intent behind it wasn’t even bad, y’all just want something to be mad about,” one person said in <a href="https://twitter.com/WereAliens/status/1518354282919215109">reply</a>. 
“I feel like the ‘that’s a cute outfit’ line doesn’t work without the punchline, and that they’d have been better off just cutting the entire joke, but for the life of me I can’t come up with a justification. It’s not like Bone Saw wouldn’t take offence to just being called ‘cute,’” another person wrote. 
“When the punchline is gay marriage it’s not really a good punchline,” someone else argued.
The “Spider-Man” trilogy has succeeded while so many other superhero films fail thanks in part to their refusal to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spider-man-no-way-home-suggests-movie-fans-are-fed-up-with-woke-propaganda">inject a woke agenda</a>. The latest installment, “No Way Home,” raked in $253 million domestically on opening weekend even as the pandemic limited theater attendance. 
A Breitbart review summed up why they believe the movie was so successful.
“Newsflash: If you make a decent movie that seeks to entertain and move — instead of lecture and shame — we will show up,” journalist John Nolte wrote. “‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ does precisely that. You will not only have a great time at the movies again, but there’s no gay, transsexual, or racial nonsense. This movie is about only one thing: Delivering the goods.”
One of the most popular scenes in the newest film showed the reunion of previous actors to play Spider-Man including Maguire and Andrew Garfield in a classic pointing scene along with “No Way Home” lead Tom Holland.

‘Spider-Man’ Fans Notice ‘Homophobic’ Line Cut From 2002 Film On ITV

Homophobia

Superheroes

Just when you thought “Spider-Man: No Way Home” couldn’t possibly get more popular, Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire decided to recreate the iconic Spider-Man pointing meme and set Twitter ablaze with fan reactions. 
According to <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spider-man-pointing-at-spider-man">Know Your Meme</a>, the original image comes from episode 19b of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon, &#8220;Double Identity.&#8221; A villain in the episode impersonates the hero, which leads to the iconic image of two Spider-Man characters pointing at each other. The meme has gone on to become an internet sensation and hasn’t died down in popularity.
Now the three actors who played Peter Parker are using the meme’s popularity to promote the digital release of “No Way Home.” Sony Pictures celebrated the announcement by posting a photo of Holland, Garfield, and Maguire pointing at each other in a hilarious recreation of the meme.  
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
of course, we got THE meme. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpiderManNoWayHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpiderManNoWayHome</a> swings home on Digital March 22 and on 4K UHD &amp; Blu-ray on April 12! 
Pre-order now: <a href="https://t.co/Rythp0WfkU">https://t.co/Rythp0WfkU</a> <a href="https://t.co/pOmV6y3lJr">pic.twitter.com/pOmV6y3lJr</a>
&mdash; Spider-Man Movie (@SpiderManMovie) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpiderManMovie/status/1496485006759251970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/SpiderManMovie/status/1496485006759251970">said</a>, “of course, we got THE meme. #SpiderManNoWayHome swings home on Digital March 22 and on 4K UHD &amp; Blu-ray on April 12!”
It was a clever way to promote a blockbuster that’s already raked in tons of cash. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has earned more than $772 million domestically since opening weekend in mid-December. That amount pushes the film in front of James Cameron’s “Avatar” as the third highest-grossing domestic release in history. The only two ahead of “No Way Home” are “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avengers: Endgame.” 
Globally, the latest “Spider-Man” iteration has earned $1.8 billion and is the highest-grossing Sony release in history, Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/spider-man-no-way-home-digital-blu-ray-release-date-1235188257/">reported</a>.
Some of the most talked about and beloved moments in the film occur when Holland, Maguire, and Garfield team up to defeat the villains together. There’s the time when all three versions of Parker are at the Midtown High lab with MJ and Ned, and Ned calls for &#8220;Peter,&#8221; which makes them point at each other as they try to figure out which person Ned is addressing. It was a subtle yet hilarious nod to the classic meme. There’s another moment during the final battle in the movie.
After the massive success of “No Way Home,” fans are expecting another “Spider-Man” installment and hope it includes all three versions of the character. Garfield said in an interview this year that he’s on board with the suggestion.
“In terms of moving forward with the character, yes I am definitely open to that,” the actor told <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/andrew-garfield-more-spider-man-films-maguire-holland-1235157190/">Variety</a>. “Again it would have to be something very unique, very special and serving to an audience and in service of the character. There’s something playful and unique and odd and unexpected to be done. I’m not sure what is but if we can figure it out it would be so much fun.”
He continued, “I would love to continue working with Tobey [Maguire] and with Tom [Holland]. That kind of three brother dynamic is so juicy.”
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">Daily Wire member</a>.

Spider-Man Movie Set

Holland, Garfield, And Maguire Recreate Viral Spider-Man Meme To Promote ‘No Way Home’ Digital Release

By now moviegoers are used to award shows nominating a bunch of under-the-radar flicks that most people have never heard of, let alone seen in theaters. The Academy is notorious for selecting highbrow, intellectual films that don’t make it into the mainstream. Now late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is addressing the issue.
The comedian did a long bit asking aloud why “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which is obliterating box office records, was passed over in favor of the satirical comedy “Don’t Look Up.”
“How did [‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’] not get one of the 10 nominations for best picture?” Kimmel asked. 
“Forget the fact that the movie made $750 million and is still going. This was a great movie. It wasn’t in the top 10 best movies of the year? There were three Spider-Men in it. You’re telling me ‘Don’t Look Up’ was better than ‘Spider-Man?’ It most certainly was not.”
“Even if you go by the critics reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, ‘Don’t Look Up’ got a 46% and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has 90%. For God’s sake, ‘Jackass Forever’ has an 89%,” Kimmel continued. 
“Why do best picture nominees have to be serious? When did that become a prerequisite for getting nominated for an Academy Award? You wanna know what happened? Voters looked at the list and saw the names Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep and they checked the box and then they put their kids in the car and went to see the movie ‘Spider-Man.’ And they loved it! But they didn’t vote for it.”
“No Way Home” did earn one Oscar nod in the visual effects category. But that’s a small consolation prize for a movie that many fans believe deserves much more, including the highly coveted Best Picture nomination. Especially if a box office failure and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/even-film-critics-are-hating-on-leonardo-dicaprios-new-climate-change-movie-smug-shrill-obvious-satire">critically panned</a> mess like “Don’t Look Up” somehow made the cut.
Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/jimmy-kimmel-slams-oscars-dont-look-up-spider-man-1235175759/">noted</a> how The Academy changed their rules this year to include a fixed number of 10 best picture nominees. Many fans hoped this would leave room for mainstream blockbuster films like “No Way Home,” but apparently they were destined to be disappointed. 
The publication also noted that Marvel’s “Black Panther” and DC’s “Joker” remain the only comic book movies to earn Oscar nominations for the Best Picture award in the past. The nominations typically get awarded to more obscure titles.
Oscar or not, the newest “Spider-Man” is still outperforming box office expectations. According to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-spider-man-passing-up-avatar-original-domestic-run-1235087855/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>, the superhero flock is passing up the original run of record-setting movie “Avatar” at the domestic box office to become the number three highest earning movie of all time, not adjusted for inflation. 
“No Way Home” is still raking in cash, earning an additional $9.6 million this past weekend to finish Sunday with $749 million in total ticket sales. That’s less than $1 million shy of the $749.8 million that James Cameron’s “Avatar” earned (not adjusted for inflation). 
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, will be premiering on Thursday, February 10th at 9 p.m. ET on YouTube. Following the premiere, Shut In will be available exclusively to Daily Wire members. Click<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFs6-pTk4BA&amp;feature=youtu.be"> here</a> to watch, and be sure to hit that “Set reminder” button so you don’t miss the premiere!

2020 Media Access Awards Presented By Easterseals

Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Oscars For Nominating ‘Don’t Look Up’ But Not ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

Jimmy Kimmel

Oscars

Actress Dakota Johnson is universally beloved and uncontroversial in the Hollywood community. But there was a decent amount of backlash when The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/madame-web-dakota-johnson-cast-1235086210/">announced</a> that the star was &#8220;in talks&#8221; to play the lead in &#8220;Madame Web,&#8221; the Sony spinoff centered on the Spider-Man character. Some fans are claiming Johnson playing the lead is an example of “disability erasure” because the actress isn’t really blind.
Meanwhile, Madame Web is traditionally depicted as visually impaired. According to THR:
<blockquote>Introduced in 1980’s The Amazing Spider-Man No. 210, Madame Web is a clairvoyant mutant who specializes in predicting the future of Spider-themed superheroes, having mentored not only Peter Parker’s alter ego, but also multiple generations of heroes calling themselves Spider-Woman. Traditionally depicted as a blind, paralyzed old woman, she is surrounded by a web-like machine necessary to keep her alive, meaning that she stays away from direct conflict, and rather sends others on missions.</blockquote>
At 32, Johnson also isn’t elderly. But in 2010, a younger version of Madame Web was introduced in the comics, though she too was depicted as blind, Yahoo <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dakota-johnson-madame-web-spider-verse-spider-man-blind-220815328.html">reported</a>. 
This all comes after Marvel has been diligently working to improve representation in their films as they face external pressure to do so. Yahoo recalled how “Eternals” debuted the first deaf superhero in a Marvel movie last November with the introduction of Makkari (Lauren Ridloff). More recently, the Disney+ series “Hawkeye” included Alaqua Cox as the hearing impaired vigilante Echo. That character is getting her spinoff series later this year.
However, Marvel failed to recast Daredevil, who is blind, with a blind actor in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” They opted to keep Charlie Cox in the role instead. 
Some Twitter users reacted strongly to Johnson being cast as Madame Web instead of the studio hunting for a blind actress to play the role.
“H*** naw, disabled actresses exist! Madame Web is a canonically blind character with myasthenia gravis, disabled mimicry is so annoying,” one person shared. “And before you comic book dweebs get your knickers in a twist, yes I know about the Julia Carpenter version. This casting most likely means they&#8217;ll introduce the OG Cassandra Webb combined with elements of Julia, So it&#8217;ll still be disability erasure.”
Another fan agreed.
“There are only two outcomes here:
<ul>
<li>A) Sony makes Dakota Johnson, a not-blind person, blind in the film. or</li>
<li>B) They ablewash the disability out of the character entirely.</li>
</ul>
That&#8217;s it. Two options, both sh***y.
Stop it, @SonyPictures.#RepresentationMatters #ableism #SpiderMan.”
“Madame Web” is one of several projects currently being developed as Sony builds out the catalog of Marvel characters and hopes to bottle lightning for the second time. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” grossed more than $1.74 billion globally, smashing records in the post-pandemic box office. 
Sony already released “Venom” (2018) and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (2020) plus is looking forward to “Morbius” with Jared Leto coming out in April. The studio is also developing “Kraven the Hunter” currently, THR reported. 
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, will be premiering on Thursday, February 10th at 9pm ET on YouTube. Following the premiere, Shut In will be available exclusively to Daily Wire members. Click<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFs6-pTk4BA&amp;feature=youtu.be"> here</a> to watch, and be sure to hit that “Set reminder” button so you don’t miss the premiere!

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” Press Conference

Dakota Johnson’s Casting ‘Talks’ In Spider-Verse Deemed ‘Disability Erasure’ Because She’s Not Actually Blind

Disability

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” has been seated firmly atop the box office charts for weeks since its release, but now finally there is a new victor in the movie realm. The new horror flick “Scream” officially eclipsed the superhero film over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, earning $32 million in total sales.
But that doesn’t mean “Scream” has a chance of getting anywhere close to the lifetime sales of “No Way Home,” which currently sit at $702.9 million. According to <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/box-office-scream-beats-spider-man-no-way-home-mlk-weekend-1235155716/">Variety</a>, the latest “Spider-Man” movie has become the fourth highest grossing domestic release of all time, with only “Avatar” ($760 million), “Avengers: Endgame” ($858 million) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million) making more money. 
“Scream” was a surprise hit, but for long-time fans of the franchise it shouldn’t have been a shock at all. While “Scream 4” was a huge disappointment to the fan base, the newest iteration took care to go back to the movie’s roots. That meant bringing back veteran characters including Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox. Even the name payed homage to the original movie.
The new “Scream” has been described as a “requel” – that puts it someplace between a reboot and a sequel. And while the original film’s creator Wes Craven died in 2015, it’s clear that fans are on board for a second take on the horror movie that redefined the genre when it came out in 1996.
The latest version of “Scream” succeeds because it pokes fun at itself and includes so many self-referential jokes and one-liners that keep it from being corny. It currently boasts a 75% critic score and 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
<a href="https://www.looper.com/733363/scream-review-another-stab/">Looper</a> summed it up best, saying,
“‘Scream’ is wonderfully written, expertly directed, and acted by a cast of newcomers who dive headlong into the joyous chaos of the franchise, giving their all to even the wildest moments. It&#8217;s a film made with love for what came before, but also with a fierce independent spirit, and a sense that the only way to truly honor the previous films is by blazing a new trail.”
The reviewer goes on to describe how the new “Scream” addresses how social media and the internet in general has changed movie-making forever, all because fans are more connected than ever with the people making them. 
The reviewer continued, saying, “It&#8217;s a film about the nature of horror fandom, the constant narrative nitpicking that the age of film YouTube has brought us, the peril of sequel cycles and the paradoxical magic trick that is giving the fans what they want while subverting what they expect at the same time.”
Meanwhile, “No Way Home” is yet another sequel that succeeded because it catered to fan demands but still kept them guessing. Plus, as Daily Wire pointed out just after its release, the new “Spider-Man” was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spider-man-no-way-home-suggests-movie-fans-are-fed-up-with-woke-propaganda">lacking in woke propaganda</a> that so many modern movies feature. Audience responded by getting out their wallets and buying tickets.
Both movies are currently showing in theaters.

New York City Area Celebrates Halloween 2020

‘Scream’ Knocks ‘Spider-Man’ Out Of Top Box Office Slot With $34 Million Over The Holiday Weekend

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