Tom Holland's new role as Spider-Man sparks diversity debate

Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have pulled backSpider-Man's maskto reveal the new face of the big-screensuperhero, but the casting choice has some fans calling foul.

The comic-bookpowerhouse and Hollywood studio announced Tuesday thatThe Impossiblestar Tom Holland will betaking over the role of theweb-slinging character, and his alter-egoPeter Parker, in the next Spider-Man film.

The 19-year-old English actoristhe third white malecast to portray the classic character in the movie franchise, after Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

A little-known director,Jon Watts,has been set to direct the still-untitled film.

Diversitydisappointment

Holland beat out a reported1,500 actorsfor the part, but some Marvel fans aren't pleased with the casting choice.

Earlier this week, it was revealed thatPeter Parkerwill bereplaced by Miles Morales, a half-black, half-Latinocharacter, in a relaunched versionof thecomic book.

The decision to make Morales the "main" Spider-Man follows a string moves by Marvel to make itssuperhero lineup more diverse, at least in print, including:

• Addingafemale Thor, who was later revealed to be Jane Foster, the original Thor's sometimeslove interest.
• Promoting CarolDanvers, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, to Captain Marvel, who will star in a movie in 2019.
• IntroducingKamalaKhan, a Muslim-American teenage girl, asthe new Ms. Marvel.
• Promoting African-American hero Falcon to succeed Steve Rogers asthe new Captain America.

Some fans had hoped that the third Spider-Manmovie would follow suit.

Others thought that the classic comic character should stay the same.

Stan Lee speaks for white Spidey

Stan Lee, the comicbook legend who helpedcreatethe superhero in the 1960s, has also added his voice to the debate. He has expressed a desire to see theportrayal ofSpideystay close to his work.

"I wouldn't mind,if Peter Parker had originally been black, a Latino, Indian or anything else, that he stay that way," saidLee, in an interview with comic news site, Newsarama. "But we originally made him white. I don't see any reason to change that."

Lee's comments come after an apparentlegal agreementbetween Sony and Marvel on the nature of the Spider-Man and Peter Parker was leaked online.

The documents, posted on whistleblower websiteWikiLeaks andfirst reportedbyGawker, reveala strictly traditional on-screen profile for Spider-Man and Peter Parker.

Theystipulate, among other things, that Parker is"Caucasian and heterosexual" and that Spider-Man must be portrayed as straight, too.

The motivations behind the licensing deal are unclear, but fans will eventually be able cast their vote in the debate at the box office.

The third Spider-Man is setto hit theaters on July 28, 2017.