Looks like a lot of fun, and my family is all excited to see it.

One thing of interest is the casting of Mary Jane. There’s been a small flap about them going against type and not casting a red head caucasian actress for the role making it more like the comics. I was substitute teaching a class of high school students. We had finished the work and were chatting a bit before class ended. This got brought up by the students and a group of us were chatting. Myself and one student were the only white people in this conversation. Every other student was black.

All the balck students thought it was stupid that they cast a black actress in the role of Mary Jane. I was pretty surprised. The argument had been with this casting that we need to show more diversity and be more inclusive.

These kids saw it as pandering.

They thought it was stupid they would change an extablished character like that in such a manner. The white student said it was about diversity, etc. The other students said it would be better to create new characters then to go around changing established ones.

I just sat back, listened, and asked them their thoughts.

It was absolutely fascinating.