White Actor to Play Spider-Man's Asian Best Friend, Sort Of

Michael Barbieri cast in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' as character based on Ganke Lee.



More whitewashing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? 14-year-old actor Michael Barbieri has reportedly been cast in Marvel's upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming as one of Peter Parker's best friends. The part appears to be based on a character named Ganke Lee... who is Asian American in the comic books.

Michael Barbieri Joins SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Are you really doing this again, Marvel? After all the negative press around the casting of a very white, you're-not-fooling-anybody Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, the studio appears to be doubling down on whitewashing the MCU's supporting characters of Asian descent.

Man, forget Asian superheroes -- we can't barely even see Asians as supporting characters in this universe.

Got $50,000? Original Silk/Spider-Man Comic Art for Sale.

Own Humberto Ramos' original artwork for the first appearance of Silk in 'Amazing Spider-Man' #4



Meet Cindy Moon, aka Silk, the newest webslinging spider-superhero from Marvel Comics. She is Asian American, powered by the same radioactive arachnid that gave Peter Parker his spider-abilities, and the star of her very own monthly comic book. Silk #1, by Robbie Thompson and Stacey Lee, hit shelves last week.

Silk has created quite a buzz since her first appearance last year in the pages Amazing Spider-Man #4. So check this. If you're a serious collector, the issue's original artwork by Humberto Ramos -- every page, signed -- is now for sale in its entirety on eBay. Awesome. But it will cost you $50,000. That's about $2500 a page.

Own The Complete Original Artwork For The First Appearance Of Silk In Amazing Spider-Man #4

Here are a few pages from the batch:

Meet Marvel Comics' new Asian American Spider-Superhero

Cindy Moon, aka Silk, was bitten by the same radioactive spider that gave Spider-Man his powers



On Sunday at New York Comic Con, Marvel announced that its newest superhero, an Asian American woman bitten by the same radioactive spider that gave Peter Parker his spider-powers, will star in her own book.

NYCC: Marvel Announces Silk Ongoing Series By Robbie Thompson and Stacey Lee

Introduced earlier this year in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man to much speculation and fanfare, the mysterious Silk, aka Queens resident Cindy Moon, was apparently a classmate of Peter Parker's -- and the second person bitten by comics' most famous radioactive spider. But instead of donning tights and battling the likes of the Green Goblin and Electro, she's been locked away in a bunker for ten years.

The first issue of Silk, written by Robbie Thompson and drawn by Stacey Lee, swings into comic book stores in February 2015. Here's the full standard cover by artist Dave Johnson: