Spider-Man fans are convinced Gwen Stacy is trans in Across the Spider-Verse. Here’s the evidence
It’s official: fans of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are convinced that the character of Gwen Stacy is trans – and the evidence is compelling.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2023)
The animated sequel to 2018’s Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released on Friday 2 June 2023, reuniting viewers with the first biracial Spider-Man, Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), and countless Spideys from other dimensions, including Spider-Gwen, also known as Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld).
Fans who’ve seen the film are theorising that Gwen is trans – or at least an allegory for the trans experience – due to a number of queer-coded (and queer-coloured) clues.
It all comes after Spider-Verse fans noticed a trans Pride flag bearing the words “Protect Trans Kids” in the background of a trailer for the film earlier in 2023.
Follow up Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was supposed to have been released on March 29, 2024 but has been delayed and removed from the Sony release schedule for now, disappointing fans who were hoping that the third instalment in the “threequel” would answer some of the following questions.
So, is Gwen Stacy trans in Spider-Man? Here’s the evidence so far:
Watching Across The Spider-Verse adds vital additional context, with many who’ve now seen the film in full arguing that Gwen’s characterisation, animation and story arc mirror the societal and internal struggles that trans people face on a daily basis.
First off, there’s that aforementioned “Protect Trans Kids” poster, which is confirmed to be on the wall of Gwen’s own bedroom on Earth-65 during the film’s prologue.
In a film with multiple animation styles, the colour palette used for all of Gwen’s scenes on Earth-65 appear imbued with the pastel blue, pink and white colours of the trans Pride flag.
This stylistic choice becomes even more apparent during a key scene where Gwen opens up to her policeman father, George Stacy (Shea Whigham), about her hidden identity as Spider-Woman.
Gwen and the environment around her are practically drenched in the trans Pride colours during the sequence, with many seeing the scene itself as a metaphor for coming out: In the film, Gwen is forced to hide her identity from judgemental eyes in a world where Spider-Woman is misunderstood and despised by society.
To top it all off, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that during the same scene, a trans Pride flag badge can be seen pinned to Gwen’s father’s police uniform.
Like Into the Spider-Verse before it, Across the Spider-Verse boasts a diverse array of characters, with the Spider-Verse teeming with different versions of Spider-Man who share many of the same struggles but also the same pride in their identities.
Whether Gwen Stacy is trans, an ally or simply a metaphor for the trans experience, many fans have praised the inclusion of a trans-coded superhero overcoming adversity in a world hellbent on suppressing her.
One user likened the open-ended answer to the question of Gwen’s identity to Star Wars actor Mark Hamill’s past comments that his legendary character Luke Skywalker could be gay if that’s how viewers choose to interpret him.
In an interview with The Sun in 2016, the acclaimed actor said: “[Fans] would say to me, you know, ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer.
“If you think Luke is gay, of course he is,” he continued. “You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.”
While Gwen Stacy’s gender identity is not integral to the plot of Across the Spider-Verse, the struggles she faces in her life have resonated with the trans community and cemented her as a trans icon, whether she’s cisgender or not.
Gwen isn’t the only Spidey who’s been embraced by the LGBTQ+ community: Last year, Marvel revealed details about the origin story of its first-ever gay Spider-Man, who made his debut in the fifth issue of the Edge of Spider-Verse comic book.
Fans will find out whether Gwen’s trans mythology is explored further when the delayed third instalment in the franchise, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is finally released.
When will Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse be released?
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was originally scheduled for release on 29 March 2024 before it was taken off the Sony release schedule in July 2023.
There’s no new release date as yet, but Spider-Man fans might enjoy The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story which has been released on YouTube. It’s a short movie set in the Spider-Verse world that sees Miles Morales experience a panic attack and learn that asking for help is as heroic as anything.
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