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Spider-Man is now center of a political firestorm after the White House shared AI artwork depicting the Marvel superhero assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The move instantly prompted widespread criticism and a requests for Sony or Marvel to do something.
The image, posted Thursday, Aug. 6, appears to be AI generated and shows Spider-Man webbing up a group of people alongside ICE agents
The post quickly spread across social media, even thought traditional media was slow to pick it up. Critics demand Marvel and Sony Pictures to ask for the image’s removal or pursue legal action.
READ ALSO: “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”: Emotional, Action-Packed & Worth the Wait
The controversy comes as Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues its remarkable theatrical run. The fourth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe film surpassed $1 billion at the global box office in just six days. The movie follows Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, as he attempts to rebuild his life while continuing to protect New York City.
The White House’s use of the superhero transformed the “friendly neighborhood Spider-man” into a political symbol tied to one of the country’s most polarizing issues, ICE.
“The White House using Spider Man for immigration messaging is honestly crazy to me. That’s a character kids grow up looking up to as a hero who protects people,” a lengthy comment said. “Turning him into a political marketing tool on an issue that’s affecting real families just feels wrong. This isn’t entertainment. This isn’t a joke. People’s lives are being debated, and packaging it like a meme only makes the conversation feel less human.”
A commenter noted that Peter Parker once protected an undocumented immigrant, referencing The Spectacular Spider-Man issues #137 and #138. In those issues, Spidey apparently defends vulnerable immigrants from violence.
Last year, Homeland Security posted a video of ICE agents detaining people while using the Pokémon theme song and the slogan “Gotta catch ’em all.” Other franchises, including Yu-Gi-Oh!and Dragon Ball, were also incorporated into immigration related messaging.
As of now, it remains unclear whether the Spider-Man image will be removed and neither Marvel Studios or Sony Pictures has commented.
