Marvel Comics Editor Tom Brevoort Dismisses Spider-Man Fan Who Wants The Peter Parker and MJ Marriage Back In Continuity: "You Can Always Stop Reading"
Uncanny X-Men editor Tom Brevoort seems to be intentionally agitating comic book fans at this point as he tells a reader, “If you just don’t like Spider-Man without him being married to MJ, you can always stop reading.”
Marvel Comics has a massive public relations problem on its hand, with X-Men editor Tom Brevoort posting to his Substack and showing his disdain for customers on a regular basis. In his most recent saga, he’s been dismissive and condescending to Marvel readers who are eager to see Peter Parker and Mary Jane married like they were before the universally hated storyline, One More Day, where Peter Parker made a deal with Mephisto (the devil) to undo their marriage, destroying decades of continuity in the process.
Earlier this month, X-Men line editor Tom Brevoort mocked fans who wanted to see Mary Jane and Peter Parker back together and married as a “couple of yahoos” harassing Marvel Comics editorial, despite there being long evidence that fans in general demand Spider-Man to be married and have a family.
To prove it’s not just a couple of yahoos, Brevoort keeps getting asked about the question of the Spider-Marriage, and he received another ask this time, which he summarily dismissed once again.
The commenter asked, “In your opinion, is there a threshold that a book like Ultimate Spider-Man (or Renew Your Vows, or Spider-Girl, or any of the other “Peter and MJ are a married couple” projects through the decades) could reach that would cause editorial to say “okay, Amazing is losing to this other book, clearly the thing the audience is responding to is married Spider-Man, we should bring that back into main continuity?”
Brevoort responded, “You never say never, Brandon, but I don’t believe that there is any such threshold because that’s not what publishing ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN or RENEW YOUR VOWS and the like is all about. Those aren’t test cases, they are alternatives for those who desire those alternatives. But I believe that we’ve concluded decisively that the best platonic ideal of Spider-Man is one that is unattached, and that conclusion isn’t going to be changed by a particular alternate interpretation momentarily performing well. And AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has been consistently our best-selling regular title for a decade and a half, so another book selling better than it isn’t cause for concern, it’s cause for celebration. but ASM sales continue to click along just as they’ve consistently done, so pointing to ULTIMATE and concluding that the one and only factor contributing to its success is coincidentally the one factor that those fans would like changed about ASM is working backwards from a desired conclusion.”
As it’s becoming obvious the vast majority of Spider-Man readers want Peter Parker and MJ back together, as he keeps getting asked questions about the situation, it appears as if Brevoort simply is not listening to comic book readers in his attempt to condescend. On another new blog, Brevoort has done just that.
One reader rightfully understood that continuity is in shambles at Marvel Comics, and the characters don’t really develop when their past builds like marriage can simply be magically ignored and reset at any time, happening more often than not in mainstream comic book continuity. The reader said, “So nothing in ASM is going really matter in the long run? Then why should I care what happens in it? Getting rid of the marriage got rid of any sense that what happens in ASM going forward with the character will really matter.”
Brevoort responded, this time dismissing the concern, “I think you have a very limited grasp as to what constitutes nothing, Clonegeek. Plenty of things have happened to Peter Parker and Spider-Man over the past seventeen years and most all of them have mattered, both to the character and to the audience. Things change in the world of Spider-Man all the time, always have. So sometimes, he has a black costume and then he doesn’t, and sometimes he’s a school teacher and then he isn’t, and sometimes he’s married and then he isn’t, and sometimes Doctor Octopus takes over his body and then he gets it back. It’s all kind of the same thing. But as always, if you just don’t like Spider-Man without him being married to MJ, you can always stop reading it (or simply read ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN at this point, whichever suits you.)”
It's clear the concept of the Spider-Marriage irritates Brevoort and perhaps others at Marvel who have no interest in giving the fans what they want out of the character’s stories. At this point, Spider-Man fans would do well to take Brevoort’s advice and stop reading, as it’s clear editorial doesn’t want readers there.
What do you think of Tom Brevoort dismissing a Spider-Man fan and telling him to stop reading? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Brevoort finally said something true - people should stop reading this subversion of Spider-Man.
I’d fire him immediately.