The infamous Sony Pictures hack has really not been kind to the Hollywood studio. While most already knew about the deep-seated problems the industry had, seeing the blatant prejudice laid out in black-and-white was still a shock for many. But if you thought we’d heard it all, you’re in for a surprise.

This next bit of information comes courtesy of Gawker, who have shared a licensing agreement between Sony Pictures and Marvel. And what does this information regarding? Of course, none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-man, who will soon be swinging his way to an upcoming Marvel Studios flick.

The leaked agreement outlines all the things that Spider-Man must be, as well as all the things that the character Peter Parker must be.

According to the agreement, Spider-Man (not necessarily Peter Parker) must conform to the following:

• Must be male
• Does not torture
• Does not kill unless in defense of self or others
• Does not use foul language beyond PG-13
• Does not smoke tobacco
• Does not sell/distribute illegal drugs
• Does not abuse alcohol
• Does not have sex before the age of 16, does not have sex with anyone below the age of 16
• Not a homosexual (unless Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as a homosexual)

Careful attention should be paid to the last bullet point, as it may seem a bit contradictory in nature (though it isn’t). In short, Marvel is saying that in order for there to be a gay Spider-Man in the films, he must first be depicted as such in the Marvel comics.

But, it appears that no matter what, Peter Parker cannot be a homosexual, as per the following requirements the character must adhere to:

• His full name is Peter Benjamin Parker
• He is Caucasian and heterosexual
• His parents become absent from his life during childhood
• From the time his parents become absent he is raised by Aunt May and Uncle Ben in New York City
• He gains his powers while attending either middle school or college
• He gains his powers from being bitten by a spider
• He designs his first red and blue costume
• The black costume is a symbiote and is not designed by him
• He is raised in a middle class household in Queens, New York
• He attends or attended high school in Queens, New York, and he attends or attended college in New York City, New York

None of this really should be too much of a surprise. Ever since the first big screen interpretation, the characters of Spider-Man/Peter Parker have been pretty white bread in nature.

The main sticking point here is how much this could restrict the character from moving forward in the future. The character is decades old, and we live in a completely different society, so should it be time to evolve the character so he’s more representative of the world he lives in? It’s worth mentioning that this agreement does, in no way, restrict Sony and Marvel Studios from bringing the Miles Morales to the big screen as Spider-Man (though from everything we’ve heard, the next Spider-Man will still be Peter Parker).

The Spider-Man character has gone through some serious turmoil in the past several months. After “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” disappointed fans worldwide, Sony had some serious re-thinking to do. This led them down their current path, which involves something of an alliance with Marvel Studios. Apart from the story problems in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” many fans were growing sick of the Spider-Man movies retreading the same ground. Did Marvel shoot themselves in the foot by being so restrictive?

Let us know your thoughts below? Would you prefer to see a unique portrayal of Spider-Man/Peter Parker, or do you think the outlined traits are key to the identity of the character?

Source: Gawker