Arts & Entertainment
Sony reportedly planning to introduce bisexual ‘Spider-Man’ in next movie
According to a report from geek fansite We Got This Covered, the entertainment giant is looking to develop their return to the superhero franchise as a live-action movie in the vein of 2018’s “Into the Spider-Verse,” the Oscar-winning animated film featuring multiple versions of the superhero who are brought together from their respective dimensions to join forces against an enemy seeking to destroy them all.
The first “Spider-Verse” film was widely praised for its emphasis on diversity, bringing the first Spider-Man-of-Color to the screen in the form of Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales. Now, according to WGTC, the studio wants to continue the trend by making the beloved superhero bisexual and giving him a boyfriend.
According to the website’s sources – whom they cite as having a reliable track record for information, having previously provided several rumors that later proved to be true, such as the upcoming She-Hulk series set to debut on Disney Plus and the identity of the villain in this summer’s long-awaited “Black Widow” movie – Sony is looking to use the “multiverse” premise to bring together all three actors that have played Spidey in the big-screen franchise, uniting current webslinger Tom Holland with his two predecessors in the role, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
The buzz further indicates that Sony is particularly interested in getting Garfield to return and play his version of the character as bisexual. Garfield said in 2013 that he believed Spider-Man could be portrayed as gay.
He’s not the only one who has had the thought. Last year, Holland also made comments saying that he would like to see “a gay Spider-Man,” later going on to elaborate, “I think that would be a very progressive way to kind of create a new character. So yeah, I think there should be one one day and I hope I get to share the screen with that person.”
If the latest rumor is true, both he and Garfield could get their wish. Not only that, but if Sony truly gives Spidey an onscreen boyfriend, it will be a welcome change after multiple promises to introduce LGBTQ characters to big action franchises that have ended up as disappointing, blink-and-you-miss-them moments that essentially only give lip service to the idea of inclusion – such as in last year’s “Avengers: Endgame” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
It’s a little too early to get excited, of course – the information at this stage is only a rumor, with no word on whether any of the players involved would be interested or have even been approached.
Still, according to WGTC, the same source that gave them this information also told them that “National Treasure 3” was going to happen – and if something that far-fetched turned out to be true, then there’s hope for a non-hetero superhero yet.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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