The question of whether Spider-Man should remain unmarried has resurfaced in various online media outlets. According to a report by PopVerse, X-Men editor Tom Brevoort addressed Marvel’s editorial mandates during a panel at Baltimore Comic Con over the weekend. Brevoort explained, “If you’re working for Marvel, the characters belong to Marvel, and the institution decides what is appropriate for them. There are certain actions Spider-Man is not allowed to take—”
At this point, an audience member interrupted with a pointed question: “like get back together with Mary Jane?” Brevoort responded to the audience’s concerns, stating, “He can get back with Mary Jane, but he just can’t marry her. These are the established rules. For example, while working on Daredevil, one must work with the reality that he is blind and will likely remain so.”
The requirement that Peter Parker remains single in the mainline Marvel Universe has been a contentious issue for years, particularly since the controversial “One More Day” storyline in 2007. In this narrative, Peter Parker trades his marriage to Mary Jane to the demon Mephisto to save Aunt May’s life. Although Mephisto did not marry Mary Jane, the annulment was deemed a sufficient exchange. This plot allowed Marvel to steer its leading character away from married life back into the complexities of singlehood, a decision that met with widespread disapproval from fans.
Despite ongoing protest from readers, Marvel has maintained this position, with Peter Parker and Mary Jane keeping their relationship unofficial in the primary Marvel continuity. However, in the “Ultimate Spider-Man” series, set in an alternate universe, the couple is legally married. Notably, “Ultimate Spider-Man” was the top-selling comic of August 2024, surpassing sales of the mainline “Amazing Spider-Man” series, which ranked 29th.
