Fans call on Marvel to 'sue' the White House for 'disgusting' use of Spider-Man graphics
Marvel has been called on to launch a mega lawsuit against the Trump administration after the White House shared Spider-Man themed images to promote ICE and the deportation of 'illegal aliens'.
The post, shared by the official White House account on Instagram, was a four-image carousel where Spider-Man's web slinger trailed across the first three photos, eventually webbing up a line of men who had already been handcuffed with an ICE agent looking on behind.
Alongside this, a message reading 'criminal illegal aliens will be caught and deported' is written above the 'captured' individuals, with the post's caption declaring implicit support for "your friendly neighborhood ICE agents."
It's far from the first time that the Trump administration's social media empire has pulled a similar stunt, as the White House, Homeland Security, and other political agencies have evoked popular musicians, other big films, and even video games like Call of Duty for promotional purposes.
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However, this recent use of Spider-Man has left fans particularly incensed, with many calling on Marvel and Sony to sue the White House, alongside pointing out the disconnect between the superhero as a character and the actions of the government.
"I hope Marvel/Disney/Sony all sue," wrote one commenter underneath the White House's Instagram post, with several other users even directly tagging the official Marvel account to call for legal action.
Plenty of commenters have also highlighted their opposition to ongoing immigration policies, with one of the most-liked comments declaring: "NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL."
Similar perspectives have been shared on X, with an account calling the White House's post 'absolutely disgusting' and 'vile', proclaiming that "Spider-Man stands for everything MAGA doesn't."
Whether Disney, Marvel, or Sony actually launch an intellectual property based copyright lawsuit remains to be seen, however, especially as former Marvel CEO Isaac Perlmutter, alongside his wife Laura, were revealed to be two of the wealthy individuals who contributed to President Trump's White House ballroom project.
People might perhaps be appeased by an official condemnation, following in the footsteps of the Pokémon Company International, who distanced itself from the Trump administration after the White House used Pikachu alongside the popular 'MAGA' catchphrase.
Regardless of this, however, the White House and other similar social media channels are unlikely to stop sharing posts like this – especially as it riles people up so much – as stoking the flames of an already heavily divided nation appears to be the intention, and they're able to do so without any legal consequences so far.