NCT 127’s Mark lobbies to play Spider-Man while on Eric Nam's podcast

[Source]

K-pop idol Mark said Marvel should hire him if the studio is looking to cast an "Asian-looking Spider-Man" while guesting on Korean American singer Eric Nam's podcast.

How it was brought up: The topic of Mark, real name Mark Lee, 24, being Spider-Man was brought up while the two were discussing nicknames the NCT 127 singer has received from the group's fanbase, called NCTzens, which included him being dubbed “Spider-Mark.”

“They kind of, they correlate me with the actual Spider-Man from the movies and they say that I share some similarities,” Lee told Nam in an episode of the “Daebak Show with Eric Nam” on Tuesday.

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It has to be him: The 34-year-old podcast host then came up with a hypothetical scenario for Lee, asking him what he would say if Marvel approached him and asked if he wanted to audition as Spider-Man after Tom Holland retires from the role.

“I have said this to my fans once, if they ever need an Asian-looking Spider-Man, it has to be me,” Lee jokingly said.

The context: Lee as Spider-Man is part of a running gag among fans. The idea was first brought up after NCTzens created a 30-minute long skit in September 2021 titled "NCIT HOUSE: Our sharehouse with full of joy and love," in which members Johnny (John Suh), 28, and Jaehyun (Jeong Yun-o), 26, suspect that Lee is Spider-Man.

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Backstory: Lee also shared on the podcast how the idea of him being Spider-Man kind of stuck with him following an incident where he helped a child recover his lost shoe or ball.

“I was in the park once playing basketball with Chenle (Zhong Chenle, 21), and there were kids and one of their shoes – or was it a ball – it got stuck up on a roof, and I climbed up and got it for him,” he said.

When Nam asked Lee if he was like Spider-Man, the NCT 127 singer responded, “I didn’t think of it, but Chenle was the one who said, ‘Yo, you kind of look like Spider-Man there for a moment,’ and that’s where it kind of stuck with me.”

How people are reacting: The running gag of Lee as Spider-Man has been reignited on X, with one user proclaiming, “Like I'm sorry but Mark IS Spiderman he's the most Peter Parker to ever Peter Parker and I said what I said.”

“Mark, you will always be my fav(sic) spiderman,” another user wrote.