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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mark lee is spiderman pic.twitter.com/Mjj1kxw4xd
— mark loops (@mkloops) October 31, 2021
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another video filed under the “mark lee is spiderman” folder pic.twitter.com/bmLPNpgD2p
— ナ (@jaezeni) January 13, 2022
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Trick or treat!👻 #MARK in the house as ‘Spiderman’🎃#?? #NCT #NCT127 #NCTDREAM#SM_Halloween_House #SMTOWN_WONDERLAND_2021#SMTOWN#HALLOWEEN pic.twitter.com/yPvni7YOYo
— SMTOWN (@SMTOWNGLOBAL) October 31, 2021
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.
🐯 i was in the park once playing basketball with chenle and there were kids and one of their shoes or was it a ball? got stuck up on a roof and i climbed up and got it for him and i was like.. i didn’t think of it but chenle was the one that said pic.twitter.com/pySRX2Mhei
— ?? 🍳 (@LMKLOOK) October 10, 2023
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.
