For the last few days, the Internet has been obsessed about one thing, and one thing only: whether or not Spider-Man will be white when he returns to the big screen. Considering that a single unconfirmed source is behind all of it, it's surprising that so many people have already come to the conclusion that the new Spider-Man will be someone other than Peter Parker.

Of course, there are two sides to this whole situation. On one hand, using Miles Morales - the young African American teenager who became the new Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe - could be a good way to change up the formula. On the other hand, using Peter Parker also has a number of distinct advantages...so, which way will Sony and Marvel Studios go?

For now, there's absolutely no way of knowing - whichever way the studios go is ultimately up to the producers. That being said, there are definitely a few reasons to go with the new Spider-Man:

Miles Morales would bring diversity to the MCU:

While it may not be the Illuminati-level conspiracy that many Internet theorists believe, there is a noticeable lack of diversity within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Granted, there's a reason for that - most of these characters are roughly 50 years old, and were created by a largely white team in a bygone era. While randomly switching Tony Stark's or Steve Roger's ethnicity around would feel incredibly forced, Miles Morales represents a rare opportunity where it would, at the very least, make sense.

The MCU is already based on the 'Ultimate Comics' line:

A large part of the over-arching lore in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is already based on the 'Ultimate Comics' line - the same line where Miles Morales is Spider-Man. The most notable example is Nick Fury, whose entire portrayal is based off of Marvel's alternate universe, and many smaller touches from the Ultimate Comics line pop up frequently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Were Miles Morales chosen as the next on-screen Spider-Man, he'd fit right in with all the other modernized characters and settings.

It would separate the new Spider-Man from older films:

The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel were, to put it lightly, disappointments. It needlessly rehashed one of the most well-known origin stories ever, and introduced a bunch of lazy plots in order to set up a Sinister Six movie that hadn't even been greenlit. Even compared to the downright offensive Spider-Man 3, they were bad movies. That being said, Miles Morales could represent a fresh start for the character without necessarily feeling out of place. In essence, a new Spider-Man starring Miles could wash away the nightmares of an acne-riddled Green Goblin - and that's an opportunity that doesn't come around too often.

From the looks of things, Miles could make for a great cinematic Spider-Man...but using the new character isn't without its drawbacks. These aren't lingering nitpicks about continuity, either: Marvel's film structure and schedule doesn't leave for a lot of wiggle room, and introducing an entirely new character to a mass audience might not be the best choice. As such, there are a few reasons that Peter Parker should stick around as Spider-Man:

With a new Spider-Man, comes a new origin story:

There are large parts of Miles Morales' story that parallel Peter Parker's: both are bit by radioactive spiders and both are taught how to use their powers for good through tragedy. While these tenants are similar in nature, Miles' origin story in the comics took a much longer time to get going, and the nature of his relationship with both his parents and his uncle (who is a longtime criminal) is vastly different from Peter's uncle dying. It's more than enough to require yet another origin story, and considering that the new Spider-Man is set to debut in a Captain America movie, there's really no room for it.

The 'Civil War' storyline doesn't make sense without Peter Parker:

We already know that the new Spider-Man will be making his debut in Captain America: Civil War. The original comic book storyline that inspired the movie is intrinsically tied to Peter Parker: Tony Stark convinces him to come forward with his identity, and almost immediately after, Peter's life falls apart. Switching it over to Miles Morales wouldn't necessarily make as much sense: everyone already knows what's at stake when Peter takes off the mask, but without another origin story to introduce what could go wrong for Miles Morales, the act of revealing himself could seem random and out of place.

Sony already said it was going with Peter Parker:

This is where the Miles Morales theory sort of falls apart. It'd be great to see a new take on Spider-Man, but when the deal was first publicly announced, Marvel made it pretty clear that your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man would be Peter Parker:

"...This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker's story into the future."

That's not some random Sony producer, either: that quote was from Doug Belgra, a.k.a. the president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group. While the chance does exist that he named the wrong character, it's highly unlikely. As it stands, Peter Parker has been confirmed as the next Spider-Man - Miles Morales is just a rumor.

For the time being, people should count on Peter Parker making a return to the silver screen. Miles Morales could be a really cool spin on the character, that's true - but the logistics of the whole thing don't really add up just yet. There's definitely still a chance that the new Spider-Man could be taking the on-screen reigns soon - either way, we won't know until Marvel makes an official announcement.

Until then, Spidey is set to return in Captain America: Civil War, which opens May 6, 2016.

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