Stan Lee isn't a fan of the idea of changing Spider-Men's race and sexual orientation.

The co-creator of the Marvel character said that he thinks new superheroes should be created, rather than changing characters that already exist.

He told Newsarama: "I wouldn't mind, if Peter Parker had originally been black, a Latino, an Indian or anything else, that he stay that way. But we originally made him white. I don't see any reason to change that."

On the subject of Spider-Man's sexuality, he said: "I think the world has a place for gay superheroes, certainly, but again, I don't see any reason to change the sexual proclivities of a character once they've already been established.

"I have no problem with creating new, homosexual superheroes.

"It has nothing to do with being anti-gay, or anti-black, or anti-Latino, or anything like that," Lee said. "Latino characters should stay Latino. The Black Panther should certainly not be Swiss.

"I just see no reason to change that which has already been established when it's so easy to add new characters. I say create new characters the way you want to. Hell, I'll do it myself."

Marvel Comics is set to relaunch Spider-Man later this year in a new series that will place Miles Morales as the hero under the mask.

Morales is biracial, being the son of an African-American father and a Puerto Rican mother.