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June 27 (UPI) -- Marisa Tomei says she didn't realize Aunt May, the character she plays in Spider-Man: Homecoming, is typically portrayed as a matronly, older woman in the franchise. May is the guardian of the titular, teen superhero, played this time around by Tom Holland.
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Tomei's May is protective of her nephew, but she also dresses youthfully and attracts a lot of male attention.
"I didn't really know what Aunt May looked like until after I signed on," Tomei laughed at a New York press conference Sunday.
"[The filmmakers] kept going, 'She's going to be sexy,' and I was like: 'Oh, God, stop trying to coddle me! Why do you have to pander to me and try and ...? Wait! Oh! You mean in contrast to another way to go,'" the 52-year-old actress said. "But these guys had the vision of how it was going to be revamped and everyone was going to be younger and she is his aunt by marriage, so she could really be any age."
The role was previously portrayed by Rosemary Harris, now 89, in 2002's Spider-Man, 2004's Spider-Man 2 and 2007's Spider-Man 3. Sally Field, now 70, portrayed Aunt May in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man and 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Tomei was first introduced as the character in 2016's Captain America: Civil War.
Co-starring Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr. and Zendaya, Spider-Man: Homecoming is due in theaters on July 7.
