Spider-Man 2's Natasha Ofili Talks Landing, Expanding, and Playing the Role of Hailey Cooper

Game Rant caught up with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 actor Natasha Ofili, who plays Hailey Cooper, and she discussed how she landed the recurring role.

[Elda]

One of the games characters some commentors here are saying is DEI....which is ridiculous.

[CrimsonWing69]

It’s not?

[Eonjay]

No its not because black people exist. I don't understand why people go so hard on trying to pretend that they don't. Or that they need to be hidden from 'gamers'. it just feels like racism to me. DEI is just a way for racist people to turn the blame back on the people they are being racist against. No one needs permission from a bigot to exist.

[ravens52]

Eonjay. EXACTLY. You hit the nail on the head. It's called DEI when a colored person is in the game. When in all actuality it shouldn't be called anything and it should be just as common as a white person being in a video game. Its weird. It's racist, no matter how much u say it's not. Jus say how u feel out loud. "Another black character!?"...."Dam n, I'm racist". Lol.

[Elda]

No it's not DEI. When you leave your dwelling all you see is human beings from all walks of life, just like the characters & npcs that are human beings in the game. Human beings are not DEI, it's just another bigoted term when someone or a character is non white. Eonjay & Ravens52...well said!

[CrimsonWing69]

So, nothing can be DEI agenda because people exist in the real world? That makes no sense because these decisions were specifically made over other established characters.

Forget that she’s black. Nobody screaming DEI is saying that when playing a Mile Morales game. When 90% of us point out DEI it’s due to specific things that don’t feel genuine not put in.

They chose a disabled chacracter that looks like Jonathan Majors. These are all specifics design decisions and I think there’s a very strong reasoning to choose that over established characters like bombshell, Kate bishop, or Barbara.

So twisting DEI into a racist things shows you literally have no grasp on why people roll their eyes at this. I guess everything Sweet Baby Inc does has no agenda and no ulterior motive even when they straight up say we want to “disrupt” the game industry.

I think Miles Morales is one of the best characters and I love him in the Spiderverse movies. So no, when people say DEI it’s not someone being racist. I love games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age that have diverse characters and homosexual relationship, but they also didn’t go out of their way to “uglify” designs, push in scenarios that don’t feel genuine or even elevate a decision like that, and it’s ok for people to call these things out.

A lot of the design decisions coming out of Sony are 100% DEI motivated. Dont believe me? Look up Concord and listen to what a developer said about the decisions and “toxic positivity.” So yea, who worked on this game as a consultant? What do they do and what is their mantra?

[-Foxtrot]

I think it's more about general representation over just race, they decided to go for someone not only of colour but someone who was also deaf on top, I'm guessing for the extra brownie points or something.

Miles Morales has 3 noticeable girlfriends or love interests in the comics who would have made better additions to these Spiderman games. We had Kate Bishop, Cassie Lang and Kamala Khan, each being a notable superhero character within the Marvel comics with their own unique skill set yet Insomniac decided to go with someone, not only brand new but so vanilla in comparison.

If Miles was in trouble we could have had a single mission with one of them, Kate Bishop taking out enemies one by one with her sharp shooting skills from a rooftop covering Miles as he sneaks into enemy territory. Cassie Lang going small, working her way around an enemy base as she tries to locate Miles to free him where you have to cause distractions and the like when small. Kamala Khan brawling her way through waves on enemies with her stretch like powers. What did we get? Spray painting.

[Eonjay]

Not buying it. The fact that you get triggered by a deaf person... as if its not a real thing is sad to me. I actually know someone who is deaf and a person of color and I never thought I was doing anything special by treating them like I treat everyone else. Please snap out of it. Stop being triggered.

Also, let's not pretend for one second that MILES was the target of endless Ridicule for being a character who isn't white.

[Iras_]

Worst part of the game.

[The_Blue]

You racist trolls will never reach her accomplishments.

[ravens52]

Exactly lol

[HankHill]

Stunning and brave!