With a role in latest ‘Spider-Man’ film, Marvel’s first openly trans actor calls for more portrayals

LOS ANGELES — The first openly transgender actor in the Marvel Universe says there needs to be more representation of his experience.

Zach Barack, who grew up in Glenview, plays a classmate of Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” His gender identity is not addressed in the brief role.

Barack said that superhero movies “always felt like a trans story because it’s talking about identity.

“It’s about separating what people know about you and what they don’t,” Barack said at last week’s premiere of the film. “And I think that’s something I kind of live with every day. And, on top of that, I don’t see a lot of trans-masculine people on television or trans men specifically, and getting to be part of that is beyond unreal.”

The 23-year-old actor, who also appeared in the TV series “L.A.’s Finest,” said there need to be more roles for trans people in all sorts of movies.

“You have to put out there what people want to see and what people need to see,” he said. “And, as a young person who is trans, I didn’t see a trans man on TV ever, ever, really, until I was, like, 17. So having a fun movie about a class going on a trip together, and I get to be part of that, I can’t even ...”