Analysis of the controversy in Twitter for the inclusion of star talents in the dubbing of Spider-Man to Latin Spanish

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29105/gmjmx22.43-549

Keywords:

dubbing, animation, audience studies, audiovisual translation, content analysis

Abstract

In May 2023, a controversy started on Twitter in response to the announcement that 24 star talents had lent their voices to the Latin Spanish dubbing of Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse. The reaction revealed audiences' expectations about quality in dubbing. We analyzed 2,220 comments and examined the performance of the star talents in the film. 94.5% of the comments were negative, 4.6% were neutral, and only 0.9% were positive. The controversy focused on four issues: (a) a critique of Sony's marketing strategy, (b) the defense of professional voice actors, (c) the choice of subtitles as a second option, (d) the acceptance of some star talents linked to the Spider-Man franchise. Although the roles of the star talents were mostly bit parts, the controversy showed that audiences have high expectations for the dubbing of animation into Latin Spanish, because they adopt that version of the film as their own, even if it is a foreign content. The case study illustrates the awareness of local audiences regarding the processes of cultural adaptation for global products.

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Author Biographies

Juan Luis Ramírez Cadenas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco

Egresado de la Licenciatura en Comunicación de la Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco

Elia Margarita Cornelio Marí, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco

Profesora Investigadora de la Licenciatura en Comunicación, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco

M.A. in Media Studies - UT Austin

Dottorato in Comunicazione Tecnologie Societa - Università di Roma "La Sapienza"

Candidata a Investigador Nacional - SNI

 

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Published

2025-07-28

How to Cite

Ramírez Cadenas, J. L., & Cornelio Marí, E. M. (2025). Analysis of the controversy in Twitter for the inclusion of star talents in the dubbing of Spider-Man to Latin Spanish. Global Media Journal México, 22(43), 99–126. https://doi.org/10.29105/gmjmx22.43-549