[quote=@Eddie Brock]
What's that? Discussing the [i]Homecoming[/i] supporting cast? How did this can of worms get here? The central problem I have with it is that the supporting cast is written like a bad RPG writer who shoehorns references even when they don't fit, just to sneak an established name in there. (Hey, that kettle over there looks pretty black; maybe I should say something...)

Seriously, though. Ned is just Ganke. But they didn't want to use the name Ganke, so eh, just take a name from elsewhere in the supporting cast gallery. Who cares? (Hint: this guy.) Michelle is a fine character, but there's [i]no[/i] reason to call her MJ; even if you try to walk it back and pretend it was just a wink. If Flash Thompson is going to share absolutely nothing in common with his comic counterpart except that they're both dicks to Peter, then why not give him his own identity? Even the little girl on the morning show has to be called Betty Brandt, even that though defies all logic. (Sure, I'm splitting hairs on that one, but it's a symptom of the "disease.")

There's an almost pathological fear in inventing new characters, even though characters created outside the comic pages have sometimes done just fine for themselves. Harley Quinn, to name the obvious one. Phil Coulson, to stick within the MCU.
[/quote]

In all seriousness, one of the biggest pet peeves I have is "fan service" in the decision of naming what could be creating perfectly good new additions to the mythos and ruining them by giving them the names of existing characters that share nothing with that character... it's honestly anti-fan service.  Because it pisses genuine fans off.

You dont get off that easy either, Nolan...  with your middle name Robin.

I've been going off on Netflix iron Fist for doing that with Zhou Cheng all day today in fact... they did something good and new, and then gave him the name of a completely unrelated big bad character from the mythos.