I ask this because I just heard that a very unimportant character in Spiderman Brand New Day was a transgender actor, and people are talking about how instead of Hollywood going out of its way to cast minorities, it should be "the best person for the job".

The character is basically an extra. He's the son of a police cheif, we see him in the background when his mom is talking to Spiderman on the phone. Measuring who had the best acting ability for such a small role is like asking who is most suited to open a bag of chips. Almost anyone could have played that role. Was anybody watching the film and thinking they should have cast someone more suited for this part?