ITV cut a remark deemed homophobic from an airing of the 2002 Spider-Man movie last week, it has emerged.

In a scene, which has long been a bone of contention for some fans, Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker enters a wrestling competition and taunts his opponent with the line: "That's a cute outfit. Did your husband give it to you?"

In the broadcast of the film on ITV2 on April 23, the dialogue was shortened to just "that's a cute outfit", according to Variety.

In a statement to the publication, ITV said: "We carefully consider the suitability of content we broadcast and appropriateness of language used to ensure that it meets audience expectations, especially when intended for family viewing."

Maguire recently reprised his role as Spidey for an extended cameo in the epic Spider-Man: No Way Home movie.