Zendaya’s MJ has been such a hit with fans that it’s easy to forget that Marvel Studios kept a tight lid on who she was playing right up until the 2017 release of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Her very different take on the comic book Mary-Jane Watson has avoided comparisons with Kirsten Dunst’s Raimiverse MJ and has established a fun new dynamic that’s livened up the familiar Spidey story.
But all that could be coming to an end in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Zendaya gave an interview to Daily Pop about the third installment in the MCU Spider-Man series, saying that the close of production was sad because the cast doesn’t know if there’ll be a fourth movie.
When asked about what it was like returning for the second time to the MCU, she said “we were all just absorbing and taking the time to just enjoy the moment, being with each other and being so grateful for that experience”. Zendaya went on to underline the bond that’s formed between her, Tom Holland, and Jacob Batalon, saying they’ve “grown up together”.
But she mentioned that the end of the shoot was “kind of bittersweet” because “we don’t know if we’re gonna do another one. … Is it just gonna be three and done? Like, kind of normally you do three movies and that’s pretty much it.”
MCU fans will know all too well that Marvel Studios’ ability to use Spider-Man relies on them thrashing out a deal with Sony Pictures. The most recent one struck was in 2019, but Tom Holland’s contract is set to expire with No Way Home, though he’s said he’ll remain in the role “as long as they will have me”.
It seems a no-brainer to continue making MCU Spider-Man movies, though Sony Pictures may want to borrow the web slinger to appear in the Venom universe. And who knows, if Tom Holland can make the leap, why not Zendaya too?
A trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home should be landing very soon and the movie itself swings into theaters on December 17, 2021. Zendaya will also be playing a starring role in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, now out on October 22, 2021.
Published: Jul 12, 2021 12:00 pm