After the release dates for parts three and four of The Amazing Spider-Man were announced, Sony Pictures has decided to cut the character of Mary Jane Watson from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.  Shailene Woodley of The Descendants and The Spectacular Now was set to depict MJ in the sequel since last Fall.  Now her appearance has been pushed to part three. This update also adds fuel to the fire of a rumor that the character of Gwen Stacey, played by Emma Stone, will be killed off in the upcoming sequel, as was her fate in the comic books.
“Of course I’m bummed,” confessed Woodley in an EW interview. “But I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a specific reason….based on the proposed plot, I completely understand holding off on introducing [Mary Jane] until the next film.”
This may suggest that postponing the inclusion of her character was a well thought out decision and not a desperate attempt to drag out the franchise for as long as possible. As we have seen before in The Twilight Saga, Harry Potter and soon The Hunger Games, a conclusion taking up multiple films is only a great idea from a financial standpoint, as the filmmakers are sure that fans will pay to see as many movies as they put out. In terms of quality though, the extra entries are typically nowhere near as impressive as their predecessors.
There is still a considerable wait for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, coming in May of 2014.  This sequel will prove to be a deciding factor in the series’ success.  By part two, audiences will have a better judgement as to whether or not the franchise has enough potency to stretch for four entries.
Part three of The Amazing Spider-Man will be released in June of 2016, and part four in May of 2018. There is plenty of time to get them right, so let’s hope they can do so.
Published: Jun 19, 2013 04:58 pm