Is Zendaya playing Mary ‘MJ’ Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Homecoming?
That’s the question that has loomed over Jon Watts’ 2017 standalone from the word go, with many believing that Michelle – her real character name, supposedly – is a red herring, masking Zendaya’s actual role: Peter Parker’s long-time love interest. Don’t get too excited about the possibility of MJ entering the fray, however; as part of The Hollywood Reporter’s cover story on Homecoming, the outlet presented the Mary Jane casting rumors to the singer-songstress, who essentially responded with a categorical ‘no’.
Per THR:
“My character is not romantic. My character is like very dry, awkward, intellectual and because she’s so smart, she just feels like she doesn’t need to talk to people, like “My brain is so far ahead of you that you’re just not really on my level.” So she comes off very weird. But to me, she is very cool because she’s deep. She’s always thinking about something, always reading. I like that. And I also like that I don’t really have to do anything for hair and makeup. I just get to walk in and walk out.”
Could this be another Benedict Cumberbatch/Khan scenario? We certainly hope not. In the build up to Star Trek Into Darkness, J.J. Abrams continually deflected speculation that Cumberbatch was portraying the iconic villain to the point that fans actually became irritated, ultimately sucking any sense of surprise from the reveal itself. Expect Marvel to remain tight-lipped up until the release of Homecoming in the summer, at which point we’ll finally discover Zendaya’s true role – MJ or no.
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters on July 7, 2017, and will act as the first of Tom Holland’s contracted solo movies.
