Fans were pretty excited to learn that Zendaya would be part of the upcoming Spider-Man project. However, a bit of confusion set in when it was revealed that the Disney actor would be portraying Michelle, a character who just so happens to go by the nickname MJ. Spoilers ahead. It was a puzzling detail that left many wondering if Mary Jane is in Spider-Man Homecoming.
As it turns out, Peter Parker's love interest, Mary Jane, will not be in the upcoming Homecoming film. However, it does appear that Zendaya will be playing some variation or substitution of the mask crusader's on-again, off-again bae. Although details surrounding "new MJ" are still a bit fuzzy, reportedly Zendaya's character will initially be introduced to the audience as Michelle in the film, but the character will somewhere later down the line explain to Peter and his pals, "My friends call me MJ."
If you pay close attention to the details that have been rolling out over the past few months, the news actually isn't all that surprising. In August 2016, The Wrap seemingly confirmed that Zendaya would, in fact, play the role of MJ, aka Mary Jane Watson. However, the 20-year-old entertainer would later shoot down the rumors, telling MTV News, "My character is 100 percent Michelle. That's her name. I promise you, I'm not lying."
It unclear what direction the Michelle's storyline will take in the franchise going forward. However, it's been revealed that Zendaya's character will be a bit different than the MJ played by Kirsten Dunst in the original Spider-man movies. As one of Parker's classmates, Michelle is quite the opposite, holding her own while never looking to Spidey to save her from her woes.
It remains to be seen how this new change will go over with fans. Either way you look at it, Zendaya will make a great addition to the series while tossing in a bit of diversity and much-needed feminism.
