Spider-Man: Homecoming opened this weekend to critical acclaim and packed theaters, delighting both Marvel fanatics and casual audiences with the plot twists and Easter Eggs. There were multiple surprises that left an impression, but perhaps the most notable was Zendaya's Michelle saying, at the end of the film, "my friends call me MJ." It was mostly surprising due to the fact that Marvel had furiously campaigned on the fact that Zendaya was not playing Mary Jane Watson; in a way, they weren't lying. Michelle was Michelle, and nothing more. However, her nickname points to her having an exciting future in the MCU, and perhaps a promise as to where her character will end up.
Everyone remotely familiar with Spider-Man lore knows that Mary Jane Watson, often known as MJ, is the love of Peter Parker's life. The Sam Rami Spiderman trilogy brought her and Peter's love story to the forefront. Later, Marc Webb put MJ on the side and focused more on Peter's first, ultimately doomed girlfriend, Gwen Stacey. It seems that this take on the web-slinging hero will eschew both famous girlfriends and instead focus on new love interests. First, there was Liz, and most likely Michelle.
The most frustrating part about this reveal is that it was so often debunked that for it to happen feels a little shocking considering the film's marketing. After all, Marvel has spent the months leading up to Homecoming's release firmly denying that Michelle is playing MJ. Of course, the MJ they meant was the Mary Jane Watson, so we can say they weren't lying on a technicality. Rumors continued to persist about her role in the film, including speculation she was Vulture's daughter, and a day after Homecoming's domestic release, Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige was interviewed about the future of this highly speculated about character.
Feige re-asserted that Michelle is not Mary Jane, but he also offered some interesting tidbits about her role, saying "In setting up this will be a very different thing, she’s not Mary Jane Watson, that’s not who the character is. But giving her the initials that remind you of that dynamic certainly is intriguing about what could go forward." Feige and other Marvel heads have said several times that they want to steer away from Spider-Man stories that had been previously shown on screen. This makes sense, as we've had three Spider-Men in the past ten years. Centered around one of the most frequently rebooted superheroes in cinema history, Homecoming needed to set itself apart somehow, and by creating a new MJ they avoid being too similar to the Rami films.
This is certainly not the first time a studio has deliberately misled audiences about a character's true identity. In 2013, JJ Abrams and his Star Trek Into Darkness drew ire from critics and fans alike when they insisted that Benedict Cumberbatch was not playing Khan, only to reveal that yes indeed he was Khan. The Michelle is MJ situation is not entirely the same, even if it is similar. Zendaya was not playing Mary Jane Watson, just a character named MJ.
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Of course, any frustration over the fact that the studio launched a very obvious misdirection campaign is overshadowed by how exciting the reveal is. If the rest of the movie didn't make it clear, this is not the Rami or Webb Spider-Man. Instead, we're getting a new spin on the lore, with new characters. Michelle might not be Mary Jane, but if her initials are anything to go by, she will be the MJ and the leading lady of Peter's life. It is highly unlikely they'd introduce another MJ, even if it was the "real" Mary Jane. Therefore, Michelle's MJ is the closest thing we will get to Mary Jane, and she will fulfill the role typical of those initials.
Michelle is a great character, with similar characteristics to both Mary Jane and Gwen Stacey. She has all of Gwen's smarts that the Webb movie highlighted, while still being as spunky as Mary Jane. She's observant, keeping an eye on Peter's comings and goings, and might have a little bit of a crush on him. Instead of being a social butterfly though, she's somewhat of an outsider, an awkward artsy kid in a school full of math and science whizzes. This makes her more similar to Peter, who is also a bit of an awkward loner. Instead of having his main love interest be some girl who he pines for from afar, their inevitable love story will most likely be friends transitioning into romantic partners, which is also a new spin on the Spider-Man love story.
It is impossible to talk about this however without bringing up the backlash Marvel now faces for casting a black woman as MJ. Comic fans are more than willing to accept a variety of changes to Peter's story, including him taking numerous elements from Miles Morales's story, but MJ not being a redheaded white woman is drawing ire from those who cannot seem to grasp that times are changing. There will inevitably be cries for a reveal of the "real" Mary Jane or claims Marvel is ruining the story by being politically correct. They will, however, simply have to accept the new MJ. Marvel cast a high-profile and popular actress in the role, and they're not about to toss her to the side because of a few angry tweets. Besides, the typical argument surrounding such issues is that studios should simply create new characters instead of changing the ethnicity of existing characters, and that's exactly what Marvel has done here. Aside from the shared initials (essentially an Easter Egg flagging a traditional love interest), Zendaya's Michelle is a brand new character.
Most fans, on the other hand, seem to have warmed instantly to Michelle, and her future in the MCU looks bright. It is likely she'll be the co-lead of Homecoming's sequel, and it's possible that with Avengers 3 and 4 shooting in Queens that she might make a cameo in the upcoming Infinity War and it's sequel. Michelle is here to stay, and it will be interesting to see how her dynamic with Peter progresses, given that it is new and uncharted territory. Whether she and Peter will begin a romantic relationship has yet to be seen, but she is the new canon's MJ, and that is for certain.