Yesterday The Wrap reported that the name Michelle is really just a cover up, and Zendaya is playing none other than Mary Jane in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Most fans seem to be supportive of the casting, but there were some fans who lashed out over the fact that Mary Jane won’t be played by a white redhead.
The report has yet to be confirmed by Marvel or Sony, but “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn spoke out about the reaction to the news on Facebook, and he tried to put things into perspective for fans. He noted that he can’t confirm that the report is true, but he also seems to support the idea of Zendaya taking on the role.
“For me, if a character’s primary attribute – the thing that makes them iconic – is the color of their skin, or their hair color, frankly, that character is shallow and sucks. For me, what makes MJ MJ is her alpha female playfulness, and if the actress captures that, then she’ll work. And, for the record, I think Zendaya even matches what I think of as MJ’s primary physical characteristics – she’s a tall, thin model – much more so than actresses have in the past.”
James Gunn then talked about how keeping an open mind is perhaps the best approach fans can take moving forward.
“Whatever the case, if we’re going to continue to make movies based on the almost all white heroes and supporting characters from the comics of the last century, we’re going to have to get used to them being more reflective of our diverse present world. Perhaps we can be open to the idea that, although someone may not initially match how we personally conceive a character, we can be – and often are – happily surprised.”
How do you feel about the possibility of Zendaya playing Mary Jane? Sound off in the comments below.
