Comics and Movies

[CyberB0b]

Wrong premise. The question is whether she could have played Mary Jane in Spider-Man back in 2002 as a 20 year-old actress instead of Kirsten Dunst.

Oh, I see. I like Dunst was good. Worst MJ is Zendaya by a mile.

 

[Stash]

Oh, I see. I like Dunst was good. Worst MJ is Zendaya by a mile.

Yeah. The snark is just the worst.

 

[DallasEast]

Oh, I see. I like Dunst was good. Worst MJ is Zendaya by a mile.

Yeah. The snark is just the worst.

Zendaya is not winning any popularity contests in this thread but she can count me as a fan.

 

[Stash]

Zendaya is not winning any popularity contests in this thread but she can count me as a fan.

 

[Runwildboys]

Zendaya is not winning any popularity contests in this thread but she can count me as a fan.

Me too. I like her.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Actress Hindsight

Is there another actress you would have cast in the role of Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy or MIchelle Jones-Watson?

Below are the actresses who played the roles in Spider-Man (2002), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), along with three random actresses who were born in the same year as each respective Spidey movie actress.

Each actress photo was taken from a film scene either in the Spidey movie they starred in or a movie released the same year as the Spidey movie or within two years. I did this for two reasons. First, each actresses photo would reflect approximately their exact same age. Second, I wanted all photos to reflect how all the actresses looked at the time of the Spidey movies instead of current ones. For example, 20 year-old Kirsten Dunst is seen instead of her 40 year-old self.

From left-to-right: Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man 2002), Jessica Biel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003), Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries 2001), Kristin Kreuk (Snow White: The Fairest of Them All 2001)

From left-to-right: Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man 2012), Ana de Armas (For a Handful of Kisses 2014), Vanessa Hudgens (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 2012), Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class 2011)

From left-to-right: Zendaya (Spider-Man Homecoming 2017), Courtney Eaton (Gods of Egypt 2016), Anya Taylor-Joy (Thoroughbreds 2017), Sophia Turner (X-Men: Apocalypse 2016)


Could any of these or other actresses have gotten the part instead of Dunst, Stone and/or Zendaya?

For Spider-Man (2002) I'll throw out a wild card choice of Katheryn Winnick. I saw her something yesterday and figured she'd be about the right age at the time. She probably wouldn't have been a big enough name, but coulda been a solid option.

 

[nobody]

For those bashing Zendaya for not doing MJ right... you really have to go into the mentality that it's NOT Mary Jane Watson. That's not even the character's name. Sure, she's MJ but not Mary Jane.

Her personality is really closer to other love interests Peter has had over the years. Once you realize they didn't follow the comic and it's not the MJ everyone knows, you can appreciate her as her own character.

 

[Runwildboys]

For those bashing Zendaya for not doing MJ right... you really have to go into the mentality that it's NOT Mary Jane Watson. That's not even the character's name. Sure, she's MJ but not Mary Jane.

Her personality is really closer to other love interests Peter has had over the years. Once you realize they didn't follow the comic and it's not the MJ everyone knows, you can appreciate her as her own character.

I don't know about everyone, but I think Stash just doesn't like her, even knowing she's not Mary Jane.

 

[DallasEast]

For those bashing Zendaya for not doing MJ right... you really have to go into the mentality that it's NOT Mary Jane Watson. That's not even the character's name. Sure, she's MJ but not Mary Jane.

Her personality is really closer to other love interests Peter has had over the years. Once you realize they didn't follow the comic and it's not the MJ everyone knows, you can appreciate her as her own character.

Crap! Excellent point. The constant reference to "MJ" in the movies threw me off. Or that is what I am blaming my own brain fart for. Time for me to backtrack and do an edit like: "Is there another actress you would have cast in the role of Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy or Michelle Jones-Watson?"

I had even forgotten what Kevin Feige had stated years ago:

"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.

Clearly, she says she's not obsessed with him, she's just observant but she's there. And to have fun with that while at the same time having it be different characters that can provide a different dynamic [is the point].

Peter's had a lot of friends over the years in the comics, and a lot of schoolmates and characters he's interacted with. It wasn't just Mary Jane Watson; it wasn't just Gwen Stacy; it wasn't just Harry Osborn. So we were very interested in the other characters, and that's where Liz came from and that's where the version of the character Michelle came from."

- https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/spider-man-homecoming-zendaya-michelle-mj-mary-jane-kevin-feige/

 

[Khartun]

For Spider-Man (2002) I'll throw out a wild card choice of Katheryn Winnick. I saw her something yesterday and figured she'd be about the right age at the time. She probably wouldn't have been a big enough name, but coulda been a solid option.

She will always be the Shield-Maiden to me!

 

[Stash]

For those bashing Zendaya for not doing MJ right... you really have to go into the mentality that it's NOT Mary Jane Watson. That's not even the character's name. Sure, she's MJ but not Mary Jane.

Her personality is really closer to other love interests Peter has had over the years. Once you realize they didn't follow the comic and it's not the MJ everyone knows, you can appreciate her as her own character.

I just don’t care for the snark and attitude of the character. It makes her unlikeable for me. It doesn’t matter if it’s Mary Jane, Zendaya, or whoever. People that talk and act that way are a thumbs down for me.

Darcy Lewis was another one that often rubbed me the wrong way, but I think they mellowed her out a bit and she became more likeable in my opinion.

 

[DallasEast]

A few days late being posted but...

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Wraps Filming, Confirms James Gunn
By Cooper Wood
May 7, 2022

James Gunn confirms Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has officially wrapped filming. Marvel Studios confirmed plans for a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie several years ago, but the project endured some major delays due to the firing and rehiring of writer/director James Gunn. After moving to DC to make The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, Gunn returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021 to begin work on what has repeatedly been described as the culmination of the current iteration of the Guardians team.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally began filming in late 2021 as the main cast members returned to Atlanta. The threequel sees Chris Pratt's Star-Lord return alongside Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn). Guardians of the Galaxy 3's new cast members include Chukwudi Iwuji as an unknown character and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock. Story details remain mostly under wraps, although the film does take place after the team's appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder.

https://screenrant.com/guardians-galaxy-3-wraps-filming-update-james-gunn/Read More

 

[Stash]

A few days late being posted but...

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Wraps Filming, Confirms James Gunn
By Cooper Wood
May 7, 2022

James Gunn confirms Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has officially wrapped filming. Marvel Studios confirmed plans for a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie several years ago, but the project endured some major delays due to the firing and rehiring of writer/director James Gunn. After moving to DC to make The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, Gunn returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021 to begin work on what has repeatedly been described as the culmination of the current iteration of the Guardians team.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally began filming in late 2021 as the main cast members returned to Atlanta. The threequel sees Chris Pratt's Star-Lord return alongside Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn). Guardians of the Galaxy 3's new cast members include Chukwudi Iwuji as an unknown character and Will Poulter as Adam Warlock. Story details remain mostly under wraps, although the film does take place after the team's appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Read More

Long time coming for this one.

 

[Runwildboys]

Crap! Excellent point. The constant reference to "MJ" in the movies threw me off. Or that is what I am blaming my own brain fart for. Time for me to backtrack and do an edit like: "Is there another actress you would have cast in the role of Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy or Michelle Jones-Watson?"

I had even forgotten what Kevin Feige had stated years ago:

"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.

Clearly, she says she's not obsessed with him, she's just observant but she's there. And to have fun with that while at the same time having it be different characters that can provide a different dynamic [is the point].

Peter's had a lot of friends over the years in the comics, and a lot of schoolmates and characters he's interacted with. It wasn't just Mary Jane Watson; it wasn't just Gwen Stacy; it wasn't just Harry Osborn. So we were very interested in the other characters, and that's where Liz came from and that's where the version of the character Michelle came from."

- https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/spider-man-homecoming-zendaya-michelle-mj-mary-jane-kevin-feige/

Oh wow, I thought you had that in mind when you were posting alternatives.

 

[DallasEast]

Oh wow, I thought you had that in mind when you were posting alternatives.

Nah. I was only thinking about the Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy characters in my head when I made that post. So I posted three alternatives for Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) but inadvertently posted SIX alternatives for Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst AND Zendaya), three each for Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Of course, Mary Jane was never in the 2017 movie. Stupid DE. My bad.

 

[Runwildboys]

Nah. I was only thinking about the Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy characters in my head when I made that post. So I posted three alternatives for Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) but inadvertently posted SIX alternatives for Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst AND Zendaya), three each for Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Of course, Mary Jane was never in the 2017 movie. Stupid DE. My bad.

But, your Tati Gabrielle post? Okay, you used both names in that one. Lol

 

[DallasEast]

But, your Tati Gabrielle post?

Wait. I misunderstood your earlier question. Let me try and clarify.

Originally, I made suggestions for Courtney Eaton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sophia Turner and (later) Tati Gabrielle as alternatives to play Mary Jane Watson, who Zendaya was not picked to portray.

What I should have done was create posts that said Eaton, Taylor-Joy, Turner and Gabrielle could be considered acting alternatives for Michelle Jones-Watson, who Zendaya got the part to play.

Did I make it clearer what I was thinking? Or did I make it read worse than mud?

 

[DallasEast]

‘Doctor Strange 2’ Played More Than 60 Times in a Single NYC Theater on Thursday. Is That a Problem?
By J. Kim Murphy
May 10, 2022

It’s May in New York City, and what better way to ring in the summer movie season than venturing to AMC Theaters in Times Square for opening night of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”?

If you and a friend wanted to be among the first to catch Marvel’s latest, the 3 p.m. screening was the earliest possible. But let’s say your friend ran a bit late, so maybe the 3:05 p.m. showtime was better. Needed a bit more time? How about 3:15 p.m.? 3:20 p.m.? Oops, it turns out all of those were sold out… but maybe you two could’ve squeezed into the 2 a.m. showtime that happened 11 hours and a whopping 45 screenings later.

AMC hosted more than 60 screenings of “Multiverse of Madness” last Thursday at New York’s AMC Empire 25, packing showtimes end-to-end over 12 hours. It’s only one of several multiplexes that Disney staged a veritable takeover of to roll out the Marvel sequel. As major circuits across the country devoted most of their auditoriums to the Sorcerer Supreme, other theatrical releases were put on the back burner with limited showtimes for 72 hours. “Multiverse of Madness” played in 4,534 theaters over the weekend, making it the seventh-widest release in the history of the domestic box office.

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/doctor-strange-2-showtimes-box-office-1235261587/Read More
_________________

Did Scarlett Johansson ever settle her lawsuit against Disney for how Black Widow was treated in its release? I would think this would help her argument somewhat, even though I am still not convinced it would have substantially increased box office revenue if her movie had gotten the same treatment.

 

[Runwildboys]

Wait. I misunderstood your earlier question. Let me try and clarify.

Originally, I made suggestions for Courtney Eaton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sophia Turner and (later) Tati Gabrielle as alternatives to play Mary Jane Watson, who Zendaya was not picked to portray.

What I should have done was create posts that said Eaton, Taylor-Joy, Turner and Gabrielle could be considered acting alternatives for Michelle Jones-Watson, who Zendaya got the part to play.

Did I make it clearer what I was thinking? Or did I make it read worse than mud?

I went back and looked at your post, in which you mentioned Gabrielle, and at first you stated she could have played Michelle Jones Watson, then below the picture you said Mary Jane... unless I misread that.

 

[DallasEast]

I went back and looked at your post, in which you mentioned Gabrielle, and at first you stated she could have played Michelle Jones Watson, then below the picture you said Mary Jane... unless I misread that.

Yeah. That was a poor editing job on my part. I did go back to that post this morning and edited the first mentioning of Mary Jane, changing it to Michelle Jones-Watson and closed the post. However, I did not read the next paragraph where I typed Mary Jane again. I think I will stop trying to fix what I have said before while I am ahead. To be clear though, I should have never typed "Mary Jane" in that particular post where I suggested Tati Gabrielle. I should have typed "Michelle Jones-Watson" instead.