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Whether or not you’re a superhero fan, everyone knows that in the hit Spider-Man franchise, there is no Spider-Man without Mary Jane Watson. And although the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s counterpart is not a direct adaptation of the character, Zendaya’s Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson has set herself apart from her predecessors, characterized less as the untouchable cool girl and known for her quirky interests, loner status, and dry sense of humor. Five years after the conclusion of director Jon Watts’ trilogy with 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, that hasn’t changed. “I feel like [MJ’s] grown out of some of [her dry humor],” Zendaya said during Fandango’s Big Ticket interview, “but at heart I think that’s who she is, and I don’t want to leave that behind.”
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the upcoming fourth film with Tom Holland as the superhero, audiences are set to meet Peter Parker (Holland), Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and MJ in a brand new period of their lives: Adulthood. The film, set to be released in theaters on July 31, follows the trio four years after Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) cast a spell that caused everyone in the world to forget Peter Parker’s existence — including his pal Ned and love interest MJ. Once again anonymous, Peter is tasked with protecting New York City as his powers evolve.
(Photo by Jay Maidment/Marvel)Returning to the character of MJ four years later was novel situation for Zendaya, who, for the first time in her career, was able to revisit a character at a different point in their on-screen life and try to fill in the blanks. “It was kind of fun to imagine what their lives have been like since we last saw them, also keeping in mind that Peter is not a part of those memories or that life that maybe she wanted before,” Zendaya said. “So just trying to build our own little world and existence. And how much she’s maybe matured, how much is her adorable, dry sense of humor still with her?”
To ensure that who MJ is in adulthood felt like a true evolution of the character, the actress says she did a “re-MJ-ifying pass” of some of the new film’s scenes. “We were like, ‘She’s a little not weird enough,’” she said. “We need to bring a little bit of that back. She’s still who she is at the core.”
This commitment to the character, and what fans have come to expect from them, is something shared by the rest of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day cast.
(Photo by Jay Maidment/Marvel)For Holland, the break between films provided an opportunity to delve into what the fans were looking for — and try to incorporate this into the latest movie. “It’s always been really important to me to feel like a representative of the fans,” he said, “because I loved Marvel as a kid. I was first in line to see the Iron Man movies, the Thor, Captain Americas, the early kind of pillars in which we stand upon now. And in the break that we took between Spider-Man: No Way Home and Brand New Day, all I would do is comb through the internet and try and get a really good sense of what it is the people wanted.”
And, he says, what they wanted was a Spider-Man movie that felt relatable. As opposed to other movies in the franchise, fans were looking for a film that didn’t necessarily find Spider-Man saving the world, but rather “maybe saving himself,” Holland explained. “And I really think that we’ve done that.”
Being a part of the creative process before pen even hit paper in the writer’s room is something Holland thinks has ultimately helped the latest movie. “Bringing the voice of the fans to the writer’s room really gave us a leg up in creating something that’s really fun and different,” he said.
(Photo by Jay Maidment/Marvel)Another fun addition to the film came via the casting of two new roles — Jon Bernthal as the Punisher and Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink in an unnamed (and super top secret) role. For Holland, working with Bernthal, a close friend since he was 17, was a full circle moment. Director Destin Daniel Cretton let the pair ad-lib and run with what was on the page, leading to what Holland called an “awesome big brother-little brother, bickering relationship” between the characters.
“It’s fun to see you guys start riffing off an idea,” Zendaya added. “They’re so comfortable with each other, and… the set feels very much like [a family] as well, not only because we’ve all grown up with each other, but because that’s kind of the environment that Destin creates, is just good vibes all day, good energy, everybody feels very included.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theatres on July 31. Get your tickets here.
English (US) ·