WARNING: SPOILERS for Spider-Man: No Way Home follow!
Spider-Man: No Way Home features the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's versions of Peter Parker, not to mention a whole sinister quintet of villains from the franchise's past. However, there are a couple of big rumoured cameos that don't happen, including Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson and Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy.
Both were supposedly "confirmed" to appear courtesy of online scoopers, though the actresses later denied plans for any sort of return in various interviews.
There is some disappointment online that we didn't get a glimpse into Peter's happy ending with Mary Jane Watson (Gwen showing up never really made much sense), and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was asked why neither character was used in an interview with The New York Times.
"When people see the movie, they will understand," he stated. "It's about the story. It was a big goal for all of us - Amy and Jon [Watts, the movie's director] and our writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers - that Peter Parker's senior year in high school didn't get lost amid the insanity that ensues thanks to his encounter with Doctor Strange. That easily could have happened. And that's the reason there's not another 20 people in the movie."
Having seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, it does make sense that neither MJ or Gwen show up. We never actually visit the homes of those alternate Spider-Men, so shoehorning in a couple of extra cameos wouldn't have been what's best for the Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios movie.
Plus, there's nothing to say they couldn't appear elsewhere down the line. Stone hasn't really said much about playing Gwen again, but Dunst recently expressed interest in reprising her MJ role.
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