SPIDER-MAN Star Kirsten Dunst Initially Believed She Had Been Cast As A Different Peter Parker Love Interest

SPIDER-MAN Star Kirsten Dunst Initially Believed She Had Been Cast As A Different Peter Parker Love Interest

Spider-Man star Kirsten Dunst admits that she initially believed she'd been cast as Gwen Stacy in Sam Raimi's 2002 movie, with Mary Jane Watson someone she was unfamiliar with before joining the movie.

News
By JoshWilding - Nov 17, 2022 06:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Spider-Man
Source: CBR

While Spider-Man 3 ended Sam Raimi's trilogy on a somewhat disappointing note, there's no denying that the filmmaker delivered a spectacular take on the web-slinger. At the heart of that was Peter Parker's relationship with Mary Jane Watson, and while things never went smoothly for them, they got a mostly happy ending in the threequel's closing moments. 

Kirsten Dunst played MJ, but admitted in new book With Great Power (via CBR) that she initially believed Raimi had cast her as a totally different Spidey love interest: Gwen Stacy. 

When she met the director, Dunst says she'd been "flipping through the comics," and became convinced Gwen lay in her future. That was due to the physical similarities she shared with the character, and even though the actress wasn't familiar with Peter and MJ's dynamic, she upped her research once the role was offered to her. 

Producer Avi Arad has previously said that they did indeed consider Dunst for the role of Gwen, but ultimately changed course and went with Mary Jane because of the depth of her relationship with the wall-crawler. 

Funnily enough, Spider-Man actually adapted elements of "The Night Gwen Stacy Died," including the Green Goblin throwing Spidey's girlfriend from one of New York's bridges and the villain's subsequent demise. 

Gwen did later join the franchise, of course, with Bryce Dallas Howard playing the character in Spider-Man 3. Unfortunately, that wasn't the best take on Gwen despite a great performance from the Jurassic World star. Since then, Marvel Studios has left the fan-favourite love interest on the shelf, though Spider-Gwen has become a huge part of the animated Spider-Verse franchise. 

It's unclear what the future holds in store for both MJ and Gwen. The former is played by Zendaya in the MCU, but since losing her memories of Peter, we don't know if there are plans for her to return in Spider-Man 4.

Who is your favourite Spider-Man love interest?

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bobevanz
bobevanz - 11/17/2022, 6:26 AM
She could have played Gwen, either way it's still the best trilogy!
Origame
Origame - 11/17/2022, 6:30 AM
That admittedly would've made more sense looking at it from the time.

I still find it weird that both mj from the raimi films and Gwen from the web films were cast with actors known for hair color of the other love interest.

And then the mcu just didn't bother trying to make it look like the comics (even though zendaya has died her hair red and straightened it in the past).
HOTSHOT
HOTSHOT - 11/17/2022, 6:37 AM
Honestly she may as well have. She felt more like a mix of Gwen and Lee/Ditko era Betty Brant. The "unobtainable perfect angel" and the woman desperate to settle down with a good man. But she cheated on literally everyone she met so she was awful.

They ditched MJ's whole "counter-culture" vibe that made her interesting. It's funny because the ASM movies gave Ultimate MJ's personality to Gwen.

In the MCU they took a different approach with Michelle Jones Watson being a new character who's a supplement for MJ in that universe, but she actually captures the counter-culture aspect of the character. That mixed with her being a support system for Peter who he can banter with actually makes her more faithful to the concept of Mary Jane.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 11/17/2022, 6:48 AM
@HOTSHOT - That's not true. She didn't cheat on everyone. And if she's awful for cheating, what is Peter for cheating on her with Gwen, for kissing his friend's girlfriend, for pursuing someone elses fiance?
In the Raimi movies, Peter may have been infatuated with MJ, but she was always shown to be a flawed character, like the comics did, as I understand it.

The MCU may have used an aspect of her character's personality, but stripped her of all even remote character focus and weight, and her basically entire actual comic story. That's not faithful to the comic version. She's far more not the character than the character.
HOTSHOT
HOTSHOT - 11/17/2022, 2:46 PM
@dagenspear - While dating Harry: Kissed Spider-Man
While dating John: Flirted with Peter and hoped he'd make a move
While engaged: Tried to get Peter to kiss her
While dating Peter: Kissed Harry

Yes, I agree Peter kissing Gwen was a dick move too, and I have my issues with how they portrayed him there, including him pursuing someone else's fiance. But we're not talking about Peter's weird portrayal in this post.


And yeah she had flaws in the comics, but not the ones we just covered. Her flaws were that she initially didn't like opening up emotionally and was someone who'd push you away. She started to change and then she and Peter fell in love (kind of similar to what the MCU did).

Again, Michelle Jones is a new character with new traits, but she gets the core of Mary Jane more right than the actual Mary Jane from those movies.

Her differences are surface level. Meanwhile in Raimi's films, the similarities are surface level.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 11/17/2022, 10:16 PM
@HOTSHOT - That's not everyone. While dating Flash Thompson she never cheated.

That's the question, isn't it? You have issues with it, but do you regard him as awful for these things? If you don't, for whatever reason, I'd argue that's a double standard. Do you think he's awful? Why does she get labeled that? Does Peter generate that type of reaction?

The same flaws, maybe not. But a character with a troubled situation, yes.

An aspect of her personality isn't the core of her character. That's like saying Batman fights crime, that's the core of his character. Lots of characters fight crime. I think, by this logic the character is utterly interchangable.

Her differences are far from surface level. Literally everything down to her life, her asthetic, her full character arc and her personality are all different from the comics, except some similarities, including her counter culture perception.
HOTSHOT
HOTSHOT - 11/22/2022, 5:15 PM
@dagenspear - Oh my bad so ALMOST everyone. That's much better.

"but do you regard him as awful for these things?"

Pretty bad but less awful. Peter was an attempting homewrecker but MJ was a successful one. Plus, what Peter was doing was treated by the film as wrong, and he's either called out or learns to let go. MJ doesn't have that, so it comes off less as intentional character flaws and more as the film being oblivious.

That Batman comparison is very poor, because its equivalent would be if I said MJ is the love interest for the superhero. Whereas the counter culture thing is unique to most versions of the character in the source material, and is something other characters frequently acknowledge (which also happens in the MCU).

But those changes you mentioned are also present in Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane, but without the counter culture aspect. MJ's arc in the Raimi films is learning to notice and love Peter because he's always been that guy who's cared for her without her knowing it.

MJ's arc in the MCU is letting go of the persona she puts on as a shield and opening up others, including Peter, and thus finding love. Mary Jane's arc in the comics was also about her giving up the persona she puts on and finding love with Peter. They just shifted the personas she wears (which is fine because in USM they gave her a different one as well which as also a counter culture perception of girls in the 2000s).

I respect if you prefer one version over the other. I'm just giving my 2 cents on why I do the same.
Matchesz
Matchesz - 11/17/2022, 6:45 AM
I hope we get a japanese gwen stacy in the next one, who knows where this wacky mcu casting department is going next. Surely they know that black ppl arent the only other race
Lokiwasright
Lokiwasright - 11/17/2022, 6:51 AM
Tobey Spiderman series is the one superhero movies that I can remember of them using a damsel in distress.

Look where we have come today.
Chrome
Chrome - 11/18/2022, 12:29 PM
@Lokiwasright - nothing wrong with having a damsel in distress. Not everyone in real life is a hero and a fighter. Damsels are everywhere so why not in the movies too?
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 11/17/2022, 8:08 AM
If you haven’t watched Kirsten Dunst in Fargo, watch Kirsten Dunst in Fargo. Do it now. No don’t thank me, just watch it again!
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/17/2022, 10:13 AM
She would've made a MUCH better Gwen Stacey.
MJ is a quintessential quippy, spicy, firecracker type Native New Yorker chic, and Kisrten Dunst absolutely did not have the HOT looks, nor personality of MJ.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 11/17/2022, 10:18 PM
@Blastaar - Not entirely accurate. First of all, looks are debateable, I think. And in SM1, she portrays a more playful attitude at times. They're just also laying the emotional issues of the character as well.
Blastaar
Blastaar - 11/18/2022, 12:17 PM
@dagenspear - I disagree, Dunst was boring AF! MJ is NOT in the comics. Dunst was just "ok" looking. MJ was HOT in the comics.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 11/17/2022, 12:05 PM
RitoRevolto
RitoRevolto - 11/17/2022, 4:22 PM
Well she certainly wasn't playing MJ, so maybe she's right.
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