Why We Want Zendaya As Mary Jane

On August 18, The Wrap ran a story with the news that Zendaya would be playing none other than Mary Jane Watson.

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On August 18, The Wrap ran a story with the news that Zendaya would be playing none other than Mary Jane Watson. Though no official confirmation has been made, the internet has been abuzz with the news ever since. Many fans are elated at the new look to the character. Of course, the dark side of the internet came out to play, showing us once again why we can’t have nice things.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Disney star, Zendaya’s been on the scene since about 2011. Though her start was with Disney, she also has many other credits. Starting her career with Good Luck Charlie as ‘Rocky Blue’, Zendaya has added a string of other television credits to her name in the years since. In addition to her Disney Channel roots, you can also spy her in Taylor Swift’s video for ‘Bad Blood’ as the character ‘Cut-Throat’.

Outside of the film world, she has a music career, and has dipped her toes into the fashion industry with both a line of shoes, and a clothing line coming in the future. The young actress also helps support the charity Convoy of Hope. Sounds like a pretty talented and amazing woman, right?

Considering Zendaya’s credits, many talents, and the fact that she already has a background in charity work at such a young age, it begs the question: Why the backlash? The upset cries of angry fans revolve around a couple of things. First and foremost is the fact that Zendaya is a black woman, followed closely by the notion that Mary Jane Watson must have red hair.

Is it just me, or is that one adorable redhead?

Funnily enough, some folks have even gone so far as to argue that dying your hair red and being a redhead aren’t the same thing. Super strange, considering the fact that Kirsten Dunst isn’t even close to a redhead in real life. People seemed to love Dunst’s portrayal of MJ just fine in the 2000’s. It’s almost as if there’s another key difference between Zendaya and Kirsten that people are ignoring because they want to mask their real issue.

Mary Jane Watson was introduced into the comic book world in August of 1964. Aunt May wanted her darling nephew to find love, and she thought the cute redhead next door would be a perfect fit. Peter avoided meeting up with his neighbor for a while, but their meeting led to one of the most iconic lines in Spider-Man history.

Let’s take a look at Mary Jane’s typical character traits, shall we?

• Attractive
• Quick witted
• Calls Peter ‘Tiger’
• Carefree with a sad past
• Quick tempered
• Commitment issues
• Party Girl
• Actress/Model
• Best Friend/Confidant/Wife
• Business woman

That’s quite a list! Though I’ve always been a Gwen Stacy girl myself, it’s impossible to deny Mary Jane’s relevance to the Spider-Man world. Some of the best comic characters in history are those that support our heroes. The ones that show them the light when they are lost in darkness. MJ Watson is no exception to that.

You’ll notice that the list of traits outlined above have nothing to do with skin color. That’s super weird! Why would people be angry about a change in skin tone if it had no relevance to the character what-so-ever? We call that racism, folks. Hiding behind the word ‘canon’ doesn’t make it different.

Now, all the upset aside, there’s also been a lot of hype for Zendaya to take on the mantle of MJ. I know I’m excited! I’m also the type of person who needs official confirmation from a studio before I let that excitement set in.

Though we haven’t heard anything official yet, director James Gunn has voiced approval, and so has the man himself, Stan Lee. Those are a couple of shining endorsements if I’ve ever seen them, especially when you consider the fact that Stan is one of the original creators of the character Mary Jane Watson.

Rumors and lack of official word aside, I hope Zendaya is indeed Mary Jane. If she’s not, I’ll take an all new leading lady, so long as she is just that: A leading lady.

Everyone deserves this:

Zendaya is a clever, kind, and capable woman. She also happens to be a very talented actress. She will do the MCU proud in whatever role she is to take on, and I hope this will open doors for more representation in the future. Young women of every race deserve that too.

Next: Community Creator Brought In For Doctor Strange Reshoots

Spider-Man: Homecoming arrives in theaters July 7th, 2017.