Kirsten Dunst Wants To Play Mary Jane Watson In The MCU
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home
Kirsten Dunst says she'd be happy to reprise her role of Mary Jane Watson in any future Spider-Man movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Making her debut as the character in 2002's Spider-Man, directed by Sam Raimi, Dunst got in on the ground floor of the superhero boom that has since come to dominate the worldwide box office. She last appeared as the character in 2007's Spider-Man 3, but she may not be done with the role just yet.
Audiences went wild when it was revealed at long last that both Toby Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's versions of the wall-crawler showed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Many ardent followers had already deduced they'd make an appearance, but seeing three generations of Spider-Men on screen together was the epitome of fan service. And now that it's been established that the MCU can pluck heroes and villains from other universes, there's no reason it can't also bring various Mary Janes to the world. Dunst previously joked about returning to the role as an aged Mary Jane, but with No Way Home having opened the door to a limitless number of potential multiverses, a contemporary version of the character can now easily be folded into the MCU, which Dunst would apparently be happy with.
Speaking with People Magazine, Dunst said that she'd be thrilled to return to the role of MJ. Dunst was asked if she'd be interested in coming back to the character, and the actress made it clear she's more than willing to join the Marvel fray once again. Check out her enthusiastic response:
Of course I would. Of course. I've been asked about that a few times. That's a no-brainer. That was a huge part of my career and my life.
The multiversal elements introduced in No Way Home that will presumably be further explored in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness provide the perfect opportunity to reintroduce Dunst's version of Mary Jane. If the reality-warping magic used in the latest Spider-Man movie is powerful enough to bring heroes and villains from other universes into the MCU, there's no reason why it can't also bring in love interests as well. According to No Way Home's explanation of how multiversal travel works, even Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy could be brought back to life in future MCU films. If the multiverse is truly comprised of every potential timeline imaginable, there must be one in which Peter saved her from her deadly fall.
Only time will tell if Dunst ever takes on the MJ role once more. She clearly seems willing, and Spider-Man: No Way Home set the stage and established the precedent for bringing back past iterations of characters. Whether that will continue in future Spider-Man projects is anyone's guess, but Dunst is ready and waiting.
Source: People Magazine