Key Takeaways
- Spider-Man 4 will bring back Tom Holland as the MCU superhero.
- MJ’s character arc in the MCU has the potential for growth beyond being tied to Peter Parker.
- Spider-Man 4 could explore meatier storylines for MJ, focusing on her personal aspirations and family.
With Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man film officially confirmed, now is the time for the MCU franchise to pay attention to some of its side characters, giving them meaningful arcs of their own, particularly Zendaya’s character MJ.
The plot of Spider-Man 4 is still shrouded in secrecy. The only details Marvel and Sony have confirmed are that Tom Holland will return as Peter Parker and the film is being directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’Destin Daniel Cretton. The movie is also expected to be the start of a new trilogy featuring the web-slinger and will continue to be a co-production between Sony and Marvel, with the film existing within the established Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Spider-Man stories in the MCU so far have diverged slightly from previous incarnations, with the franchise skipping over how Peter became Spider-Man and instead launching straight into the hero’s adventures as he juggles his personal and superhero lives. The movie also introduced new peripheral characters with Jacob Batalon starring as Peter’s best friend Ned, Marisa Tomei appearing as his Aunt May, and Zendaya starring as Peter’s girlfriend MJ (Michelle Jones-Watson).
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MJ Deserves Better in the MCU
Zendaya has appeared as MJ in all three MCU Spider-Man films to date, with her role gradually getting larger in each film. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, MJ was mostly in the background, depicted as a bit of an outcast who eventually opens up and becomes friends with Ned and Peter. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter spends most of the movie attempting to ask MJ out, which she eventually reciprocates and also learns his identity as Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, MJ becomes a bigger part of Spider-Man’s team, helping him to track down the multiversal visitors who know his secret identity. MJ eventually becomes a victim of Doctor Strange’s spell which wipes Peter Parker’s existence from everyone’s memory meaning she no longer knows who he is at the end of the film.
This spell might actually work in MJ’s favor in future Spider-Man installments as it could finally give her the chance to go on a character journey that isn’t dictated by her relationship to Peter Parker. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy serves as a reminder that MJ can serve as more than just Spider-Man’s love interest. Kirsten Dunst’s version of the character had her own goals and dreams, pursuing a career in acting and forming her own relationships outside of Peter Parker, which made her a more rounded character. No one would argue that Zendaya’s MJ is a beloved character, but she deserves to be more than just a piece in Peter’s character arc and should be given a story of her own that will give audiences a chance to invest in her as a character beyond just her relationship with Spider-Man.
Zendaya’s MJ is a beloved character, but she deserves to be more than just a piece in Peter’s character arc.
What Spider-Man 4 Could Do For MJ as a Character
So much of the first three Spider-Man movies in the MCU were about exploring Peter’s origins as Spider-Man. The movies didn’t show the specific moment that Peter became a superhero, seeing as it had been done so many times before, but the initial Spider-Man trilogy was definitely a coming-of-age story about Peter learning what it takes to be Spider-Man. Now that this is out of the way, Marvel has the chance to explore a more mature side of Spider-Man and also introduce some new elements to the story, such as more fleshed-out arcs for characters like MJ.
There are multiple ways the movies could do this. The last audiences saw of MJ she was preparing to go to college at MIT with Ned. Spider-Man 4 has the opportunity to give MJ her own agency at college and explore more of her personal aspirations and growth away from Peter, particularly now that she has no memory of him. This could also be an opportunity to learn more about MJ’s family life, something which has never really been explored.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Games Gave MJ Agency
Marvel’s Spider-Man games are another great example of what MJ can be as a character when allowed to grow. MJ is depicted as a reporter in the games who is capable and intent on proving she can be her own hero and doesn’t have to constantly rely on Spider-Man to save her. This also introduces an interesting foil into her and Peter’s relationship. Spider-Man 4 could do something similar and explore MJ finding her own sense of power and self that is separate from Spider-Man, making her a capable hero when the time comes. While not essential, the new Spider-Man movies could even go as far as to give MJ her superpowers of her own. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s Gwen Stacy is a prime example of a great female web-slinger and the MCU could follow a similar trajectory with MJ.
Spider-Man 4 will be released in July 2026.
Spider-Man 4
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