Summary
- Speculation surrounds Sadie Sink’s role in Spider-Man 4, with fans excited about her casting.
- Despite rumors, Sink is unlikely to be cast as Mary Jane due to existing character dynamics.
- Zendaya already portrays a unique MJ, and adding another would create unnecessary confusion.
Marvel Studios might be focusing on announcing as many actors as possible for Avengers: Doomsday, but before that, it was confirmed that Sadie Sink would be joining the cast for Spider-Man 4. There has been a lot of excitement about that due to how talented the Stranger Things star is, and that has been a big talking point among fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since.
Even though Sink has been officially announced as part of Spider-Man 4, it is a mystery who she will be playing. There’s been no shortage of rumors about who that might be, and the majority of them are exciting ideas. However, one prevailing theory that simply isn’t going to happen is Sink being Mary Jane.
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MCU Fans Believe Sadie Sink Could Be Mary Jane
Jane is an iconic character in the Spider-Man franchise, having been involved in key comic books and former movie storylines. Sony opted to use her as the main love interest for Tobey Maguire’s version of Spider-Man, with the character being portrayed by Kristen Dunst, which led to some memorable performances and one of the most iconic kisses in cinematic history. She’s someone that MCU fans have often speculated about joining Tom Holland’s movies, but it seemed like that was never going to happen until Sink was announced as a member of the Spider-Man 4 cast.
There are no real reasons as to why Sink would play Jane in terms of news or comments from actors, but instead, fans have bought into this as a possibility, as she’d be seen as a more ‘comic-accurate’ version. Jane has red hair in the comics, which instantly led to some people getting carried away over that being a possibility. However, hiring Sink and making her play Jane simply to match up with the comics is a patently absurd thought, especially when there are already numerous MCU characters that don’t match up visually with the comic book characters that they’re inspired by.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Movies Already Have An MJ
While having Jane added to the MCU would be fun, the fact is that this franchise already has its own version in Zendaya. Some fans have pointed out that Sink could still be Mary Jane because, technically, that isn’t the character Zendaya is portraying, as she is called Michelle Jones; it has always felt clear that she’s the MCU version of the character. She might not be comic book accurate in terms of her aesthetic, but Zendaya has been used in a very similar role as Peter Parker’s on-screen girlfriend, which has worked perfectly due to Zendaya and Holland being a romantic couple in reality.
Zendaya’s character has been a lot of fun in the previous three Spider-Man movies, as she’s brought a dry sense of humor that has allowed her to stand out. She has also been pushed as very intelligent and observant, not blind to the obvious situations taking place in front of her, as certain superhero girlfriends often are. MJ is someone who MCU fans are all enjoying, and after being established in the past movies, there is no need to rush the idea of replacing her.
Marvel Doesn’t Need To Cause Potential Confusion In Spider-Man 4
People who are desperate to see Mary Jane in the MCU would argue there’s room for both characters as Zendaya is someone different entirely, but that’s guaranteed to cause tons of confusion. While Zendaya has been someone else, MJ has always been an homage to the comic book role, and it has filled the gap perfectly. Nobody has questioned the idea of Zendaya being Holland’s love interest, and that proves that she has worked so far. Adding someone else with the same initials and nickname would be a real problem and would instantly cause issues, which shouldn’t be the case. There has been speculation that Zendaya will have a smaller role in Spider-Man 4 because of her filming schedule, with a brand new supporting cast expected to be introduced in Spider-Man 4. However, even if MJ does have a smaller role in the upcoming film, that doesn’t mean Marvel has to push someone else into that role.
If the writing team wants to give Parker a new romantic interest, then that is easily achievable with another actress or even Sink herself. She could play Gwen Stacy and become a new love interest, which would make sense given that MJ doesn’t remember who Parker is after Doctor Strange’s spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But making Sink another version of MJ would be a bizarre choice to make. The last thing that Marvel should be trying to do is confuse the audience or risk people comparing the two actresses, which wouldn’t be fair to either. Instead, Sink deserves to be given a totally different role that is unique to her and will allow Spider-Man 4 to feel even more special.
