NO MARY JANE IN AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 – Role Might Be Recast [UPDATE]
With all the casting news and rumors popping up all over the Internet about the much-anticipated sequel to the 2012 blockbuster hit The Amazing Spider-Man (read our review here, and our two-part analysis here and here!), fans have been starting to wonder if this new movieverse is starting to get a little too crowded for ol’ Webhead. Apparently, Sony Pictures and director Mark Webb felt the same way, as Mary Jane Watson, played by Golden Globe nominee Shailene Woodley, has officially been scrapped from the sequel.
When asked about this latest move, Webb had this to say to Deadline.com: “I made a creative decision to streamline the story and focus on Peter and Gwen and their relationship. Shailene is an incredibly talented actress and while we only shot a few scenes with Mary Jane, we all love working with her.”
The actress, who had already shot a few scenes over the course of three days, was understandably disappointed, yet expressed her support for this major creative shift in the film’s development. “Of course I’m bummed,” she said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “But I am a firm believer in everything happening for a specific reason. MJ only appeared in a few scenes and I wouldn’t trade the experience of working with Andrew and Emma for three days on set for the world. Based on the proposed plot, I completely understand the need for holding off on introducing [Mary Jane] until the next film.”
The shocking changes don’t end there, though, as The Hollywood Reporter speculates that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (scheduled for release on June 10, 2016) might even go so far as to feature a new actress as the redheaded love interest of Peter Parker. This might be because of the studio’s concerns about Woodley being too busy with a different franchise by the time filming for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 begins.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is currently in production, and stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon/Electro, Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino, Dale Dehaan as Harry Osborn, Chris Cooper as Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin, and Felicity Jones. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 2, 2014.
UPDATE: Is Sarah Gadon the new Mary Jane?!
ET Canada has just confirmed the actress’s involvement in the TASM franchise via Twitter. Could she be the new future Mrs Parker? Stay tuned for more updates!
