Possible Spoiler: Is This Girl Secretly Cast as Mary Jane Watson?! (Edited With New Pictures)

Please do NOT read this if you want to be surprised and wait for the movie!


This post is pure speculation, but it could contain the name of the actress who may have been cast as Mary Jane in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. 
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You have been warned!

Case Study: Why Zendaya Could be Right for Spider-Woman

Images copied from Glamour.com and Twitter.com; I don't own the rights to these pictures!

Why did Marvel cast Zendaya?

When Deadline reported that Zendaya would play a key character in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, I had a feeling that Zendaya was cast as a superhero who would get to fight in the sequels. Since the report said that Zendaya wasn't playing a love interest for Peter Parker in the film, I looked at some reasons why Marvel may have chose her for "Michelle":

• Zendaya auditioned to be in X-MEN: APOCALYPSE and nearly got to play Storm. She was also the frontrunner for the lead in ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL.
• Zendaya plays a teen spy on the Disney show K.C. Undercover. It seems like she prefers action movie and TV roles.
• Zendaya has comic timing, and a dance background in ballroom and hip hop.

Reports also said that Zendaya landed the role after testing with Tom Holland. It's clear that Zendaya and Tom get along well, if you watch them hanging out with Zendaya's friend Deja Carter below:

All together, Zendaya would make a good partner, enemy, or ally for Spider-Man. She would be able to match Spider-Man's wise-cracking jokes while they're both in costume. She's nimble, trained, and would do well in fighting scenes.


By comparison, Zendaya's skill set would be kind of wasted if she was strictly playing a love interest.

The name "Michelle" could be an undercover alias

Zendaya's picture on the set of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING indicates that her character doesn't want to fit in at school:

Image copied from DailyMail.co.uk; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Just like Ally Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club, Zendaya's "Michelle" was described as the girl who keeps to herself, reads a lot, is awkward and weird. It's likely that the kids at school avoid her. That would make it easy for Michelle to go unnoticed as a secret agent.

This post explained how Jessica Drew, or Spider-Woman, was one of the catalysts to the start of the Secret Invasion in the comics. Jessica was working as a double agent for HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D in order to get her full powers back, after her powers were stolen by Charlotte Witter (another version of Spider-Woman). The Skrulls, posing as HYDRA, tricked Jessica and kidnapped her when her powers were fully restored. Skrull queen Veranke took over Jessica's identity by copying her DNA, and Veranke pretended to be Spider-Woman in order to infiltrate the Avengers.  

It's possible that Zendaya's "Michelle" is trying to get information on S.H.I.E.L.D operations, while she goes to school under a fake name. Also, she could be enrolled at Midtown High because she tracked down the Shocker and the Tinkerer.

Jessica Drew's mother = inspiration for a character name?

Image copied from Marvel.Wikia.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Jessica Drew's backstory in the comics starts when she became life-threateningly sick as a child due to radiation. Her father was a scientist doing research on spiders. In an attempt to save his daughter's life, Jonathan Drew injected Jessica with an untested serum made from rare spider's blood. Jessica was sealed in a genetic accelerator room, hoping that she would recover fast enough to escape death. Jessica woke up from a coma several years in the future, finding out that her parents were gone and she had new powers. Jessica was adopted by Otto Vermis, a leader of HYDRA who taught her how to be a spy and a fighter.

Jessica Drew's parents were named Jonathan and Miriam Drew. Miriam is the Hebrew name that inspired other translations like Maryam, Maria, and Mary - which is similar to "Mary Jane".

What if Marvel wanted to have Jessica Drew in the movies? They could've changed the spelling of Jessica Drew, like they did for Betty Brant (adding a D), but comic readers would still know who the character is. If Marvel wants Jessica to start out as a spy that will be revealed to Peter Parker later, then that blows the surprise out of the water.

Changing her first name makes Jessica Drew a new character. It's like calling Mary Jane Watson "Michelle Jane Watson". People probably wouldn't like or understand the reason for changing her name. So far, no one else in the cast of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING has a changed name from the comics.

A possible way around things is to re-name Jessica Drew's parents as Jonathan and Michelle Drew. If that happened, then what if Zendaya's character is using the alias name "Michelle" as a way to remember her dead mother?

The character's full name is Jessica Miriam Drew, which shows that she was named after her mother. If Jessica's middle name is changed, her full name could become Jessica Michelle Drew.

In both cases, what if Zendaya's character's real name is Jessica?

"Black Widow"

It seems like Marvel took inspiration from Ganke Lee to create the new Ned Leeds in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. See Ganke, and Jacob Batalon playing Ned Leeds below:

Image copied from Inverse.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Image copied from Tumblr.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Ganke comes from the Ultimate Marvel version of Spider-Man, where his best friend Miles Morales takes over after Peter Parker dies. Ultimate Marvel is an alternate universe separate from Marvel's "Earth-616". Earth-616 is the comic universe that contains most of the Marvel characters we're all familiar with, including Peter Parker as Spider-Man.

Jessica Drew exists in Ultimate Marvel. In those comics, she's actually a female clone of Peter Parker. Doctor Octopus / Otto Octavius, having a similar name to Otto Vermis, created Peter Parker clones for the CIA. Jessica doesn't have parents like the 616 version of Jessica Drew - technically, Peter Parker is her parent.

Image copied from Fanpop.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Marvel could borrow from the Ultimate Marvel universe to create a new version of Jessica Drew, like they did for Ned Leeds. "Michelle" doesn't have to be a clone of Peter Parker, but:

• Marvel could use how Jessica and Miles Morales met each other, to have a similar meeting between Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. In the comics, Nick Fury told Jessica that somebody new had taken on the identity of Spider-Man after Peter Parker died. Jessica found Miles and confronted him about impersonating Spider-Man. The movie version could have Zendaya's character and Peter Parker unmask each other in a confrontation or a possible fight. Then both of them are surprised that they know each other from school, and they're both superheroes.
• Jessica used the alias "Julia Carpenter", the name of a former Spider-Woman, to perform one of her first missions where she went undercover as a scientist at Roxxon. In the movie, Zendaya's character could be using an alias name "Michelle" to pretend to be a student.
• If Marvel chooses to keep the clone origin story of Jessica, then it could work. Zendaya and Tom Holland could pass for relatives, if Zendaya's DNA was filled in with somebody else of African-American descent, in order to make her a girl.

Changes to her ethnicity?

Image copied from Papelpop.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

The original Jessica Drew is from England, but moved to Transia with her parents. It's probably likely that Marvel would change Jessica's birth country, since it doesn't affect her character. Jessica's origin story could happen anywhere, with the same results of how she got her powers and became an orphan. On the other hand, characters like Captain America and Magneto can't be changed to another nationality. Where there from affects who they are.

When it was reported that Zendaya was playing Mary Jane Watson, Stan Lee had this to say about the racist backlash (emphasis mine):

"If she is as good an actress as I hear she is, I think she'll be absolutely wonderful," Lee told the paper. "The color of their skin doesn't matter, their religion doesn't matter, all that matters is that this is the right person for the role." Lee said it's totally fine for characters to be transformed when they move from the page to the movies, noting that late black actor Michael Clarke Duncan was cast as Kingpin in the 2003 Daredevil movie. "In the Daredevil movie, the Kingpin – who had been white in the comics – he was a black man playing the role, and he played it beautifully,” Lee said.

So much attention was paid to Stan Lee endorsing Zendaya, but not many people talked about Stan Lee indirectly showing his approval for the casting choices of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.

 

The supporting cast has more people of color than we're used to seeing in a comic book movie, which is a good thing. Also, the changes aren't for the hell of it. The characters needed to be tweaked for the movies.

Peter Parker, Tony Stark, and now probably Mary Jane haven't been changed. It's not because the main characters deserve to stay white. It's because they're characters that we need to be able to recognize when we see them on screen, since they're the main representatives of the comics.


I think this is part of why the new Fantastic 4 was so hated. The writers took 2 star characters that tell us who and what the movie is about, and the writers changed the characters beyond recognition, for no explicable reason. That almost never works. It's also a sign that there are going to be fundamental problems with the movie's story, if the writers don't respect the source material enough to give us the characters that made the source material famous. That's the same reason why it wouldn't make sense to let white people play Black Panther or Storm.


Jessica Drew isn't a flagship character of Spider-Man. Some of the issues with her backstory have been discussed in previous posts. Basically, it's too complicated. Also, she was retconned a couple of times. I think she died at one point, but she was brought back to life. The Ultimate Marvel comics did a better job of connecting Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.


If Jessica Drew is another character to get a makeover, then changing her race could be a nice touch. If all of Jessica's history from Europe to California gets cut, then Marvel could make her born and raised in New York. A black super-girl raised in New York is not a farfetched idea.


What if Jessica's father was working on the same kind of spider that turned radioactive and bit Peter Parker? He could be the reason why the spider was loose in the first place. Jessica's father could've been an employee of General Techtronics Laboratories. It's possible to make Zendaya's character, Peter Parker, and Cindy Moon all share a connection, if Zendaya's character is Jessica Drew with a slightly changed origin story.

Possibilities for MCU Phase 4

Image copied from JustJared.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

The picture above was taken at Comic-Con this summer. Laura Harrier and Zendaya posed with the starring ladies of:

• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2
• BLACK PANTHER
• Rachel McAdams, who plays the love interest in DOCTOR STRANGE
• Tilda Swinton, who plays the Ancient One in DOCTOR STRANGE (another controversially race-swapped character)
• Brie Larson, who will play the lead role Carol Danvers in CAPTAIN MARVEL

The cast of upcoming movies in MCU Phase 3 make it seem likely that Phase 4 will be about the Skrull Invasion. Zendaya fits in well with the cast.


Does Marvel have an actress to play Spider-Woman already, or will Zendaya be playing the role that kick-starts the Invasion? If the story is going to happen, somebody has to play Spider-Woman. So far there aren't any actresses cast that I'm aware of.

What do you think about Zendaya playing Spider-Woman? Who do you see her playing in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING?


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl
@ZisSpiderwoman 

Today's News: Stunt Double Pictures Indicate that Mary Jane Watson Will NOT Be Zendaya

Umberto Gonzalez / El Mayimbe's "scoop" may be debunked sooner than some of us think!


Pictures posted by JustJared.com were taken from the SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING set in Atlanta yesterday. Apparently they were filming a helicopter scene. As soon as the pictures were shared on Twitter, there was speculation about the stunt girl being Mary Jane. Here are the clues that stand out to me:

Most obvious clue: the stunt double's hair color

Image copied from JustJared.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

It's just right for Mary Jane Watson. If you take a look at both stunt doubles that appear in Just Jared's photos, they are both redheads. See below:

Image copied from JustJared.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

The first stunt double's hair color is vibrant ginger, but the girl in the second picture is more auburn. You can still tell that her hair is red because of the strands flying near her ear.


Natural redheads commonly have a peaches-and-cream skin complexion. Like this:

Image copied from GemmaKennelly.co.uk; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Peaches-and-cream skin tends to look rosy but pale, sometimes freckled, and doesn't tan well. Notice that both of the stunt girls in the pictures above have this complexion. You can see it best on the stunt girls' legs: they kind of look slightly pink.

The dress

Both girls in the pictures are wearing short dresses with sneakers. That's a sign that they're both standing in for a character who is supposed to be dressed the same way in the scene. Both of the girls are also taking selfies with a camera while Spider-Man carries them.

Filmed at night

The pictures show that the buildings in the background are dark, which is a clue that this is supposed to be a nighttime scene.

Does this take place after the Homecoming school dance?

This is just my guess on what I think is happening:

• We get to see "Face it, tiger ... you just hit the jackpot!" on screen. Peter Parker takes Mary Jane Watson to the dance: the reason why her stunt doubles are wearing a party dress.
• Somebody attacks the school dance. Peter has to save Mary Jane.
• ComicVine's Mary Jane dictionary writes that Mary Jane spotted Peter Parker in his Spider-Man costume one night, leaving the house through his bedroom window. It's possible that maybe Mary Jane will accidentally see Peter change into his costume at the dance, but she won't tell anybody - just like in the comics.
• Mary Jane can't believe that she went to the dance with Spider-Man! Since her character is playful and loves the spotlight, she starts recording herself with Spider-Man in the air.

What do you think? I'd love to read your opinion here, or on my new Twitter account @ZisSpiderwoman!


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl


Edit: I didn't see that there were more pictures posted on the next page of JustJared's website! Here's yet another picture of a red-haired stunt double:

Image copied from JustJared.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

She's wearing a different outfit from the other 2 girls (Twitter handle @AtlantaFilming stated that 3 stunt girls were involved in this scene, but I couldn't find a picture of the 3rd girl until now).


Maybe they haven't decided on what Mary Jane should wear in the scene. It's also possible that she's wearing a different outfit to keep people from guessing that all of the girls are standing in for the same character. In any case, her top and pants are stylish enough to wear to a dance. What do you think?

Signs that Spider-Woman Could Be Part of Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4

Image copied from AgentsOfGuard.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Marvel planned its superhero movies to follow a cohesive story arc. The movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are divided into groups that round out each chapter of the story.

Phase 1 is the beginning of the Avengers. Also, the movies in this phase foreshadow the upcoming Infinity War. The movies are:

• Iron Man 1 and 2
• Thor
• The Incredible Hulk
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• The Avengers

Phase 2 introduced new superheroes, while continuing to build up to the Infinity War. Ultron shows up at the end to destroy the world, which forces the superheroes to defend humanity. Phase 2 movies are:

• Iron Man 3
• Thor: The Dark World
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Ant-Man

We're in Phase 3 now. The threat of Ultron caused the Avengers to start turning against each other. More superheroes are showing up to take sides with the Avengers, including Spider-Man who is joining the MCU with his first movie next summer. The Infinity War will be the climax story of this phase. The movies that we're looking forward to are:

• Captain America: Civil War (May 2016)
• Doctor Strange
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
• SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
• Thor: Ragnarok
• Black Panther
• Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1
• Ant-Man and the Wasp
• Captain Marvel
• Avengers: Infinity War -Part 2

Reportedly, the last movie will be in theaters by 2019.

Carol Danvers could be the biggest clue to Marvel's plan for Phase 4

The end of the Infinity War will leave room for different characters to take center stage. Phase 4 will be most likely be a fresh start to the MCU, with some new leading characters.


SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING has its own world of characters to develop in the sequels. Peter Parker is just getting started as a superhero, and if the leaked call sheet is true, then some of Peter's classmates could also turn out to be superheroes. Such as Cindy Moon / Silk:

Image copied from Tumblr.com; I don't have the rights to this picture!

But the first female superhero solo movie comes out just before the end of the Infinity War:

Image copied from Marvel.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

... and I think that she will have a significant impact.


Captain Marvel, also known as Carol Danvers, received superpowers when she was kidnapped by Kree aliens on a NASA mission, and her DNA was altered. She became half-human, half-Kree. Her powers forced her to quit working for NASA, but in the end Carol adopted the name "Ms. Marvel" and joined forces with Spider-Man and the Avengers. She also led the New Avengers, a group which included Doctor Strange.


Phase 4 of the MCU was reportedly going to start with a movie for The Inhumans, but since the characters have been added to the TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, it doesn't seem likely that a movie is going to happen. However, the Inhumans' origin story begins with the Kree alien race. It seems that aliens were always going to be Marvel's theme for Phase 4.


Since she's half-human, half-Kree, Captain Marvel brings the potential to take the Avengers into battles in space, and on earth with space aliens wreaking havoc.


Her best friend in the comics could also play a part ... and now that Marvel and Sony are working together, it's possible to bring the character to the big screen.

A Phase 4 Secret Invasion would involve all of the new cast, and "Spider-Woman" 

Image copied from ComicVine.GameSpot.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

In a previous post, it was mentioned that Spider-Woman has had 5 different identities. One of them was Veranke, queen of the alien Skrull race. In the comics, Veranke pretended to be Jessica Drew, also known as Spider-Woman, while the Skrulls invaded Earth.


All of the upcoming MCU characters have roles to play in the Secret Invasion:

• The Inhumans (possibly cancelled)
• Captain Marvel (as Ms. Marvel in the comics)
• Ant-Man
• The Wasp
• Doctor Strange
• Black Panther
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Spider-Man

Also, the formation of the Mighty Avengers happens during this storyline. Ronin, an identity assumed by Blade, was one of the Infinity recruits to the Mighty Avengers. That makes it just a little more possible that Abraham Attah's character might be associated with Blade, possibly Blade himself.


And according to CosmicBookNews.com, there are rumors that Marvel and Fox are working together to bring X-Men to a Phase 4 movie in 2020. If a deal is struck like the one between Marvel and Sony, then we'll get to see the full cast of characters for a Skrull invasion.

A candidate to play "Spider-Woman" / Veranke

If Marvel plans to follow the timeline in the comics, then Spider-Woman could be working as a double agent for HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D when the story begins. Her powers are gone. She falls for a trap of Skrulls posing as a HYDRA cell, and Veranke holds her hostage. Veranke then assumes Spider-Woman's identity, fooling everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D, and the Skrull takeover begins.


After the Skrull invasion is defeated, Spider-Man and Spider-Woman team up as part of the New Avengers. Finally, they end up meeting Silk.


More speculation to come, but I'd love to know what you think so far. Sincerely,


A Comic Girl

El Mayimbe Claims that Zendaya Plays Mary Jane Watson. He's Wrong. Here's Proof

Image copied from iFunny.co; I don't own the rights to this meme!

Umberto Gonzalez, also known as @ElMayimbe on Twitter, is a reporter for The Wrap who shares spoilers about upcoming Marvel and DC movies. Not all of the spoilers turn out to be true, but I don't think that he always deserves the blame. There are constant last-minute changes behind the scenes, and sometimes even the sources lie to protect big secrets. See STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS.


Umberto started the rumor that Zendaya is playing Mary Jane Watson, and it spread like wildfire because it's so exciting. Publications aren't questioning the credibility of the rumor, but it needs a deeper look.

The Wrap's strangely written "exclusive" article

A quote from The Wrap says (emphasis mine):

Zendaya will be playing long-time Spider-Man love interest Mary Jane Watson in next summer’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” two individuals with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

What does "two individuals with knowledge of the project" mean? The right way to credit sources is to call them sources. "Two individuals with knowledge of the project" could be the caterers working at the set of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING in Atlanta. They could even be employees of The Wrap.


Basically, "two individuals" could be anybody.


Another quote from the article reads (emphasis mine again):

At least one recent draft of the script has Zendaya’s character dropping several clues to her identity as Mary Jane, one of the most familiar love interests in the Marvel superhero’s universe — and played by Kirsten Dunst in Sam Raimi‘s 2002-07 movie trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as the webslinger.

In my previous post, I asked if Umberto has seen the script that is being used to shoot SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. "At least one recent draft of the script" says no.


Umberto has no clue what's in the final draft of the script.


It makes sense that SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING went through some script changes. The cast wasn't complete when shooting started in June. Marvel is trying to keep some characters a secret, like Donald Glover's role, and here's 1 way to do that: write fake scripts to prevent themselves from being spoiled.


Did somebody let El Mayimbe's "two individuals" take a look at a dummy script?


The clues are in the phrase: "At least one recent draft". Recent draft would mean that some things were in an older script, but they aren't going to be in the movie. At least one would mean that Zendaya's character wasn't Mary Jane in all of the draft scripts!


Even saying that Zendaya's character was going to be Mary Jane at one point, is an assumption. The Wrap stated that Zendaya's character was "dropping several clues". That's not a confirmation.


Why didn't they just read to the end of the script and make sure that it's Mary Jane?

Did Vulture get fooled by a fake script thanks to El Mayimbe?

Vulture.com published the quote below:

As per the Wrap, Zendaya is actually playing Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's best-known love interest and one brought to the big screen by Kirsten Dunst in the first three Spider-Man films. According to Vulture's own sources, Michelle's real identity was a twist meant to be confirmed near the end of the film when she would finally invite Peter to call her "M.J.,"

It's a little interesting that Vulture found some sources after The Wrap broke the story. Too bad that Vulture didn't break the story first.


But I don't think that Vulture is being dishonest at all. Unfortunately, it seems like Vulture was possibly tricked by the same "two individuals" in El Mayimbe's exclusive.


Vulture's article says that its sources told them that Zendaya's character says "Call me M.J.". That fits into El Mayimbe's story of a draft script "dropping several clues". "M.J." is only a clue, because it's just 2 initials. Sure, the obvious guess is "Mary Jane", but assumptions must be fueling the news.


Zendaya's character is "M" for Michelle. What if Zendaya's character was telling a sarcastic Michael Jackson joke, after she surprises everybody at the homecoming dance with her moves? Zendaya is a fan of Michael Jackson, and a trained hip hop dancer:

I'm just saying.


Even if Zendaya was written as Mary Jane in the draft, it doesn't prove that SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is filming with that version of the script. Since only "at least one" of the scripts made Zendaya seem like Mary Jane, it's possible that one script which doesn't sound like the others is a fake.


At least Vulture tried to get script details from their sources, since they value their integrity as a news publication. El Mayimbe heard that at least one script had several clues, but he published that as an exclusive. Jumping the gun may be why some of his "scoops" end up being completely untrue.

Star Lord's father in "Guardians of the Galaxy 2"

Image copied from GamesRadar.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

In a situation eerily similar to this Mary Jane Watson rumor, El Mayimbe claimed that several sources told him who Star Lord's father would be revealed to be in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2". Here's a quote from his article:

For a story of this magnitude, I took my time and gathered as many sources as I possibly could on this one. I got a total of four. They were tasked with one objective: get me a name. Nothing else. No specifics, no details, just a name. What are the chances that four individuals who don’t know each other getting such a crucial piece of information wrong? The chances are highly unlikely.

Pause ... Umberto wrote that he went to the trouble of finding 4 sources, only to ask for the name of a character. He specifically said that he didn't want details.


Details are a way to corroborate a story and fact-check sources. What reporter goes out of their way to ignore the facts?


Compare this story to the exclusive about Zendaya being Mary Jane. The Wrap article says that El Mayimbe didn't check the facts there, either. His "two individuals" pulled some clues from at least one draft script out of possibly several.


In both cases, El Mayimbe heard some information from a 3rd party, but he didn't ask for facts. Here's another quote from the Star Lord scoop article:

I was warned that this would be heavily denied so if Marvel comes out swinging don’t buy it. It’s expected. After all, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 is still two years out. Again, what are the chances of four different sources being wrong.

GOTG2 wasn't going to come out for another 2 years after El Mayimbe posted this scoop. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING isn't due until next summer, almost a year from now. In both cases, what made his sources confident that they had the right names?


And how would he know which information made his sources sure that they were right, since El Mayimbe doesn't think it's important to examine the details?


This last quote doesn't make any sense to me, but here it is:

Again, what are the chances of four different sources being wrong. Also, the following character plays a pivotal role in the origin of another Marvel signature character getting a solo film.

El Mayimbe said earlier that he told his sources to bring him nothing but a name, no details or specifics. Where did he get any of the information about "a pivotal role" and a "Marvel signature character" getting his or her own film??


Director James Gunn actually made a statement to deny El Mayimbe's scoop, after the rumor spread just like it's happening now with Mary Jane. Here's part of his statement:

All right. From this moment on I’m going to stop commenting on any rumors surrounding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, because, eventually, someone is going to come up with a spoiler that has some truth to it. That said, the rumors surrounding Quill’s parentage at the present moment are completely false, and aren’t even close to the truth. I don’t know how people come up with this stuff, but it certainly isn’t through legitimate sources.

... this will be my last comment squelching a rumor until May 2017. But if you do pick up on some plot detail between now and then, be aware, A) They are likely full of shit, as has been everyone so far who has claimed to have had inside info, and B) We’re creating a film that doesn’t rely on plot twists to be an enjoyable experience. They’re only a very small part of what we’re cooking up for you. 

Were shots fired at El Mayimbe in this statement?


The story has a pretty embarrassing ending, summarized at Gamezone.com. Via Twitter, El Mayimbe tried to force James Gunn to admit that the Star Lord scoop was true. James Gunn kept denying it, but he was accused of lying. Finally, El Mayimbe apologized to Marvel, and tweeted that his spoiler was wrong.

Maybe if he had asked for details ...

Marvel knows better than to give El Mayimbe REAL information

Image copied from ComicBookMovie.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

El Mayimbe doesn't care about ruining the movie experience for us. If Zendaya really was supposed to be a Mary Jane reveal at the end of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, then we can all thank El Mayimbe for taking away the surprise.


Why would Marvel trust him with spoilers? He didn't show any respect for Marvel when he harrassed James Gunn on Twitter, after James Gunn had already given a statement saying that he wasn't going to talk about it anymore.


Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter aren't saying anything about the Mary Jane rumor. They get reliable information, and were the first ones to say that Zendaya would be in the movie, playing Michelle.


I think that Sony and Marvel are probably laughing their heads off at this Mary Jane rumor. El Mayimbe's "individuals with knowledge" possibly fell for a fake script. The free publicity from this rumor is hyping everybody up to see SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. And secret details about the movie are staying unrevealed!

What happens to El Mayimbe if the rumor is proven false?

I think he'll try to go on with business as usual. Sometimes spoilers really don't pan out because of changes behind the scenes.


I think that some people will be very angry and disappointed, though. Some of Zendaya's fans are only planning to see the movie because they heard that she's playing Mary Jane. Some comic book fans have already decided that they won't see the movie, because the frumpy look of "Mary Jane" in pictures taken from the set are not promising the right character.


Some people who don't regularly report comic news, published news articles based on El Mayimbe's scoop because of Zendaya's popularity. Zendaya has more than 20 million Instagram followers, and almost 7 million Twitter followers.


He may not care, but I could see this possibly being the biggest blow to El Mayimbe's credibility yet.


Next, I wanted to write about Stan Lee endorsing Zendaya as Mary Jane. What do you think? Should El Mayimbe be believed about the Mary Jane scoop?


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl

The Michelle Gonzales Link Was Meant to Keep Us From Guessing Zendaya's Character

My last post looked at 3 characters on the leaked cast call sheet, and discussed why their source material characters had to be updated. Characters like Miles and Raymond Warren, Ned Leeds, and Abraham Whistler have great potential to introduce new villains and storylines for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING sequels. But the characters had some issues that could benefit from a complete makeover. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is making awesome choices by avoiding token minority casting, and giving us several characters of color who will play relevant parts on screen.


However, half of the debate of this new blog is that I don't believe Zendaya is playing Mary Jane or "MJ". SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING was fearless about casting Laura Harrier as Liz Allan, and Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson. Why would Marvel be shifty about announcing that Zendaya is playing the first black Mary Jane? It doesn't make sense since Marvel isn't bothered about race, nor does it make sense since Zendaya doesn't seem to be playing an accurate Mary Jane at all.

The Michelle Gonzales debate

Lots of people were guessing that Zendaya's "Michelle" character is actually Michelle Gonzales below:


Image copied from Marvel.Wikia.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Although Michelle's feisty personality matches up with Zendaya's behavior in the mini-trailer at Comic-Con, I think that there are problems with using Michelle Gonzales as she was drawn in the comics:

•  Michelle was kind of a rebound relationship for Peter Parker after he broke up with Mary Jane. Their story was like Sammi and Ronnie of Jersey Shore. Michelle and Peter Parker were roommates who drifted into hooking up with each other while they were drunk. Michelle actually punched Peter in the face, and later pulled a SHOTGUN on him. Michelle also sold Peter's clothes. She locked him out of the fridge. That sort of drama can be funny in the comics, but uncomfortable to watch on screen.
• Michelle wasn't a part of any meaty storylines. She didn't turn into a villain or superhero at any point. She wasn't even a part of Peter's life for very long. Who would care if she was adapted for the movies?

Zendaya's "Michelle" doesn't look like Mary Jane Watson or Michelle Gonzales. Zendaya's "Michelle" wears frumpy clothes with messy hair. Michelle and Mary Jane have something in common: they dress in flattering clothes!


You could argue that Jacob Batalon's "Ned" doesn't look like Ned Leeds, or Tony Revolori's "Flash" doesn't look like Flash Thompson. But those characters actually had real roles to play in the comics, which I think that Marvel could show us in the sequels. Michelle Gonzales doesn't fit into any story that's worth putting on the big screen. There's no point in using Michelle and changing her characteristics, too.

The name "Michelle" is a red herring to keep us from guessing who Zendaya's character really is

Here are some of the reasons why I believe that Zendaya's character "Michelle" is another superhero who is spying on Peter Parker. My guess could be wrong when the movie opens in theaters. I think 1 thing is for certain: Marvel went out of their way to give Zendaya's character a name that wouldn't be traced easily.


Can you imagine how many women have appeared in the comics from the beginning? Spider-Man Wikia has 20 pages of female characters. I wonder who did the research and kept track of all of the names like Carlie, Ashley, Andrea, and Donna!


The name of Zendaya's character only points to an obscure character in the comics that didn't do anything significant. We've guessed about the rest of the cast, but we're still not totally sure who Zendaya's playing. That's a good thing for Marvel if they're trying to keep a big secret!


Michelle being "MJ" or Mary Jane is just speculation, like this blog. The source of the rumor, The Wrap, says that they believe Michelle is Mary Jane Watson based on clues from a recent draft of the script. Did Umberto Gonzalez get to see the final draft of the script? What if he was reading a dummy script?


I want to write about "El Mayimbe", but that will be in my next post.

Clues point to Zendaya's "Michelle" being a retconned character

Selenis Leyva is reportedly playing Ms. Warren, but she's probably not named "Ms. Miles Warren" or "Ms. Raymond Warren". It's safe to assume that her first name will be unique, if it's ever mentioned in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.


Marvel may have done the same thing with Zendaya's character. She may be a mix of several characters, but Marvel might have given her a new name, "Michelle". It supports the idea that Marvel is taking characters with messy backgrounds but interesting stories, then re-imagining the characters, and incorporating them into the MCU.

Spider-Woman: the messiest character of them all

Image copied from Pinterest.com; drawn by Dawn McTeigue and Sabine Rich. I don't own the rights to this picture!

Jessica Drew is the most popular, but not the only characterization of Spider-Woman. Actually, 5 different characters have been Spider-Woman in the comics: Jessica Drew, Julia Carpenter, Mattie Franklin, Charlotte Witter, and Veranke.


Not only does Spider-Woman have continuity issues, but her film rights were a big mess. I've read that Sony owns the rights to any character that has "Spider" in their name. That would include Spider-Woman, but Sony doesn't have the rights to put Jessica Drew in their movies. Marvel owns the character of Jessica Drew, but they couldn't use "Spider" characters in the MCU until the Sony and Marvel deal.


Now that Sony and Marvel are working together on SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING and its sequels, there are so many possibilities. But in the comics, Spider-Woman and Spider-Man stories were kept pretty separate from each other. Spider-Woman isn't a sidekick. Spider-Woman has slightly different powers than Spider-Man, different friendships, and her own part to play with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. Spider-Woman and Spider-Man never dated in the comics, but they were friends in different scenarios.


If any character has a reason to be tweaked before bringing her potential to the movies, I think it's Spider-Woman. What do you think?


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl

A Possible Reason Why Spider-Man: Homecoming Is Changing the Race of Characters

Selenis Leyva's connection to the Jackal and the Tinkerer

Assuming that the call sheet for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING was really taken from the set, then the majority of characters in that scene are being played by visible minorities. See Selenis Leyva below:

Image copied from Zimbio.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

The call sheet says that she's playing "Ms. Warren". There's a "Mr. Warren" in the Spider-verse:

Image copied from marvunapp.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!



Hardcore fans of the comics probably know that "Mr. Warren" is actually 2 different characters who were both teachers. Raymond Warren was the high school science teacher who introduced Peter Parker to the Tinkerer. His brother Miles Warren taught at Empire State University. Eventually Miles became a villain known as the Jackal, after his obsession with Gwen Stacy turned him into a nut when he wasn't able to handle her death.


Recently Deadline confirmed that the Tinkerer will appear in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. Will Selenis Leyva's character "Ms. Warren" be the reason why Peter Parker and the Tinkerer cross paths?

In the comics, Miles Warren's wife is dead, and Raymond Warren is single. But here are some possibilities:

• Selenis Leyva's character is "Ms. Warren", not "MISS Warren". She could be married to the professor who will eventually become the Jackal. If this happens, then SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING doesn't need a Raymond Warren. Also, this could mean that Gwen Stacy is guaranteed for the sequels.
• Selenis Levya's character could be a female Jackal in the sequels. Maybe the movies are going to turn both "Mr. Warrens" into Selenis's character. Maybe there is no Gwen obsession later.
• Selenis Leyva's character could be the sister or sister-in-law of the Jackal. She replaces Raymond Warren.

Jacob Batalon's connection to Flash, "Jason (M)", the Jackal, and the Hobgoblin

Here's Jacob Batalon, who was confirmed to be playing Ned Leeds, just like the call sheet indicates:

Image copied from JustJared.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Here's original recipe Ned Leeds:

Image copied from SpiderFan.org; I don't own the rights to this picture!



I chose this picture of Ned with Betty Brant because I think it explains why Angourie Rice is playing a younger "Betty Brandt" with a D. In the comics, Ned worked with Peter Parker and Betty Brant (no D) at the Daily Bugle. Ned and Peter competed for Betty, but Ned won in the end and married Betty. From the picture above, you can tell that their marriage had problems.


I think that Marvel isn't going to couple Ned Leeds and Betty Brandt together like their comic counterparts. The advantages are:

• Betty Brandt can still work for the Daily Bugle.
• Ned Leeds can still be brainwashed by the Hobgoblin.

Ned was actually part of a storyline where the Jackal made clones of Spider-Man and the object of his obsession, Gwen Stacy. That could happen in a SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING sequel, since there are clues that the Jackal will be in the movies. Also, Marvel may have all of the players ready for a Hobgoblin story. When Ned gets brainwashed by the Hobgoblin, he could seek help from Flash Thompson. Betty doesn't have to have an affair with Flash.


We're not sure who "Jason (M)" is supposed to be yet, but what if he turns out to be Jason Macendale, Jr, also known as the Jack O' Lantern / the next Hobgoblin? "Jason (M)" could be important to Ned and Flash's future story in the movies.

Abraham Attah's possible connection to Black Cat  

Here's Abraham Attah, who is supposedly playing "Abraham (M)":

Image copied from OMGVoice.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Some people are guessing that Abraham is actually playing Miles Morales, the boy who becomes Spider-Man after Peter Parker died. Also, there's speculation that Donald Glover's character is Miles Morales. I don't think either case is impossible, but I don't think they're likely because:

• Peter Parker is just getting started, but theoretically, he would have to die in a SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING sequel.
• Miles's best friend Ganke is probably being blended with Ned Leeds.

I think Abraham's character could be based on Abraham Whistler. See below:

Image copied from Spiderman-Animated.wikia.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

This may sound crazy, but what if "Abraham (M)" is the same Abraham Whistler who mentored Blade?

Image copied from Newsrama.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Image copied from Pinterest.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Could we see Morbius in a future sequel of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING?

Image copied from Marvel.Wikia.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Michael Morbius met Peter Parker in college, before he was turned into a vampire. He had a crush on Felicia Hardy, also known as Black Cat. She wasn't interested at first, but fell in love with Morbius over time. The possibilities are endless if Abraham Attah's character has anything to do with a vampire storyline:

• Abraham Attah's character could be Blade himself. In the future, he could join forces with Peter Parker to fight Morbius and save Felicia Hardy. We would also get to see Black Cat on screen.
• Abraham could be a younger version of Jamal Afari, the man who trained Blade to hunt vampires in the comics. Since Abraham Whistler never appeared in the comics, it's possible that Abraham Attah could be playing a boy named "Abraham Afari". That name comes from blending Whistler and Jamal Afari into 1 character.

What do Selenis Leyva, Jacob Batalon, and Abraham Attah have to do with the title of this post?

By casting Selenis Leyva as Ms. Warren, she's not just any old high school teacher of Cuban descent. Selenis's character will probably impact the story of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING and its sequels.


Since Jacob Batalon was cast as Ned Leeds, he's not just any old side kick of Peter Parker's with a Hawaiian background. His story will matter later down the line.


If Abraham Attah turns out to be connected to Morbius and Black Cat, then he won't just be the Ghanaian boy in the background of the cast. He could end up playing a significant part in future battles.


Some people are saying that minorities shouldn't be cast in traditionally white comic character roles, because there are plenty of minority characters already written into the Marvel Universe:

• N'Kantu the Living Mummy
• Sun Girl
• Joe Robertson

I've never heard of them, either.


For some people, "diversity" means having 1 character like this:

Instead of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING creating actual opportunities for a cast that reflects reality.


I think that Marvel is actually being very calculated about the characters that they're changing. All of the characters explored in this post needed to be retconned:

• "Mr. Warren" is technically 2 different people. Marvel has to pick a direction with 1 character, or possibly blend the characters together.
• "Ned Leeds" was abusive to Betty Brant, but he's got good story potential because of the Hobgoblin. Marvel could've avoided him altogether, or they could've erased the relationship with Betty Brant.
• Who is "Abraham"? Maybe he's Abraham Whistler, but that character isn't in the comics. Maybe he's Jamal Afari, but that character is older than Blade. If Marvel sees potential for Blade, Morbius, and Black Cat in the future, then they have to decide on where the story starts.

Giving struggling characters an overhaul can include changes to race. Why not?

I don't see anything wrong with breathing new life into characters that could use the boost. Nick Fury became a name that non-comic fans recognize, when he was modeled after Samuel L. Jackson.


Laura Harrier and Tony Revolori are exciting casting choices. In an accurate portrayal of interracial dating, will Peter be nervous about approaching a black girl at first? When Mary Jane shows up, I wonder if Liz is going to be her friend or a rival. Flash has got to know that Liz is out of his league. Does Flash bully Peter because he's insecure about Liz, and maybe under pressure from his family to excel at school?


Maybe the potential high school dynamics wouldn't be as interesting, if Peter's school looked like an episode of Friends.

Mary Jane Watson doesn't need a character overhaul

Actually, for once, we need an accurate portrayal of Mary Jane:

Image copied from SufferStreetTheatre.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

I'm not arguing to save the best characters for white actors, and toss the weaker characters to actors of color. I don't believe that SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is handing out token roles, either. Sony and Marvel have done a great job of casting so far. I think that Midtown-High-meets-John-Hughes-in-2017 is going to be amazing and relatable.


But what purpose does it serve if Mary Jane gets turned into the "weird" girl? Changing Liz Allan to a black character doesn't mess with her personality. Changing Flash doesn't stop him from dating Liz or being a bully. Changing Ned saves him and Betty from their fate in the comics.


Marvel hasn't grossly misinterpreted a comic character yet that I know of. "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2" were well done by Sam Raimi, but Marvel took over and knocked casting out of the park with Tom Holland. The concept art for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is spectacular. This costume gives me goosebumps:


Image copied from ComingSoon.net; I don't own the rights to this picture!

I believe that no matter who they pick for Mary Jane, she will be right for the part, and the audience will love her. So far Marvel seems to be doing everything right, but I'd love to hear your opinion.


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl

Clues from the Leaked Call Sheet Could Point to a Future Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and Silk Team

The call sheet that was leaked shows that Zendaya's character isn't the only one listed without a last name. See below:

Image copied from ComicBookMovie.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

The single names are "Michelle", "Cindy", "Abraham (M)", "Sally", "Jorge", "Jason (M)", and "Tiny (M)". Time will tell what the "(M)" notations mean, but I have a theory. Since this looks like a call sheet for a day of filming a school scene, I think that "(M)" is a symbol for middle school. The actors who have "(M)" next to their character names are all 14-15 years old in real life. They would work well as 7th and 8th grade characters. Angourie Rice, who is listed as playing "Betty Brandt (M)" is also 15 years old in real life.


I've already written that "Goon #2 (Balinger)" could be a reinvention of Ballinger, a Empire State University Faculty member, in this post. The Shocker also seems to have a role at Peter Parker's school.


The name that comic book fans recognize is "Cindy", who is being played by Tiffany Espensen. She's a great look for Cindy Moon, also known as Silk. Compare the character below to Tiffany Espensen:

Image copied from MarvelComicFansOn.Wikia.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

Image copied from GettyImages.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

What does Cindy Moon have to do with Spider-Man?

In the comics, Cindy gets bitten by the same spider that changed Peter Parker's life. But maybe SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING might begin a little too late in the future to show Silk's origin story. Reportedly SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is not going to show Uncle Ben's death or Peter Parker's bite.


But what if the story in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is happening after Peter and Cindy were both bitten? Is it possible that Cindy is hanging out in the background of Peter's classes, curiously watching Peter while wondering what to do about her new powers? Does Cindy possibly have a hunch that Peter is Spider-Man?


It's just a theory, but I wonder if it holds water, with the clues pointing to the idea that people are spying on Peter Parker at school.

What could Cindy Moon have to do with Zendaya's Michelle?

Image copied from LegionOfLeia.com ; I don't own the rights to this picture!

The premise of this new blog is trying to prove that Zendaya isn't playing Mary Jane or "MJ", while debating that she could actually be playing Spider-Woman. I don't care if I'm wrong in the end. It's just fun to speculate until the movie arrives!


Assuming that Zendaya is playing an updated version of Spider-Woman, then Cindy Moon is very relevant. In the picture above, Silk, Spider-Woman, and Spider-Gwen are a team. That's true to the comics: you can read about the Spider-verse story if you scroll down to the "Spider-Verse" heading here. There's a good set-up for Cindy Moon, Peter Parker, and possibly Michelle to work together in future sequels of SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.


I plan on writing more to support the premise that Zendaya is playing Spider-Woman. I'd love to hear what you think.


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl

Why Won't They Confirm that Zendaya is NOT Playing Mary Jane Watson?

There's a lot more to be written in supporting my belief that Zendaya is playing Spider-Woman in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING or its sequels. I'll come back to the theory later.


A lot of people are asking why Marvel won't make a statement to address the rumor that Zendaya is playing Mary Jane or "MJ". There is speculation that Marvel doesn't want to spoil the movie, although if the rumor is true, then the movie has been spoiled beyond repair.

Why WOULD They Hide the Real Identity of Mary Jane?

Image copied from Wikipedia.org; I don't own the rights to this picture!

It's been done before, and makes total sense to the beginning of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship. In the comics, Aunt May tried to set Peter up with a blind date, but he wasn't really interested. The girl stayed hidden in several comic issues, with her face covered by other people and objects, until the surprise reveal. Mary Jane turned out to be a hot redhead that blew Peter away. He underestimated Aunt May's matchmaking skills. Mary Jane greeted Peter by saying: "Face it, tiger ... you just hit the jackpot!"


I think that if Marvel plans to introduce Mary Jane at some point, it would great to throw back to the original story. Marisa Tomei, who plays Aunt May in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, is young and it's believable that she would have the right taste in a date for Peter.


People are speculating that Peter Parker needs a date for the Homecoming Dance in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. He may not go to the dance with Liz, because Aunt May will set him up with Mary Jane. I think that that's very plausible, but I don't think that Mary Jane is Michelle. I believe that Marvel is searching for the perfect actress to play the iconic sassy redhead, since they took their time in finding the perfect Peter Parker (Tom Holland). It's possible that a Mary Jane actress has already been found. I wouldn't be surprised if she's a relatively unknown or 1st-time actress.


Previously, I wrote about the call sheet that is missing the character slots of several names. What if 1 of them is Mary Jane? If she is going to be in the movie, but she wasn't on the call sheet, then it's possible that Mary Jane isn't a student at Peter Parker's school. Maybe she's from a rival school, or she'll be a new student at the end of the movie. The possibilities are endless. Moreover, keeping Mary Jane out of Peter's high school makes it that much of a surprise to him when she shows up to be his date.

Bending logic to make Michelle as "MJ" work

If Zendaya is going to be a believable Mary Jane, several things probably need to happen in the movie:

• Michelle has to stop wearing dumpy clothes, and brush her hair. Makeup would be nice.
• Michelle needs to stop being "dry" and "awkward".
• The audience has to forgive and forget that Michelle was kind of a beyotch to Peter in the beginning of the movie, if the Comic-Con trailer is a good indication of their relationship.
• There has to be a good reason for her name change.

 Also, there will be consequences:

• the reveal of Mary Jane won't be as thrilling. The audience's reaction will be, "oh, it's Michelle?". It would be awesome if we could all react like comic readers and Peter did when the story was first published. "Wow, that's his blind date? We didn't see that coming!" 
• It's kind of an insult to comic book fans to make Michelle be "MJ" or Mary Jane. The ugly duckling to swan story is not an accurate description of Mary Jane Watson.
• Stunt-casting Zendaya as "MJ" or Mary Jane in her movie acting debut is risky. Zendaya may never live it down if the critics and fans pan her portrayal of "MJ". I like Zendaya and I don't want to see her fail because of a misguided acting choice.

If Marvel wanted Zendaya as Mary Jane from the beginning, then why would they set up these obstacles for themselves? What's the point?

J.J. Abrams admitted that lying about Khan was a mistake

Image copied from Gizmodo.com; I don't own the rights to this picture!

I think that there was a lesson to be learned from J.J Abrams lying that Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't playing Khan in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, only for us to find out that the rumors were true. The lesson was: don't lie to your fans.


Marvel is doing a better job with the Mary Jane rumor. They don't have to address the rumor, and I don't think they will at all. The suspense and anticipation is building up the hype for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.


People are assuming that because Marvel hasn't addressed the rumor, that the rumor is indirectly being confirmed. I don't think people are thinking about the possibility that it's not an either / or situation. Zendaya's role could very well be a secret, but that doesn't automatically mean she's playing Mary Jane. There are several other options that she could be playing in the Spider-verse. Mary Jane isn't the only female character in the comics.

Somebody else who is playing an unconfirmed role

Image copied from IMDB.com; I don't have the rights to this picture!

This isn't getting as much publicity as the Zendaya rumor. Donald Glover has already wrapped up filming for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, but we still have no clue who he's playing in the movie ... because Sony is keeping it a secret.

Why aren't people reporting that Donald is playing Mary Jane Watson? Is it just because he's male? I think that a gender swap on Mary Jane Watson could work in this day and age.

The simplest reason why Marvel won't confirm the MJ rumor

We've already been told who Zendaya is playing, at least twice.


Deadline first reported that Zendaya was playing a character named Michelle.


Director Jon Watts told Comic-Con that Zendaya's character name is Michelle.


If Zendaya is truly playing Michelle, then Marvel has no reason to make a statement on a rumor that doesn't have a basis in truth. Maybe fans are asking Marvel to lie to them? Those who don't believe that Zendaya's playing Michelle, are probably not going to be convinced if Marvel comes out and states it 1 more time. They will hold on to their theories until the movie opens in theaters.


Marvel will probably keep quiet if Zendaya is playing a secret character, NOT "MJ" or Mary Jane Watson. The speculation about "MJ" is distracting from what I strongly believe is really going on: that Marvel has the perfect Mary Jane Watson waiting for the big screen, and that Zendaya is playing a character matching her talents as a physical entertainer.


What do you think?


Sincerely,


A Comic Girl