The representation of marginalized groups in media has undergone significant transformations over time. One striking example is the character of Mary Jane Watson, originally portrayed as a white, red-haired love interest in the Spider-Man comics and early film adaptations, and later reimagined as Michelle “MJ” Jones, played by Zendaya in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This shift in representation highlights broader conversations about race, identity, and visibility in popular media. This paper uses scholarly sources to explore how MJ’s character signifies different cultural meanings in each version, analyzing her attributes, departure from stereotypes, real-life expectations, psychological and behavioural effects, and societal reactions.
Mary Jane Watson has historically been depicted as Peter Parker’s quintessential love interest, embodying confidence, charm, and independence. The original Mary Jane, particularly in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, adhered to traditional Eurocentric beauty standards and served primarily as a romantic figure in Peter Parker’s life. In contrast, Zendaya’s MJ in the MCU (2017-present) breaks away from this mould, offering a more independent, intellectual, and self-aware interpretation of the character.
One key attribute that remains consistent in both versions is MJ’s sharp wit and loyalty to Peter Parker. However, while the original MJ fit into the classic “damsel in distress” trope, Zendaya’s MJ embodies a more modern, self-reliant heroine, challenging conventional gender expectations.
As seen in comics and early films, the original MJ conformed to the idealized white female love interest—beautiful, glamorous, and secondary to the hero’s journey. This reflected Hollywood’s tendency to center white women in romantic narratives while sidelining women of colour (Crenshaw 1991).
Zendaya’s MJ rejects these traditional norms by reimagining the character as a young Black woman with a more independent and intellectual personality. Rather than serving solely as Peter’s romantic focus, she has her own agency and is not defined by her relationship with him. Additionally, her casual, nonchalant demeanour and refusal to conform to beauty norms (such as elaborate makeup and stylized hair) challenge expectations placed on female leads in superhero films (Dubrofsky and Hardy 2008).
The reimagining of MJ has set new expectations for diversity in superhero films, proving that iconic characters can be adapted to reflect contemporary racial and cultural realities. Zendaya’s casting encouraged greater inclusivity in Hollywood and inspired young Black girls who rarely saw themselves in major superhero franchises (Collins 2004). However, the change also sparked debate, with some fans arguing that legacy characters should remain unchanged to preserve their original depictions.
Media representation plays a crucial role in shaping identity and self-perception. Studies suggest that children and young audiences who see diverse characters experience higher self-esteem and greater confidence (Gordon et al., 2020). Zendaya’s portrayal of MJ provides young Black audiences with a character who reflects their lived experiences, positively impacting their self-image.
Despite this, some negative effects emerged due to backlash against Zendaya’s casting. Critics accused Marvel of forced diversity, revealing underlying racial biases in media reception (Sue et al. 2007). Nevertheless, the overwhelmingly positive reception from many fans suggests that diverse representation ultimately benefits a broader audience.
The backlash against Zendaya’s MJ is part of a larger pattern seen with the race-bent reimagining of white characters. Similar resistance occurred with John Boyega’s casting in Star Wars and Halle Bailey’s portrayal of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. This opposition highlights some audiences’ persistent discomfort when traditional narratives shift toward inclusivity.
Despite initial controversy, Zendaya’s MJ became a fan favourite, demonstrating that audiences can embrace change when representation is authentic and well-developed. Her success in the role has contributed to greater acceptance of diverse casting in major franchises, influencing future portrayals in superhero media (Smith, Choueiti, and Pieper 2021).
The evolution of Mary Jane Watson from a Eurocentric romantic interest to a racially diverse, independent character reflects significant cultural and societal shifts. Zendaya’s MJ challenges outdated stereotypes, sets new expectations for media representation, and has psychological and social implications. While backlash exists, the movement from the margins to the center for characters like MJ signifies progress in Hollywood’s evolving commitment to inclusivity, ultimately reshaping the representation landscape in popular media.
Domenica Randich
Choosing the M.J. from Spider-Man (2002) to the one in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2018): ‘Michelle’, the author discussed the ‘attributes’ of M.J. —word I would exchange for ‘characters’ personality’ to enhance understanding—, how did Zendaya’s M.J. break stereotypes in the movie and media, the expectations and psychological and behavioral effects her casting caused, and how society reacted to the movie.
The body paragraph section starts explaining how Michelle had a developed personality; she was independent, intellectual, and self-aware instead of only being Peter Parker’s romantic figure. By taking Michelle’s qualities as an example and describing her nonchalant demeanor and refusal to beauty norms, they explain how she is not the idealized white female character that Mary Jane was initially portrayed to be. They state that casting a black woman created high expectations for diversity on superhero films. Findings are that when young audiences feel represented in the media, they experience higher self-esteem, leaving the black community inspired. Furthermore, Michael explains that part of the audience complained about the race-bend reimagining of the white character, but since it was done with authenticity, the group that accepted the change was bigger.
Overall, the student did an impeccable job at answering the questions considering race, identity, and visibility, only lacking in achieving the 800 word mark —words were used wisely to explain the arguments, achieving 678 words — and stating their entire bibliography in the website; words. Michael followed a solid essay structure; quotes only enhanced the points made.