Zendaya's "MJ": Future as a Comics Character?

[NC_Yankee]

Okay. And this is an important question. Why wouldn't Marvel just rerelease Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane instead? Like they recently did with their Marvel Infinity Digital Comics line.

Maybe this will answer the question: The demand is not there. According to Wikipedia Spider-Man loves Mary Jane only lasted 20 issues ( it was released in trades)), which tells you that girls back then did not buy enough issues of the comic to justify it going further and women of today are not asking for it ( either for nostalgic purposes, to share with their daughters or both). Of a more recent vintage the Original Gwen comic that was interrupted due to COVID still has not come out with the final issues: In print, digital or trades. Why? Quite likely the same reason: Demand is not there.

[Lee]

Okay. And this is an important question. Why wouldn't Marvel just rerelease Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane instead? Like they recently did with their Marvel Infinity Digital Comics line.

They already did re-release it, in 2019-2020, in the same YA graphic novel line as the Ms Marvel, Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl etc. collections. They reprinted the entire series in 3 books. They've run out of material now. If they want to release more MJ books for girls then they're going to need new material.

Using the MCU MJ would be a good idea, because the MCU movies are what's current, young readers are familiar with them and it would offer a Spider-Man book that centers black/mixed race girls.

Maybe this will answer the question: The demand is not there. According to Wikipedia Spider-Man loves Mary Jane only lasted 20 issues ( it was released in trades)), which tells you that girls back then did not buy enough issues of the comic to justify it going further and women of today are not asking for it ( either for nostalgic purposes, to share with their daughters or both).

This is incorrect. As mentioned above, they already have re-released Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane in their YA graphic novel line.

Also, the Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane ongoing series was preceded by two mini-series and had a sequel mini-series. It ran 33 issues in total. It was originally a four issue "Mary Jane" mini-series. At the time Marvel was publishing manga-sized digest books aimed at younger readers. Those books sold well, which is why the series got sequels beyond the original four issues, despite not being a huge seller as monthly series in comic book stores.

[Kevinroc]

They already did re-release it, in 2019-2020, in the same YA graphic novel line as the Ms Marvel, Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl etc. collections. They reprinted the entire series in 3 books. They've run out of material now. If they want to release more MJ books for girls then they're going to need new material.

Using the MCU MJ would be a good idea, because the MCU movies are what's current, young readers are familiar with them and it would offer a Spider-Man book that centers black/mixed race girls.

"If" they want to is nothing more than speculation.

And, again, why create new content centered around a civilian supporting character? Do young girls of color want to see themselves as the girlfriend to the white hero? Would they not want to see themselves as the hero?

[Lee]

Another option would be to make it a 50/50 Spider-Man and MJ team-up, something targeted at both boys and girls. People want to read about Spider-Man, yes? People want to read about Spider-Man and MJ having an adventure together, yes?

You're taking such a hard stance that an MCU inspired MJ should never ever ever appear in any comic, ever, in or out of continuity, aimed at any demographic, that I'm left to conclude this is your personal bias talking.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Im fine with MCU MJ popping up as a side character to one of the other Spider legacies. Call her MG instead and you're golden.

If anything you could make MG into a superhero. She doesn't have the same restrictions as classic MJ. So make her the new Jackpot or an nuhuman activist etc. I read a fanfic where she became a spy called Foxglove so have at it.

[Mistah K88]

"If" they want to is nothing more than speculation.

And, again, why create new content centered around a civilian supporting character? Do young girls of color want to see themselves as the girlfriend to the white hero? Would they not want to see themselves as the hero?

You know… I wonder how Hobie Brown never took off as a character with a solo book. He had enough of his own life to go on that he didn’t need to be tethered to Peter in the same way someone like MCU MJ does…or even Miles Morales (who stole his thunder).

[Frontier]

Another option would be to make it a 50/50 Spider-Man and MJ team-up, something targeted at both boys and girls. People want to read about Spider-Man, yes? People want to read about Spider-Man and MJ having an adventure together, yes?

You're taking such a hard stance that an MCU inspired MJ should never ever ever appear in any comic, ever, in or out of continuity, aimed at any demographic, that I'm left to conclude this is your personal bias talking.

I guess it would be interesting to see another race-bend of MJ that is actually "Mary Jane Watson." Redheads and race-bending .

[Kevinroc]

Another option would be to make it a 50/50 Spider-Man and MJ team-up, something targeted at both boys and girls. People want to read about Spider-Man, yes? People want to read about Spider-Man and MJ having an adventure together, yes?

You're taking such a hard stance that an MCU inspired MJ should never ever ever appear in any comic, ever, in or out of continuity, aimed at any demographic, that I'm left to conclude this is your personal bias talking.

She's going to appear in the Freshman Year cartoon on D+ (release date still unknown at this time).

I do hate MCU Spider-Man, though. Terrible take on the character.

[Kevinroc]

I guess it would be interesting to see another race-bend of MJ that is actually "Mary Jane Watson." Redheads and race-bending .

Maybe next time they won't be cowards on the subject.

[Lee]

I guess it would be interesting to see another race-bend of MJ that is actually "Mary Jane Watson."

At this point in time, if they do a book with an MJ that looks like the movie version then it would make more sense if she acts like the movie version too, and has the same name as the movie version.

But yes, Michelle MJ is a very different character from comics Mary Jane Watson. Which is why it would be easy for them to co-exist in the mainline comics.

But this is all dependant on how much Marvel are legally allowed to draw from those movies, given that they're collaborations with Sony.

She's going to appear in the Freshman Year cartoon on D+

Do you have a source for this information?

Peter is going to be the star of the show. If Michelle is in it, then it would be set at a point in continuity where she and Peter don't really know each other.

Regardless, that is not a comic. There should be a comic for kids who are fans of Michelle/MJ from the movies.

I do hate MCU Spider-Man, though. Terrible take on the character.

Cool. You wouldn't be the target audience for an out of continuity graphic novel aimed at middle school kids.

[Kevinroc]

Do you have a source for this information?

Peter is going to be the star of the show. If Michelle is in it, then it would be set at a point in continuity where she and Peter don't really know each other.

Regardless, that is not a comic. There should be a comic for kids who are fans of Michelle/MJ from the movies.

Cool. You wouldn't be the target audience for an out of continuity graphic novel aimed at middle school kids.

Why does this matter so much to you? That they prop up a civilian side character who essentially serves as a stand-in for another character?

(A character who hasn't exactly disappeared since she is in a popular video game franchise, and was discussed in the animated Spider-Man movie that recently had sequels announced.)

[Celgress]

I guess it would be interesting to see another race-bend of MJ that is actually "Mary Jane Watson." Redheads and race-bending .

Yeah, this MJ but a different MJ is such cowardly half-assed crap...

[Kevinroc]

Yeah, this MJ but a different MJ is such cowardly half-assed crap...

It really is.

[Mistah K88]

Do you have a source for this information?

Peter is going to be the star of the show. If Michelle is in it, then it would be set at a point in continuity where she and Peter don't really know each other.

Regardless, that is not a comic. There should be a comic for kids who are fans of Michelle/MJ from the movies.



Cool. You wouldn't be the target audience for an out of continuity graphic novel aimed at middle school kids.

Michelle wouldn’t be the star of the comic you’re proposing, just one supporting character in a sea of many. I kind of doubt that kids are looking up to being an accessory to another bigger character. But perhaps things have changed since I was a kid. I remember being annoyed only being seen as an accessory to someone else, but this was the 90’s. Also… didn’t they try to bring MCU Liz into comics (though by making her Vulture’s granddaughter rather than daughter?). What happened to her? I felt she had more going on with her life than being Peter’s crush.

[Kevinroc]

Michelle wouldn’t be the star of the comic you’re proposing, just one supporting character in a sea of many. I kind of doubt that kids are looking up to being an accessory to another bigger character. But perhaps things have changed since I was a kid. I remember being annoyed only being seen as an accessory to someone else, but this was the 90’s. Also… didn’t they try to bring MCU Liz into comics (though by making her Vulture’s granddaughter rather than daughter?). What happened to her? I felt she had more going on with her life than being Peter’s crush.

She shows up in Miles' comic.

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Tiana_Toomes_(Earth-616)