Singer-Actress Zendaya cast in MCU Spider-Man film

[Lee]

Technically, Rowling was wrong about whether Hermione had been described as white.



This does not mean that casting should be limited to white actresses.

In context though, did that mean "caucasian face"?

[UnknownEntity]

In context though, did that mean "caucasian face"?

Well it certainly didn't sound as though she meant a pale face, which applies to any race. I think that saying white face is pretty self explanatory.

[UnknownEntity]

That's because it really isn't up to him. People seem to forget that film is largely a director/producer medium(unlike television, where writers have much more leewy). There's countless stories from various screenwriters about how they get the short end of the stick in the creative process because they often get rewritten or outright replaced. Especially on big tent-pole films like Spider-Man. Case in point, they're literally six credited writers on this film(along with potential un-credited writers) so who knows how much the original screenwriter's vision survived those constant rewrites.

At the end of the day, the majority, if not all of the creative decisions, are ultimately up to the director and producers; they're the ones that have final say not the screenwriters.

Thanks for the info. At the same time it still gives me hope for an actual Mary Jane but its pretty clear cut that Zendaya will have an important role in the MCU Spider Man franchise. Its also a wonder and a miracle that Spider Man Homecoming turned out to be a really good film despite having a whopping SIX credited writers. You know the last movie who had that many writers, Transformers 5 and Mummy I think (can't be sure of Mummy) which are both disasters.

[dragonmp93]

Thanks for the info. At the same time it still gives me hope for an actual Mary Jane but its pretty clear cut that Zendaya will have an important role in the MCU Spider Man franchise. Its also a wonder and a miracle that Spider Man Homecoming turned out to be a really good film despite having a whopping SIX credited writers. You know the last movie who had that many writers, Transformers 5 and Mummy I think (can't be sure of Mummy) which are both disasters.

Well, i think that they problem with the Mummy was that the writer ended up being Tom Cruise instead.

[UnknownEntity]

Well, i think that they problem with the Mummy was that the writer ended up being Tom Cruise instead.

LOL. Don't know about Cruise being a writer but him being a great actor does not translate to being a good screenwriter.

[Michael Watkins]

Right, right. Where were you when the rumor she was portraying Mary Jane started and then subsequently started a storm just around the fact of her casting.

i was mostly avoiding discussion boards; so i didn't have to think less of people.

[UnknownEntity]

i was mostly avoiding discussion boards; so i didn't have to think less of people.

You broke your streak.

[sureshot]

Well, i think that they problem with the Mummy was that the writer ended up being Tom Cruise instead.

From what I'm hearing is that Tom Cruise had a lot perhaps too much creative control and the movie suffered because of it. As well for many the Brendan Frasier Mummy movies with their light hearted sometimes comedic elements was missing in the Tom Cruise version.

[Troian]

From what I'm hearing is that Tom Cruise had a lot perhaps too much creative control and the movie suffered because of it. As well for many the Brendan Frasier Mummy movies with their light hearted sometimes comedic elements was missing in the Tom Cruise version.

I believe this was the case. Went to watch Transformers 5 and saw a snipit of The Mummy and it was Sofia Boutella talking about Tom Cruise and it had to do with the making of the film. I don't remember much of it though.

[kurenai24]

Reading the comments and I'm sorry but...

You're not getting a Mary Jane in this movie, Michelle as MJ is replacing that character.

Zendaya did a chemistry read with Holland which is an obvious sign their characters will be love interests, it was stated that her character's role will expand as we go deeper into the franchise. Her character not being a love interest in the first movie so that her character can seem more endgame when they start building up the romance between Peter and Michelle is another clue. Holland and Zendaya doing a photoshoot together like the previous romantic leads of the spider-man trilogy: Toby & Kirsten and Andrew & Emma.

Zendaya has also allowed Marvel to use her image to promote the movie despite not being prominently featured, they have used her popularity to target her fans; to the kids that watch her disney show, to the teens and young adults that call her a fashionista and designer, to the moms that remember her from Dancing With The Stars, and specifically to minority fans who support her as not only a young up and coming woc in Hollywood but as a social activist and to placate those who may have wanted a different person behind that Spider-Man mask.

Those millions of followers on instagram aren't there for show, she didn't buy them, and it's not b/c she posts pretty pictures either, she has her toe in everything and Marvel has used it b/c they know the general audience as well as some of the fan community has had spider-man fatigue.

Marvel knows what they have and they're gonna use her b/c if they don't, well... Variety (or whoever it was) has already opened the gate by putting out an article about the lack of screen time Zendaya has despite all the promotion and why you shouldn't watch the film.

What is even more laughable is people are forgetting the backlash that will occur if a red headed Mary Jane comes into the picture b/c it'll basically look like 'oh this black female character is not good enough to be a long term romantic love interest', oh so you used 'Zendaya for promotion but won't actually make her a female lead', 'oh, we could have had an interracial couple, but instead they did this, Marvel takes another L', 'F@ck Marvel', etc; you think it was crazy when the rumor started going on about Zendaya being Mary Jane, well fi they do what some people in thread want the headlines will be the most click baity, and the articles will be scathing.

So yeah, it doesn't matter who's in charge cause no one at Marvel has proved to be this idiotic when they've seen how it can get with Doctor Strange and even a taste of it with Zendaya as MJ rumors, Zendaya's Michelle aka MJ is replacing Mary Jane and no amount of star wishing is gonna change that, but you can cling to any hope you want just know Feige will continue to wuss out in answering as straight as he can.

[oldschool]

Reading the comments and I'm sorry but...

You're not getting a Mary Jane in this movie, Michelle as MJ is replacing that character.

Zendaya did a chemistry read with Holland which is an obvious sign their characters will be love interests, it was stated that her character's role will expand as we go deeper into the franchise. Her character not being a love interest in the first movie so that her character can seem more endgame when they start building up the romance between Peter and Michelle is another clue. Holland and Zendaya doing a photoshoot together like the previous romantic leads of the spider-man trilogy: Toby & Kirsten and Andrew & Emma.

Zendaya has also allowed Marvel to use her image to promote the movie despite not being prominently featured, they have used her popularity to target her fans; to the kids that watch her disney show, to the teens and young adults that call her a fashionista and designer, to the moms that remember her from Dancing With The Stars, and specifically to minority fans who support her as not only a young up and coming woc in Hollywood but as a social activist and to placate those who may have wanted a different person behind that Spider-Man mask.

Those millions of followers on instagram aren't there for show, she didn't buy them, and it's not b/c she posts pretty pictures either, she has her toe in everything and Marvel has used it b/c they know the general audience as well as some of the fan community has had spider-man fatigue.

Marvel knows what they have and they're gonna use her b/c if they don't, well... Variety (or whoever it was) has already opened the gate by putting out an article about the lack of screen time Zendaya has despite all the promotion and why you shouldn't watch the film.

What is even more laughable is people are forgetting the backlash that will occur if a red headed Mary Jane comes into the picture b/c it'll basically look like 'oh this black female character is not good enough to be a long term romantic love interest', oh so you used 'Zendaya for promotion but won't actually make her a female lead', 'oh, we could have had an interracial couple, but instead they did this, Marvel takes another L', 'F@ck Marvel', etc; you think it was crazy when the rumor started going on about Zendaya being Mary Jane, well fi they do what some people in thread want the headlines will be the most click baity, and the articles will be scathing.

So yeah, it doesn't matter who's in charge cause no one at Marvel has proved to be this idiotic when they've seen how it can get with Doctor Strange and even a taste of it with Zendaya as MJ rumors, Zendaya's Michelle aka MJ is replacing Mary Jane and no amount of star wishing is gonna change that, but you can cling to any hope you want just know Feige will continue to wuss out in answering as straight as he can.

Well said and I would agree.....with one small caveat: I think Feige wisely left themselves an "out" in that, depending on reaction, Michelle could actually be MJ or not. Her character could be a new one intended to supplant MJ.....or they could reverse course and write her in the next movie as being pretty close to the MJ character if they wish dependent on the current reaction. It's actually a sound strategy......unlike the poor decision to not name Ganke Ganke in this one.

[Mister Mets]

Well said and I would agree.....with one small caveat: I think Feige wisely left themselves an "out" in that, depending on reaction, Michelle could actually be MJ or not. Her character could be a new one intended to supplant MJ.....or they could reverse course and write her in the next movie as being pretty close to the MJ character if they wish dependent on the current reaction. It's actually a sound strategy......unlike the poor decision to not name Ganke Ganke in this one.

It's pretty close to how Marvel handled previous adaptations. They're not going to introduce an Obadiah Stane who wasn't Tony's mentor, or a Justin Hammer who wasn't a Tony Stark wannabe.

Zendaya as MJ is in the spirit of that. She has some elements of the comic book MJ, but is different in ways that fit the story Sony and Marvel want to tell (a high school Spider-Man in the 21st Century.)

[oldschool]

It's pretty close to how Marvel handled previous adaptations. They're not going to introduce an Obadiah Stane who wasn't Tony's mentor, or a Justin Hammer who wasn't a Tony Stark wannabe.

Zendaya as MJ is in the spirit of that. She has some elements of the comic book MJ, but is different in ways that fit the story Sony and Marvel want to tell (a high school Spider-Man in the 21st Century.)

Yes....and I actually have very little problem with this character being/becoming MJ. The movie's "Flash" though is another thing altogether; they chose a character who was physically smaller than Peter who attempted to bully in another way (one more in line with 2017, I understand that) but Peter seemed not at all bothered by it. What a dud that was.

[Kevinroc]

I still think the "she's MJ but not Mary Jane" thing is dumb. It over complicates things.

[Frontier]

I still think the "she's MJ but not Mary Jane" thing is dumb. It over complicates things.

And it arguably does a disservice to Mary Jane and her role in the mythos, even if it's not to the same extent as the creative team behind the Amazing Spider-Man movies did during promotion (as you've alluded too previously).