Why is Zendaya MJ not Mary Jane?

As Zendaya herself has said , the choice to remake MJ as Michelle Jones was an opportunity for Michelle to become her own character. This was a different move than simply casting a Black actress in a role traditionally reserved for white women—it was a chance to expand the mythos through remixing and renaming.

Is MJ and Mary Jane same?

Michelle Jones-Watson, most commonly known as MJ, is a fictional character portrayed by Zendaya in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film franchise, an original character within the media franchise that pays homage to Mary Jane “MJ” Watson, a recurring love interest of Spider-Man in comic books and various media.

Why did they change Mary Jane’s name to Michelle Jones?

In the comics, the nickname “MJ” is used by Mary Jane Watson. However, both Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal had stated that Michelle Jones is not Mary Jane Watson and the MJ initials were just a fun homage to Spider-Man’s past adventures and his past love in the comics.

Is Zendaya meant to be Mary Jane?

Michelle is referred to as ‘MJ’ as a nod to Mary Jane Watson. She is not playing the role of Mary Jane, nor does she share Mary Jane’s character traits; the use of the ‘MJ’ name is merely an in-joke to fans. Think of it as an allusion to that other character and nothing more.

Will Zendaya continue to play MJ?

Sony and its Spider-Man producers have made it clear they expect to reunite Watts with Holland and Zendaya to continue the series.

Does MJ stand for Mary Jane?

The MJ nickname originally stood for Mary Jane Watson, Peter’s longtime love interest throughout different versions of the franchise.