| NOTE: This article is about Mary Jane Watson from Sam Raimi’s film series. For the mainstream version, see: Mary Jane Watson (Marvel). For the version of her from Insomniac Games, see: Mary Jane Watson (Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man). |
|
| “ | Go get 'em, tiger. | „ |
| ~ Mary Jane's famous line. |
| “ | Everybody needs help sometimes, Peter. Even Spider-Man. | „ |
| ~ Mary Jane telling Peter that he shouldn't handle his problems alone even though he is a superhero, and she wants to help him after he refused. |
| “ | I think I always knew, all this time, who you were. | „ |
| ~ Mary Jane told Peter that she knew his secret after that kiss in the alley from the first movie. |
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is the deuteragonist of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.
She is the girlfriend, of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, the ex-girlfriend of Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn, and the ex-fiancée of John Jameson.
She was portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, who also portrayed Judy Shepherd in Jumanji, Amber Atkins in Drop Dead Gorgeous, Torrance Shipman in Bring It On, Anastasia (child) in the film of the same name, and Christy Fimple in Small Soldiers. In the first game adaptation, she was voiced by Catherine O'Connor while in the third game adaptation, she was voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
History[]
Mary Jane Watson was born to Phillip Watson and Madeline Watson. As she grew up, she would share an abusive relationship with her father. When she was six, she moved into Queens, New York City, New York in the house next to Peter Parker's. When Parker first saw her, she pointed out to his aunt May if she was an angel, and instantly fell in love with her. Mary Jane was unaware of this, but she became neighbors and close friends with Peter.
Acting Talent[]
At a young age, MJ always desired acting, seeking to act professionally. During her school years, she often acted in school plays, Peter admitted he "cried like a baby" when Mary Jane played Cinderella, though Mary Jane admitted it was in the first grade. When she reached her teenage years, she fell into a relationship with Flash Thompson. However, MJ would gradually grow unsupportive of Flash because he would always bully Peter Parker, despite her strongly telling him not to.
Graduating[]
Science Trip[]
In 2002, Watson boarded the bus to go to school, however she would notice everyone else on board, including Thompson, continuously torment and make fun of Parker. She then asked the bus driver to stop the bus, stating that he had been chasing them ever since the bus was at Reseda Boulevard. The bus driver did, and Parker was let on, but was continuously tormented by everyone else. Eventually, they made it to the Columbia University to visit its genetic labs for a science exhibit. There, MJ met her friends, whom she waved at.
After they were together, the class went towards the university, where they learned about certain spiders that scientists have been experimenting on. This fascinated Watson, who continued to observe them while being hit on by Flash, whom she tried to ignore. Eventually Harry Osborn tried approaching Watson and used facts about spiders to interest her. However, he was pulled away by the teacher who had continuously warned him about talking. After this, Watson noticed that one of the genetically engineered super spiders located in the display was actually missing, which surprised the tour guide. Eventually she was met by Parker, who asked if he could take a picture of her next to the display of spiders. She asked if he could make it so that she did not look ugly, which Parker replied was impossible. However, he got bitten by the missing spider, which caused him to leave.
School Fight[]
The next day, MJ was getting dressed and prepared to leave, but she once again argued with her father, which upset her and she left in sadness. She was met by her friends after and went in their car in order to go to school. While at school, she walked but fell in a puddle, causing her food to drop. Luckily Parker was nearby, and he saved her from falling and was successfully able to collect her food using her tray. She then complimented Parker for his reflexes but noticed that he was not wearing glasses.
After, MJ watched Flash furiously confront Parker after he accidentally threw a lunch tray on Flash. Despite trying to confront Flash and tell him it was an accident; Flash would still try and attack Parker who was surprisingly quick against his punches and dodged all of them. She then saw Harry and asked him to help Parker, but after seeing Parker do well against them, he believed he was perfectly capable. Eventually Parker punched Flash away, which impressed Harry but disappointed Watson. Parker ran away after, confused about how it happened.
Talk with Peter[]
Later on, Mary Jane returned home and her family had another argument over her father, requesting a beer and ordering MJ to do the dishes, which made her storm out of her residence in frustration, just as Peter was taking out the trash as he returned home. Mary Jane asked Peter if he was listening to what happened, Peter replied he heard when he was taking out the trash. MJ responds that he and his family can hear them shout all the time.
Peter apologized for the previous incident at school with Flash, Mary Jane forgives him and asked him what his plans were after graduation. Peter replied he was going to move into the city, go to college and get a job as a photographer. Mary Jane responded she was moving into the city as she was desperate to escape from her alcoholic father, and hopefully act on stage, which Peter admitted it was perfect. Just as they were talking, Flash pulled up in front of Mary Jane's residence, with a new car he got from his birthday and offered her a ride. Mary Jane bids farewell to Peter and went off with Flash.
Graduation[]
Weeks later, Mary Jane and her classmates reached their high school graduation. Seeing how Flash was being a jerk to her and her classmates, especially Peter, Mary Jane broke up with Flash. Following her graduation, Mary Jane moved out of her family's residence and into an apartment in Manhattan, New York City.
Green Goblin's Rampage[]
Moondance Diner[]
Mary Jane began to pursue a career of acting, but she secretly waitressed at a diner, after being rejected at an audition. Parker's friend, Harry Osborn, was her first boyfriend over the summer. When she decided to quit her job as a waitress at Moondance Diner, Mary Jane decided to head off to find another job. She passed by Peter, but when he called to her, she thought he was another person and told him to buzz off. Realizing it was Peter, she greeted him and learned he was looking for a job. When her former boss, Enrique called out on her, Peter learned Mary Jane was working as a waitress. Peter supported her and said they would buy a coffee someday, also learning she was dating Harry and he promised not to tell Harry as she left.
Attack on the World Unity Festival[]
During Oscorp's United Festival in Times Square, Mary Jane was up on a building's balcony with Harry. He told her that his father had always being busy and was not around at the festival, MJ reassured him that he'll be impressed no matter what. Moments later, a mysterious figure riding on a glider flew by and threw a bomb, in the shape of a pumpkin, at the building MJ and Harry were on, causing an explosion that shook the building and widespread panic among the citizens. MJ fell onto some unstable tiles and was dangerously hanging over a collapsing balcony. The Oscorp board members were killed by the mysterious figure while MJ was still left for dear life on the unstable balcony. Harry tried to save her but he was knocked out by a piece of rubble and was scared when the mysterious figure greeted her.
When Spider-Man arrived, MJ screamed out for him when the unstable balcony continued to give way. After Spider-Man managed to defeat the mysterious figure by making his glider spin out of control, MJ fell off the balcony as it gave way but Spider-Man was able to save her from falling to her death. He took her for a web-swing and dropped her off at a building top, reassuring her that she'll be taking the subway. After telling a couple nearby not to mind them, Mary Jane asked Spider-Man who he was. Responding that he was "your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man", he acrobatically swung off as MJ watched him, falling for him.
Falling for Spider-Man[]
- "You have a knack for getting into trouble.""You have a knack for saving my life. I think I have a superhero stalker."
- ―Spider-Man and Mary Jane[src]
Soon, Mary Jane was accepted into an audition and was leaving to return home when Peter approached her again. He asked her how was her audition, as he was told by her mother, who was excited and told Aunt May about it. Peter offered her to get her a cheeseburger, but Mary Jane politely declined as she was heading to see Harry and return home. Peter declined her offer to join them as he had "busy things to do". As she leaves, due to a thunderstorm coming, a group of punks follow her. She was eventually cornered up as they tried to sexually harrass her, MJ tried to defend herself but was overpowered until Spider-Man showed up and defeated the punks.
After watching Spider-Man easily defeating the punks, Mary Jane approached him but he disappeared as he didn't have his mask on. Slipping his mask on, Spider-Man appeared upside down on his webbing and jokingly told her she had a knack for getting into trouble. MJ laughed as she told him he had a knack for saving her life and said he was amazing. Spider-Man replied it was nice to have a fan. To thank him, Mary Jane shared a kiss with him and watched him leave.
Thanksgiving[]
- "Everyone heard that creep.""The "creep" is my father."
- ―Mary Jane and Harry[src]
In November of 2002, Mary Jane attended Thanksgiving dinner with Harry at his and Peter's apartment. Harry tried once again to make Mary Jane meet his father, Norman during their Thanksgiving dinner along with Peter and his aunt, May Parker. However, things took a turn when Norman, who had just deduced that Peter was Spider-Man, left immediately and humiliated Mary Jane, who was hurt by Harry's refusal to defend her after she was hurt by what Norman said and considered him a "creep". Mary Jane apologised to May before leaving the apartment, with Peter, Harry and May all but silent after this.
Visiting May Parker[]
When May was attacked by the Green Goblin at her residence, Mary Jane went to the hospital to visit her and met Peter. She asked if May was going to be okay, Peter replied she'll be fine as she has been resting. Mary Jane confessed to him that she was in love with Spider-Man after he saved her life two times and never seen his face behind the mask. When Peter indirectly confessed his true feelings to her. Mary Jane was touched by Peter's words as she began to develop feelings for him the same way he felt for her. Harry arrived when the two of them were holding hands, and he got angry with her, ending their relationship between them.
Battle on the Queensboro Bridge[]
| “ | Mary Jane: HE'S COMING BACK!!!!! Spider-Man: "Listen, I need you to climb down!" Mary Jane: "I can't!" Spider-Man: "Yes, you can!" |
„ |
| ~ Mary Jane and Spider-Man |
While Mary Jane was in her apartment, she was unexpectedly attacked by the Green Goblin, who discovered that Spider-Man had feelings for Mary Jane and used her as leverage to lure Spider-Man to him, before he gased her and carried her over to the Queensboro Bridge. Once she regained consciousness, she realised to her horror, that she was on top of the bridge. She suddenly saw the Green Goblin flying over to her on his glider, she dodged and watched helplessly as the Green Goblin destroyed a cable support system that was holding a Roosevelt tram full of children, sending the tram falling, but the Green Goblin grabbed hold of it and brought it to the top of the bridge. The Green Goblin holds MJ over the Queensboro Bridge by her throat, waiting for Spider-Man to arrive.
Horrified and screaming for her life, Mary Jane was held on as the Green Goblin threatened Spider-Man to choose who to save; Mary Jane or the tram full of children. The Green Goblin dropped both of them and sending them falling down the bridge. Spider-Man managed to save both MJ and the tram from falling. Mary Jane dangled with Spider-Man along the tram car, when a boat was attempting to bring a barge of garbage to them so Spider-Man can lower the hostages down, as the Green Goblin flew towards them. Then, Spider-Man encouraged her to climb down which she was terribly frightened to do but she persevered through. Just as she was close to the tram, the Green Goblin disrupted the cord making her slide dangerously down, Spider-Man catched it, MJ fell but she managed to grab hold of the tram as she hanged on for dear life.
Fortunately, Mary Jane was saved by the boat and Spider-Man, who lowered both the tram and Mary Jane safely onto the barge. However, the Green Goblin was about to wrap a cable around Spider-Man, Mary Jane noticed this and attempted to warn Spider-Man, but was too late as the Green Goblin dragged Spider-Man for a ride and threw him into an abandoned building to continue their fight privately.
Norman Osborn's Funeral[]
- "You must miss him so much.""It's being so hard without him."
- ―Mary Jane and Peter[src]
After being rescued by the authorities and the death of the Green Goblin, Mary Jane attended Norman's funeral, along with May, Harry and Peter. Following the funeral, Mary Jane visited Peter as he was looking down on his uncle's grave, as he missed him so much. Mary Jane told Peter that she loves him and they passionately kiss. Although he loved her in return, Peter, who knows that he will have enemies in the future and they would use her as leverage aganist him if they found out about her, decided that for her protection they can't be together, gently rejected her. She was heartbroken and despondent, but as he leaves, she realized that her kiss with Peter reminded her of the one she shared with Spider-Man and suspects that both he and Spider-Man are the same person.
Acting Career[]
Two years that followed since Peter's refusal to have a relationship with her in order to focus on his responsibility as a hero, Mary Jane still wanted to start a relationship with Peter. However she eventually started a relationship with John Jameson, the son of the Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson. She was now a model and had gotten a job as a theater actress in The Importance of Being Earnest and was annoyed because Peter hadn't made it to her show since he was fighting crimes in the city of New York as Spider-Man.
Peter's Birthday[]
- "Peter.""What?""Happy birthday."
- ―Mary Jane and Peter[src]
Mary Jane, Harry and May held a surprise party for Peter's 20th birthday at the Parker Residence and waited for him to return home from his classes at Columbia University. Due to how bad he was feeling because of his struggles with balancing his double life as Spider-Man and normal life, Parker forgot it was his birthday and celebrated with them. He talked to Harry, who revealed he was making a breakthrough on fusion by funding Doctor Octavius, who Parker was writing a paper on. Harry, Mary Jane and May celebrated Peter's birthday with a cake before they all went home.
Mary Jane waited outside of her family's residence to have a chat with Peter. She said she was seeing someone now, which made Peter dismayed but he covered it up and supported her for it. Peter promised Mary Jane he was going to come and see her play the upcoming night. MJ replied not to disappoint her and Peter promised he wouldn't, Mary Jane smiled warmly and left.
The Importance of Being Earnest Play[]
- "Oh, I let him know he was coming."
- ―Mary Jane[src]
On the night of her play, Mary Jane was getting prepared to play one of the characters for The Importance of Being Earnest, along with her best friend, Louise. When Louise asked MJ if she was seeing John later, MJ replied she let him know he was coming, while also hoping Peter would attend her play. The director told Mary Jane and Louise the play starts in five minutes as they put their finishing touches on. During the play, Mary Jane, while acting on stage, saw in the audience that Peter had not made it in time, due to his crime-fighting activities as Spider-Man, and was disappointed.
Following the end of her play, Mary Jane exited the theatre from the actors entrance and told Louise she won't be coming over to hers. John Jameson approached her and greeted her for an autograph as they kissed. This was seen by Peter, who was let down by this and was refused entry by a snooty usher when he arrived late earlier. Peter left to continue his war aganist crime as Spider-Man, Mary Jane thought she noticed something but didn't see Peter as he already left, and she went with John for a meal.
Peter's Phone Call[]
- "I know you predicted I disappoint you.""Bingo."
- ―Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson[src]
The following morning, Mary Jane returned to her apartment after buying some groceries, in time to hear a phone call message from Peter, who tried to tell her what happened the previous night, but MJ was disappointed in him and refused to answer. When Peter attempted to tell her the truth that he is secretly Spider-Man and gives a statement why he couldn't be with her as he greatly fears for her safety, if one of his enemies used her as leverage to lure him into traps. As he ended the call, Peter was unaware that the time had expired and MJ had not heard for what he said to her.
Formal at the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space[]
- "But my best friend, who cares so much about me, can't make to an 8:00 curtain. After all these years, he's nothing to me but an empty seat."
- ―Mary Jane Watson[src]
Mary Jane attended a formal at the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space with John Jameson, who was made to be the guest of honor. The crowd applauded for them as they walked down the staircase, except Peter, who was there posing as the photographer. While outside for some air, Peter approached Mary Jane and tried to explain why he couldn't make it in time for her play the other night, but Mary Jane remained disappointed in him. Peter tried to reason with her using poetry, as being mentored by Dr. Octavius earlier, but Mary Jane asked him not to start.
Mary Jane refused Peter's offer to get her a drink, as John had provided her one. Mary Jane added that John had seen her show five times, for Harry having seen it twice, as well May Parker, her mother, Madeline Watson and her father, Phillip Watson, though he went backstage to borrow cash. She concluded that Peter, her best friend, couldn't make it to an 8:00 curtain and after for two years, had been nothing but an "empty seat". She left to find John and later accepted his marriage proposal, which greatly upsetted Peter more as he was forced to take a picture of the couple by J. Jonah Jameson.
Talk with Peter[]
- "Do you love me or not?""I...don't."
- ―Mary Jane and Peter[src]
During another rehearsel of her play, Mary Jane noticed Peter sitting in the audience, she briefly went out of character before the director reminded her she was on stage and she quickly returned to her character, much to the director's relief. Later, Mary Jane approached Peter was surprised he made it to her play, noticing he looked different. When Peter asked her if she liked to get a coffee, MJ reminded him she was getting married, where Peter somewhat remarked she could get married on a hilltop. Mary Jane became sympathetic when Peter told her he was not an empty seat anymore but different, she would punch him and he would bleed. Mary Jane got a taxi and told Peter she was getting married in a church and concluded he was different.
Mary Jane had spent days thinking about what Peter said to her. When she and John started to talk about marriage, he wondered if she was inviting Peter as a photographer for the wedding, MJ replied she was not. She did start to have doubts about her groom-to-be and tried to kiss him the way Spider-Man kissed her the first time two years previously, realizing she doesn't feel the same.
Abducted by Doctor Octopus[]
Wanting to understand what she, and Peter, were really feeling, Mary Jane met him in a cafe, asking him if he still loved her. He replied that he didn't, despite this being not true, in order to assure her a normal life with a man she can learn to love. During their meeting, Doctor Octopus attacked the cafe by throwing a car through the main window, in search of Spider-Man as Harry Osborn told him Peter was the key for reaching the hero. Peter, whose powers returned, sensed the car coming behind him and saved MJ from being crushed.
Doctor Octopus arrived and ordered Peter to find Spider-Man, then tell him to meet the latter at the Westside Clocktower at 3:00pm. In order to convince Parker to send Spider-Man to him, Doctor Octopus kidnapped Mary Jane. MJ was brought to an abandoned warehouse, which served as Octopus' hideout and lab, where he was also rebuilding his fusion reactor and was tied up next to a pipe.
Battle at the Fusion Reactor[]
- "Surprise. As soon as you get free...."
- ―Spider-Man to Mary Jane[src]
When Doctor Octopus brought tritium to fuel his fusion reactor to prove he could control over the enormous power of the sun, Mary Jane called out to him and said he could release her since he now had the supply for his "science project". Doctor Octopus replied he couldn't release her as she would bring the police and Spider-Man cannot stop him since he was dead, but Mary Jane fearlessly replied he was not dead. As Doctor Octopus started his fusion reactor, Spider-Man stealthily entered inside and approached MJ. As he was about to set her free, one of Doctor Octopus' tentacles sensed him and another fight ensued between the two.
As the fusion reactor started to grow out of control, Mary Jane, who was tied with chains was pulled into the fusion reactor's magnetic field. The rope tied to her hands was being held by a switch on the pipe that broke and MJ was almost pulled into the reactor, but Spider-Man managed to save her. The chains were sucked into the field, allowing Spider-Man to pull her away. He yelled at her to run to get help before his fight with Doctor Octopus continued. Just as Doctor Octopus was about to deliver the finishing blow on Spider-Man, MJ tried to defend him by hitting Doctor Octopus from behind with a piece of wood, but he sensed her and overpowered her. Spider-Man managed to stun his opponent with a large wire, giving Doctor Octopus an electric shock after he stabbed his tentacle into the wire.
Discovering Spider-Man's Identity[]
"I think I always knew, all this time, who you really were.""And you know why we can't be together. Spider-Man will always have enemies."
- ―Mary Jane and Peter[src]
When the fusion reactor grew more unstable and self-sustaining, Doctor Octopus, returned to his senses from the electric shock, decided to drown the reactor into the river along with himself as an act of redemption for his crimes and for the death of his beloved wife. Mary Jane noticed Spider-Man without his mask on, having pulled it off to redeem Doctor Octopus, revealing him to be Peter Parker. Mary Jane finally realised why he couldn't attend her plays as it was because of his crime-fighting activities. When a piece of Doctor Octopus' Hideout began to fall on MJ, Peter saved her and managed to move it away. Mary Jane and Peter escaped just at the last pieces of the warehouse were sunk into the river, along with Doctor Octopus himself.
On a giant spider's web made by Peter, Mary Jane admitted that a part of her always knew who Peter really was. She finally understood why Peter was trying to protect her from any future enemies and he cannot let her take any risks. When the New York City Police Department arrived, having saw the commotion from the unstable reactor, Mary Jane was lowered down by Peter's webbing onto a ship where she was reunited with John Jameson, who was in one of the police cars. As he embraced with her, Mary Jane noticed Peter on a crane, putting his mask on as he swung away, with MJ understanding why he was trying to keep her safe.
When her wedding day was announced and prepared, Mary Jane was with her mother, getting wedding for her groom to be. Mary Jane finally realised she couldn't be with someone she doesn't truly love and left a letter for John at the altar, knowing he would be alright, calling off the wedding. Mary Jane travelled to Peter's apartment, to find him sitting on his bed, thinking. Peter sensed her from behind and she told him that she wanted to be with him, no matter what risks can be caused. Peter accepted this and they started a relationship, by sharing a passionate kiss. The police scanner announced an emergency call and Peter had to go. Mary Jane supported him and told him to be a hero, she looked at him as Spider-Man, going off to save the day.
Dating Peter Parker[]
Broadway Debut[]
- "Tell me you love me."
- ―Mary Jane to Peter[src]
Over a year following the events and death of Doctor Octopus, Mary Jane and Peter Parker were a couple and he planned to propose to her as soon as possible. The two seemed happy together, but Mary Jane still had doubts for a life shared with a hero with Spider-Man's "mission". Mary Jane prepared for her Broadway debut and left a ticket for Peter for a seat in the front row, along with Harry in the back row. Mary Jane performed on stage, singing, "It's Wonderful" in a beautiful and clearful tone. After her Broadway debut, Mary Jane met up with Peter and asked if she was good, Peter replied she was great, and she thanked him for her flowers, along with flowers from Harry.
Mary Jane asked if Harry was there at her play, Peter replied he ran to him outside earlier but is still worried for him as he was estranged from him. Mary Jane added she was nervous when she performed and that the applause wasn't loud, but Peter reassured her it was loud and gave some scientific words how it was loud and Mary Jane told him he was such a nerd. Later, Mary Jane and Peter went on a date together in the park sitting on a large web Peter made, staring at the stars. Mary Jane and Peter shared a kiss as a meteorite fell nearby and a black alien substance crawled out and latched itself to Peter's moped as he was preparing to take Mary Jane home to her apartment.
Career Floundering[]
When Mary Jane heard about the reviews of her Broadway debut from a local newspaper, she was dismayed and hurt when she had learned her debut gained a negative review as it said she lacked an audible voice. She travelled to Peter's apartment to discuss the negative criticism with she received for lacking an audible voice during her first Broadway performance, seeking consolation. Peter replied the review was ridiculous as he wa right there, but Mary Jane replied he was in the first row.
Despite Peter's attempt to reassure her that; it was a passing phase of constructive criticism, comparing it to his own endeavors as Spider-Man, she was still depressed and still did not believe he had full insight regarding her dismay. They were interrupted by Peter's police scanner about a crane incident occuring and Peter had to leave, but not before giving MJ a sympathetic look. Mary Jane decided to go the theatre to deal about the review, not noticing the alien symbiote crawling to Peter's wardrobe.
When Mary Jane returned to the theatre, she was abruptly informed that; she had been replaced in her role by another actress; due to wide criticism from all newspaper publishers. This made Mary Jane even more depressed as she had been fired from the show and left in despondence.
Estrangement From Peter[]
- "Do you wanna push me away?"
- ―Mary Jane to Peter[src]
During a festival hosted by the people in New York City and Gwen Stacy, as Spider-Man saved her from falling to her death a few days earlier, Mary Jane went to the festival and was greeted by Peter, who took a photos of her. When he saw she was not herself lately, he asked MJ if she was okay, Mary Jane lied and said she was fine, not informing him about she got fired from the show. Peter said he was going to swing over from an alleyway and MJ told him to give them a good show.
When Harry Osborn, after his first flight as the New Goblin, developed amnesia, arrived at the festival as he and MJ returned to being friends. Mary Jane got angry when, during the ceremony, Spider-Man kissed Gwen the way they used to do, and saw a sandstorm suddenly approaching, which was revealed to be a new villain known as the Sandman. Later as Mary Jane was heading to a restuarant with Peter, she got annoyed when she saw an image of Spider-Man with Gwen. During the dinner, Peter wanted to propose to her in, but she started explain the event what happened at the festival. She claimed it was their kiss, and Peter replied that he never intended to push her away and tried to explain that he only did it as a stage performance to the public, including the fact he was just friends with Gwen. Mary Jane, furious and frustrated over this, left.
Mary Jane refused to answer Peter's phone calls when he attempted to make amends and apologise to her. She later visited Peter when he was feeling let down after he heard about the true killer of his uncle, Sandman. Mary Jane told him she was worried about them, then insisted she wanted to help him as she cared about him, but Peter replied he didn't need her help, Mary Jane replied that everyone needs help, even Spider-Man and left.
Solace with Harry[]
Peter's alienated behaviour, due to the alien symbiote bonding to him and changing his suit to black, had made Mary Jane feel lonely. After she applied and got a job as a waitress and singer at the Jazz Room club, Mary Jane decided to find solace with Harry. Mary Jane eventually realised she was indirectly forming her previous relationship with Harry and left when he tried to help her as a friend. Harry eventually recovered his memory. Mary Jane returned to her apartment and heard Peter on the voicemail, apologizing for what happened and wanting her help. Mary Jane was about to answer her phone to talk with Peter when she was ambushed by Harry, who said to her if she wanted Peter to live, he blackmailed her to "break up with him."
A reluctant Mary Jane met Peter and told him that she didn't want to see him anymore, since she had another man. The black suited Peter discovered was Harry himself, who he confronted him at his penthouse and prompted him to have a duel with, leaving him disfigured when a Pumpkin Bomb was thrown at him.
Jazz Club Fight[]
- "Who are you?""I don't know.""
- ―Mary Jane and Peter[src]
While she was working as a singer at the Jazz Room club, Mary Jane was about to perform on the club's stage when Peter, who had changed due to the corruption of the alien costume and just wanted to make her jealous, so he danced with Gwen Stacy in front of her. When Gwen realized what Peter was doing, she told him off, apologized to Mary Jane, and left. Peter attempted to talk to MJ, but got into a fight with the customers violently and aggressively. Realising something was wrong as she had never seen Peter so violent and aggressive, Mary Jane tried to stop him, but Peter unintentionally struck her, believing she was another bouncer, knocking her to the floor. MJ asked who he was, Peter replied he didn't know. Realizing that the black suit was influencing his mind, he immediately left the club and removed the symbiote, unintentionally giving birth to Venom, Eddie Brock's new alter-ego.
Sometime later, Mary Jane was in her apartment, reflecting over the events that had been happened between her, Peter, and Harry. Mary Jane thought she noticed something, as Peter was staring at her window from the street, but didn't see him. Knowing how much Peter is hurt after everything they both been through, Mary Jane decided to go and see him, in hopes of reconciling with him. However, as she reached out for a taxi, she was suddenly abducted by Venom who took her to a construction sight, holding her hostage so Spider-Man will fight both him and Sandman.
Battle at the Construction Sight[]
- "Peter, they're gonna kill us both.""I'm gonna get you out of this."
- ―Mary Jane and Spider-Man[src]
As she sat in the taxi, held eighty stories above the ground in a giant web, Mary Jane realised that she was tormented by Venom, that the black suit was the culprit behind Peter's alienated behavior and he was not to blame. As Spider-Man, in his red and blue suit arrived, she warned him of Venom approaching, but Spider-Man couldn't sense him, due to Venom possessing the same powers he does. As Venom webbed Spider-Man and attempted to kill him, Mary Jane saw a construction truck was coming loose from its weight as it was being held by the web and dropped building blocks, narrowly missing her. She used one of the blocks to hit Venom in the head to allow Spider-Man to break loose. The truck broke loose and crashed down to the ground, leaving Mary Jane to bravely leap from the taxi and hold on to the web.
Spider-Man was nearly killed when he was choked by Venom and hammered by Sandman, while Mary Jane was horrified as she thought her boyfriend was dying, but at that moment, Harry, fully reformed after learning the truth about his father's death, stunned Sandman and knocked Venom aside. With the newfound teamwork from Spider-Man and New Goblin, they fought aganist the villains. The shuddering from the building's support caused the taxi to break loose and Mary Jane to fall from the web. Spider-Man saved Mary Jane and brought her to safety, asking her if she was okay, which MJ replied she was fine.
Harry Osborn's death[]
New Goblin managed to defeat the Sandman, but was fatally impaled with his own glider by Venom when he sacrificed himself to save Spider-Man when Venom attempted to kill him. Peter managed to finish off Venom, destroying the symbiote with one of Harry's Pumpkin Bombs, but indirectly destroyed Eddie as well. Mary Jane found Harry, whom wanted her to stay when she initally wanted to get help for him. Mary Jane cradled the mortally wounded Harry in her lap, both forgiving each other and mending their friendship. Peter soon arrived after having made peace with Sandman and also made amends with Harry. Harry then succumbed to his wounds with his closest friends by his side as both of them mourned the death of their best friend who gave his life for them.
Reconciling with Peter[]
After attending Harry's funeral, Mary Jane returned to work at the Jazz Room, performing on the stage and singing, "I'm Through with Love" to the guests. Peter walked in, deciding it was time to mend his relationship with her. Mary Jane stopped singing when she saw Peter in the club, walking calmly up to her in an apologetic view. He reached his hand out to her, offering a dance with her. Mary Jane, knowing that both of them have faced numerous relevations, including the symbiote controlling Peter, accepted his offer and reached her hand to him. Forgiving each other for what had happened, Mary Jane and Peter shared a dance together in the club.
Later Life with Peter Parker[]
| “ | It took a while, but... we made it work. | „ |
| ~ Peter to the Amazing Spider-Man. |
Years following Harry's death, Mary Jane and Peter finally managed to make their relationship work, becoming a stable couple while Peter continued to fight crime in New York City. Mary Jane had remained supportive to Peter and became more level-headed throughout her adventures; with him; during his crime-fighting career.
Personality[]
Mary Jane Watson is a kind, funny, loyal, loving, sweet, cheerful, passionate, and energetic young girl. She ran with the stereotypical popular crowd in school, being surrounded by people who had enticing physical features and great skills in ways of preforming arts or sports. Mary Jane is somewhat naive, but always knows what's going on. While MJ's closest friends and boyfriend were rude, snobbish, arrogant, vain and uncaring, she did not judge anyone based on looks or skills but rather by personality, Unlike her ex-boyfriend, Flash. She never bullied or judged Peter Parker, despite him being in the unpopular crowd.
Mary Jane herself was beautiful and drew attention from all the boys but never let it go to her head. Instead, she used her features merely as an advantage for acting and modelling and worked to develop independence and smarts. Mary Jane sadly had faults that only brought herself down, such as insecurity and an urge to impress people she deemed important, both of which most likely came from her abusive father.
Mary Jane was also friendly towards Peter Parker despite him being an unpopular nerd. MJ had no one treat her with respect for anything other than her looks before she and Peter developed a stronger friendship and might not have noticed until after high school graduation. She even flirted with him and called him "Tiger".
It is quite possibly because of this, Mary Jane became so smitten by Spider-Man so quickly and later fell for Peter, oblivious that they were one in the same, as he was very kind to her than just her looks. MJ was defined by three major personas: Her strong sense of generosity, her crush on Spider-Man and her extreme craving for some general affection. Combined these are what lead MJ to initiate a kiss with Spider-Man as it fulfilled all three traits at once. After her kiss with Spider-Man, and before being insulted by Norman and Harry, MJ was shown to be a great deal happier and almost ecstatic, because it had perhaps been her first kiss with someone who loved her back for more than just aesthetic reasons and while she was kissing him, she most likely felt Spider-Man's love for her: something that would have enhanced the sensation of the kiss even more.
Following the deaths of the Green Goblin, Mary Jane still wanted to start a relationship with Peter, but he greatly feared for her safety, which frustrated Mary Jane. Because of her kiss with Peter, she suspected that he and Spider-Man were the same person, but couldn't figure it out more. Mary Jane became disappointed when Peter didn't show up for her play, like he promised he would, but because of his duties as Spider-Man, he was late, which made her estranged from him. She started a relationship with John Jameson to cope with Peter's decline of being in a relationship with her, but soon regretted when she realised she couldn't be with someone she doesn't truly love and Peter was remorseful for not turning up on time.
During the fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, Mary Jane discovered that Peter was in fact Spider-Man, with his mask off, she realised a part of her always knew that both Peter and Spider-Man were the same person. She finally understood why Peter couldn't be with her, as he didn't want her to be endangered in front of his enemies. She fully appreciated his opinion to protect her, but Mary Jane told him he should let her make her own decision and she wanted to be with him, no matter what risks can be caused. All of this was what made Peter accepted her decision to be with him when he realised he inspired her to become brave enough to face those risks whenever he encounters another enemy.
Mary Jane was happy to finally be in a relationship with Peter and she greatly supports his alter-ego. However, things took a turn for her when her acting career floundered due to wide criticism of her Broadway debut, resulting her getting fired. Her relationship with Peter worsened when she accused him of kissing Gwen Stacy at a parade in his honor, which he only did as a stage performance to the public and had no intention of pushing her away. Things got worse for Mary Jane when she was blackmailed by a vengeful Harry to break up with Peter and with the latter becoming possessed by an alien black symbiotic costume, which influenced his behaviour for the worse.
Upon learning her mistakes from the revelations she had been having and realising the black alien costume was responsible for these events, as well during the battle between Spider-Man and New Goblin and Venom and Sandman, Mary Jane realised that both she and her friends had done terrible things to each other and had to forgive each other. She forgave and mended her friendship with Harry when he fully reformed to lend Spider-Man a hand to defeat both villains, sacrificing himself to save both her and Peter. She also reconciled and forgave Peter for his previous mistakes, which he in return, forgave her for her mistakes, which (along with their mutual grief for Harry) made them renew their love and not to repeat same mistakes as before. Because of this, Mary Jane's relationship with Peter became fully stable after they made it work, despite the inconveniences of Peter's dual identity.
Physical appearance[]
MJ is an 18-to-19-to-20-to-21-year-old who had white skin, long red hair, and blue eyes in the first movie.
MJ sometimes has patches of red on her face and is almost always seen with red lipstick.
MJ is stunningly beautiful as she sports a very smooth, thin, perky and unblemished body.
Abilities[]
- Considerable Willpower: Similar to Peter, Mary Jane is shown to have strong willpower. Though she was captured by many of Spider-Man's opponents, she was able to put her fears aside and become brave enough to survive or defend herself. She was able to climb down the cable pole, despite her fears she may fall down during the fight on the Queensboro Bridge. She even tried to hit Doctor Octopus with a piece of wood when she tried to help Spider-Man, though she was overpowered by Doctor Octopus afterwards. Mary Jane was able to bravely pick up piece of construction bricks to drop on Venom, so Spider-Man will attack him and jump from the taxicab before a truck was about to hit it.
- Nurturing: Mary Jane is shown to be very caring and nurturing. She was able to give advice and support to Peter when he needed it, especially when he was enraged over learning the identity of Uncle Ben's true killer. Mary Jane even reminded Peter that everyone needs help sometimes, even his alter-ego, Spider-Man.
- Seductive Beauty: Mary Jane is shown to be very beautiful, as noted by Peter, when he thought she was an angel after she and her family moved next door to him and his uncle and aunt's house.
- Acting: Due to her love of acting, Mary Jane is shown to be a talented actress. She was able to perform on school plays back when she was in high school and even the first grade when she played Cinderella. When she used to work on the Broadway Theatre, she was able to act on stage for the The Importance of Being Earnest very well.
- Singing: As noted by Peter, Mary Jane possesses a beautiful singing voice. She was able to sing perfectly; during her Broadway debut, though she received criticism from newspaper publishers. When she was working at the Jazz Club, she was able to sing beautifully on stage when the band were playing a song.
- Dancing: Mary Jane is shown to be excellent at dancing. She was able to dance perfectly at the Jazz Room with Peter when they reconciled following the death of Harry.
- Considerable Strength: Mary Jane possesses a good deal of strength, which she displayed when she punched two crooks who attempted to rob and assault her, even though she was overwhelmed by them afterwards until Spider-Man saved her. She was able to pick up a large piece of wood to hit Doctor Octopus with it and lift up a heavy piece of construction block to use to hit Venom with it.
Relationships[]
Peter Parker (Spider-Man)[]
| “ | Peter, I can't survive without you. | „ |
| ~ Mj confess her true feelings for Peter. |
Mary Jane and Peter knew each other since they were six years of age with Peter falling in love with her instantly. MJ was unaware of this fact and just wanted to be friends.
The depth of their relationship before the events of the movie is unknown but it can be assumed that they were friends for a few years until MJ fell into the popular clique and Peter fell into the academic, unpopular clique.
After this, they seemed to stay in contact but interacted with each other very little although MJ was still normally nice to Peter as she was the only person on the school bus to tell the driver to let him on and tried to defend him from her boyfriend's violent bullying.
Before their relationship developed they shared three friendly moments; MJ posing for Peter's camera on a field trip, Peter saving her from falling in the lunchroom and school, and a rather meaningful conversation about their futures one night.
After graduation, MJ's life began going downhill as her dreams of becoming an actress were put on hold after a failed audition, and she took a job as a low-budget waitress, a fact that she felt comfortable revealing only to Peter. MJ seemed to start taking notice that Peter's company made her feel happier than that of her other shallow friends and from then on was always glad to see him. Sometime after this, she flirted with him briefly and called him "tiger".
They intended to dine together on thanksgiving with Harry, Aunt May, and Norman Osborn but after an argument with Harry, MJ and Norman left. MJ and Peter saw each other again when they visited Aunt May in the hospital and MJ confessed her love for Spider-Man to Peter (not knowing Peter was Spider-Man).
They talked about the superhero and Peter, in an intense and sentimental moment, relieved his feelings for MJ through a moving poetic speech. MJ found herself now falling for Peter and gently held his hand, she looked about to lean in to kiss him but Harry's arrival broke up the moment.
The last time MJ was seen with Peter was at uncle Ben's gravestone where MJ hugged Peter to comfort him. It was here that MJ told Peter that he was the only person who made her believe that being herself was a good thing and declared her love for him.
MJ then took Peter's face and kissed him tenderly and passionately. MJ assumed that this was their first kiss when in reality she and Peter had already shared a kiss while he was still in his Spider-Man costume.
In Spider-Man 2, Mary Jane still wanted to start a relationship with Peter, but he didn't want to as he feared she would become a target for his enemies. Peter as Spider-Man was late for her play, which made Mary Jane disappointed, and she began dating John Jameson which deeply upsets Peter.
MJ remained disappointed with Peter as he gave up his Spider-Man identity in hopes of reconciling with her. She was kidnapped by Doc Ock to be used as a trap for Spider-Man which made Peter return as the web-swinging hero once again. When she saw Spider-Man with his mask off, revealing himself as Peter Parker, she realized that he was late for her play because of his superhero activities. Peter says to her that they cannot be together as he would always have enemies and hands Mary Jane over to John Jameson.
MJ then leaves John at the altar as she realized that she cannot be with him and wanted to be with Peter as she now knows who he is and wants to face some risks with him. This shows that MJ realizes that Peter is the love of her life.
After the events of Spider-Man 2, Peter and Mary Jane are now in a romantic relationship.
Trivia[]
- During her childhood, her abusive father always told her that she wasn't worth anything and no man would ever want her. Despite this, she has dated a few men in her life such as Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, her ex-fiancée John Jameson and Peter Parker.
- Throughout the Spider-Man Trilogy, Mary Jane had always wanted to act on stage, this had due to acting at a very young as implied by Peter.
- Kirsten Dunst wore a red wig in the first film and had to dye her blond hair to red to play the role of Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.
- Alicia Witt was considered for the role by Sam Raimi before Kirsten Dunst was cast.
- Kirsten Dunst won two MTV Movie Awards for the first movie; one for Best Female Performance, and one for Best Kiss.
- Elizabeth Banks auditioned for the role of Mary-Jane Watson before being cast as Betty Brant.
- Kirsten Dunst decided to audition for MJ after learning that Tobey Maguire had been cast, feeling the film would have a more independent feel. She earned the role a month before shooting in an audition in Berlin.
- Kate Hudson and Tara Reid were considered for the role of Mary Jane Watson. Hudson was a heavy favorite for the role but turned it down to appear in The Four Feathers (2002).
- Alicia Witt, Mena Suvari, Kate Bosworth, Jaime King, Eliza Dushku, and Elisha Cuthbert auditioned for the role of Mary-Jane Watson. Dushku's screen test can be seen on the DVD's special features.
- When the project began in the late 1980s, the role of Mary Jane Watson was considered for many actresses, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ally Sheedy, Jodie Foster, Natasha Richardson, Phoebe Cates, Tatum O'Neal, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Kyra Sedgwick, Justine Bateman, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Molly Ringwald, Jennifer Aniston, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Christina Applegate, Cameron Diaz, Alyssa Milano, Tori Spelling, Neve Campbell, Tiffani Thiessen, Alyson Hannigan, and Drew Barrymore. But when the project eventually went into pre-production, all of them were considered too old for the part.
- Originally, there were plans to bring back Kirsten Dunst for her to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, alongside Rosemary Harris and Sally Field as the variants of Aunt May respectively. However, this never came to fruition due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and Stone's pregnancy at the time.
- Kirsten Dunst threatened to leave Spider-Man 3 as she was fed up that her character, as the stereotypical damsel in distress, kept being kidnapped by the main villain. However, Raimi was able to change her mind after promising that he would use recycled footage from the previous films so that she wouldn't have to scream anymore.
- In addition, original plans were made for Gwen Stacy, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, to be said damsel in question and Mary Jane instead would go over to Harry's manor in order to convince him to help Peter out and make peace with him (with the trailer having Mary Jane say that people needed to forgive each other), but this was ultimately dropped since Raimi felt that Gwen didn't have such impact on Peter and Harry's lives, and also because of Howard's pregnancy.
- It is unknown if Mary Jane had restarted her acting career between Spider-Man 3 and Spider-Man: No Way Home even though she’s still together with Peter in a more stable relationship. Given how Peter had wisened and matured from his flaws (arrogance and vengeance), it’s possible MJ has too and become more emotionally secure and self-confident, which likely helped drive her forward.
External Links[]
- Mary Jane Watson on the Marvel Wiki
- Mary Jane Watson on the Spider-Man Films Wiki
- Mary Jane Watson on the Misunderstood Characters Wiki
- Mary Jane Watson on the Spider-Man Trilogy Wiki
- Mary Jane Watson on the Marvel Movies Wiki
