Shailene Woodley recently opened up about her experience playing Mary Jane Watson in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, revealing that her scenes were ultimately cut from the film. This decision, amid the film’s crowded character roster, left her dream role in limbo, despite the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current exploration of the multiverse.
Woodley’s Dream Role Turned Sour
In a candid discussion with SAG-AFTRA, the two-time Golden Globe nominee reflected on her excitement when she was cast as Mary Jane, a character she cherished since childhood. “Oh, we shot it. That was a fun phone call,” she shared. “I was cast as Mary Jane for Spider-Man, which was my dream. Oh my god, Spider-Man’s my favorite superhero, Mary Jane was my favorite character growing up. So, when I got it, I was like, ‘This is so exciting!’”
The Cutting Room Floor
Despite filming scenes alongside Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker, Woodley’s Hollywood dream turned into disappointment when she learned her performance would not make it to the final cut. “We filmed like three scenes together, me and Andrew Garfield. And then, like a year later, they were like, ‘So, you’re not in the movie anymore.’ And I was like, ‘What? What do you mean?’” she recalled. The studio explained that they had introduced many new characters, leading them to decide to wait for the outcome of the relationship between Garfield’s character and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy before introducing Mary Jane.
A Missed Opportunity
Woodley noted, “They were like, ‘Let’s wait for her to die, and then we’ll introduce Mary Jane.’ Which made sense, but then they didn’t make that film. So, there was no reintroduction. … That’s what I was told, but again, who knows what the truth is? I could have been terrible, and they were like, ‘We can’t do this.’”
Potential For Future Appearances
Despite the disappointment, a glimmer of hope remains for Woodley’s Mary Jane. Garfield reprised his Spider-Man role alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, yet he firmly declined to appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, set to premiere on December 18. However, he has not entirely dismissed the idea of revisiting his character in the future, potentially paving the way for Woodley’s long-awaited debut.
“I really love playing Spider-Man. I would love to play the character again in some capacity, but I think it would have to be very weird,” Garfield expressed last year. “I think I would want to do something very strange.”
