The Spider-Man Franchise Needs To Do Right By Michelle & Black Women

Ever since the rumor first hit the internet that Zendaya might be playing Mary Jane Watson, the official position held by those involved in the film was that she was most definitely not. Spoilers ahead. Even now, despite a scene late in the film revealing that Michelle Jones is known as “MJ” to her friends — “MJ,” of course, being Mary Jane Watson’s infamous nickname — Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Sony Pictures producer Amy Pascal insist that Michelle is not Mary Jane Watson and never will be. “She’s not Mary-Jane Watson. Is she going to date Peter? Are they going to fall in love?” Feige recently said to IGN. “…Who knows what will happen in the future films?” Well, I know what should happen: Michelle “MJ” Jones should be Peter’s endgame love interest, or the bones that Homecoming threw to black women will mean nothing.

The latest Spider-Man reboot has been heralded as the most diverse of them all; Peter Parker actor Tom Holland praised director Jon Watts in a July interview with People for “[casting] this movie based on who was best for the role rather than where they’re from or what they look like.” Thanks to that colorblind casting, we got Laura Harrier as Liz Allen, Jacob Batalon as Ned, Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, and, of course, Zendaya as the mysterious new character Michelle Jones. Peter spends most of the film pining for Liz, but there are several hints throughout the movie that Michelle is actually pining after him. The fact that Peter had not one, but two, love interests who were both black women is groundbreaking; the fact that neither women fit the typical Marvel movie love interest mold is refreshing; and the fact that, as characters independent of  Peter, Liz and Michelle are both interesting, three-dimensional women is a relief. But their future in the franchise isn’t exciting to me; it’s a cause for concern.

While Harrier portrays a more minor Spider-Man lady and thus it’s no surprise that she doesn’t end up with Peter, Zendaya’s Michelle has potential to be endgame. She is a canon foreigner with no direct counterpart that will …

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