In a recent talk with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Conversations, Shailene Woodley discussed her cut role as Mary Jane Watson in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
She began by jokingly saying, “That was a fun phone call.” She then explained the general process, including her reaction to the casting and the filming. Here’s her full explanation:
“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!’ We filmed like three scenes together, Andrew Garfield and me. 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?’ And they’re like, ‘We’ve introduced a lot of new characters in this last one, and we’re going to wait for whatever happens between [Emma Stone] and Andrew [Garfield].’
Woodley also goes on to explain that the original plan was to introduce Mary Jane Watson after the relationship with Peter Parker had come to an end in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, by saying:
“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.'”
The original plan for Shaline Woodley’s Mary Jane Watson was to expand the role in The Amazing Spider-Man 3, a film Sony ultimately shelved after the slight box-office disappointment of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man didn’t appear onscreen again until his return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he appeared alongside Tom Holland’s and Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of the character. In a past interview with Esquire, Garfield described this return as “Freeing” and stated that he’d be open to reprising the role in another film “if it was the right thing.”
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