Why Zendaya's MJ Shouldn't Return For Spider-Man 4

Zendaya's MJ shouldn't return for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4, as it would undo the emotional climax of Spider-Man: No Way Home in an unsatisfying way.

Why Zendaya's MJ Shouldn't Return For Spider-Man 4

Zendaya’s MJ shouldn’t return for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4, as it would undo the emotional climax of Spider-Man: No Way Home in an unsatisfying way. Spider-Man: No Way Home ends with Peter Parker agreeing to a spell that sees everyone forget who he is, so the multiverse can be repaired. This heart-breaking sacrifice has the girl he loves, MJ, and his best friend, Ned, being affected by the spell, leaving them with no memory of him or their relationships, and likely out of Peter’s life for Spider-Man 4.

Following this, the final scenes of Spider-Man: No Way Home focus on the tragedy of Peter’s decision, with him deciding not to remind MJ of their relationship, after spying a plaster on her head and realizing the hurt he could cause if she becomes involved with him. It also establishes a new chapter for Peter Parker, ending with the character rebuilding his life in New York as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man with a homemade suit, trying to make a difference on his own. It brings a close to the so-called Homecoming trilogy and opens up new storytelling opportunities for Spider-Man 4.

However, the emotional impact of this moment could be destroyed, with Sony chairman Tom Rothman having recently said he’d want to see Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Jon Watts return for Spider-Man 4. Part of the success of the MCU trilogy is the way it has taken the time to build up its characters’ relationships, with Peter and MJ only getting together at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. For Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending to still work, they need to feel the toll of Peter Parker’s decision – having Zendaya’s MJ instantly reintroduced in Spider-Man 4 would make it feel like there are no consequences to Peter’s actions. The audience needs to feel the time pass just like they did throughout the Homecoming trilogy, and experience the prolonged hurt Peter feels due to MJ’s absence from his life.

With Spider-Man 4 looking to focus on Peter Parker’s life post-high school as well, leaving MJ and Ned behind for a while would also give the franchise the opportunity to explore new relationships in the Spider-Man universe. This could include introducing characters like Gwen Stacey and Harry Osborne, whose actors would need the same space that Zendaya and Jacob Batalon got to make MJ and Ned into the fan favorites they now are. By bringing such a fundamental character like MJ straight back into Peter’s life in Spider-Man 4, it would lead to less time being able to develop these new elements, and risk being as overstuffed as Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 3 was.

Not including Zendaya in Spider-Man 4 wouldn’t mean that it would be the last of MJ either. Having her return in a fifth or sixth installment would mean the consequences of Spider-Man: No Way Home would still be felt, as she would have been absent from Peter’s life for a significant amount of time. It would also mean that the elements of Peter’s new life in New York would be fully established by then, creating rich storytelling opportunities for how he and his new friends react when MJ unexpectedly comes back into his world.

After the success of Tom Holland’s first Spider-Man trilogy, the temptation that Tom Rothman and Sony have to bring back the entire cast including Zendaya is understandable. But to truly do service to such a beloved character, the studio needs to take time to get it right, making the audience feel like they’ve lost something too. Giving Zendaya’s MJ a break for Spider-Man 4 could make for a much more rewarding return for her down the line.