3) MJ Is Waiting In The Wings
Just as we’d suspected all along – see Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness and Blofeld in Spectre for more – Zendaya’s character of Michelle is the MCU’s version of Mary Jane Watson. Towards the end of the movie, the anti-social loner girl reveals that she likes to be called “MJ.” Obviously, this is a nod to the nickname of Peter Parker’s long-running girlfriend.
But that’s not all this scene reveals. As Peter gets a phone call from Happy Hogan, Michelle jokes about not caring what he’s up to – but as he leaves, she gives him a lingering look. It’s clear, then, that Michelle has deeper feelings for Peter than what she’s letting on.
With Peter’s love interest in this movie, Liz Allan, having moved to Oregon by the end of Homecoming, the sequel is free to explore the burgeoning relationship between Peter and MJ. It doesn’t look like he thinks of her in a romantic sense yet, but that’s bound to be addressed next time around.
Such a massively different take on Mary Jane is sure to annoy many hardcore fans (and already has, thanks to those earlier rumours), but you have to admit it does fit in with Homecoming‘s fresh take on the Spider-Man mythos.