Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)

Mary Jane Watson
Name:	Mary Jane Watson
Alias(es):	MJ Mary Jane Miss Watson
Affiliation:	Broadway Theater (formerly) Jazz Club
Rank:	Former Waitress Former Actress Jazz Club Singer
Father:	Phil Watson
Mother:	Madeline Watson
Spouse(s):	Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire)
Portrayed by:	Kirsten Dunst
First appeared:	Spider-Man
Last appeared:	Spider-Man 3
Appears in:	3 Films

Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is the deutergonist of the Raimi Spider-Man Series. She is a character first appearing originally in Marvel comic books created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr. in 1965.

She was played by Kirsten Dunst in all three films in the Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy between 2002 and 2007.

She's the love interest of Peter Parker and later girlfriend. She was once a ex-fiancée of John Jameson and once ex-girlfriend of Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn.

History

Spider-Man

Mary Jane is Peter Parker's childhood friend who he had been in love since he and MJ were kids, but she was unaware of his feelings and wanted to be friends with him.

At the time, she was dating the high school bully, Flash Thompson, but breaks up with him at their high school graduation ceremony.

Desperate to escape her abusive, alcoholic father, Mary Jane begins to pursue a career in acting, but she secretly work as a waitresses at a diner after being rejected at an audition.

Peter's best friend Harry Osborn is her first boyfriend after leaving high school, but when she was rescued by Spider-Man after being attacked by The Green Goblin, she became attracted to him.

MJ kissing Spider-Man upside down.

After he later saves her from several men in an alley, the two share an iconic kiss. She grows distant from Harry and closer to Peter when she realizes how much he cares for her. After Harry sees Peter and Mary Jane holding hands, he gets angry and breaks up with her.

Harry's father Norman Osborn, now knows of Spider-Man's secret identity and finds out about his feelings for Mary Jane from his son. As his criminal alter ego, The Green Goblin, he kidnaps her while she was sleep and awaits Spider-Man.

Then, Mary Jane regains consciousness and watches helplessly as Goblin destroys things. He later holds her over the Queensboro Bridge, telling Spider-Man that he must choose between her and a group of children caught in the Roosevelt Island tram car.

Scared and screaming for her life, she dangles with Spider-Man along the tram car. Then, Spider-Man encourages her to climb down which she was reluctant to do but she persevered through. Just as she was close to the tram goblin disrupted the cord making her slide dangerously down, Spider-Man catches it as she hangs on for dear life.

Fortunately she's saved by the boat and Spider-Man. Spider-Man manages to save both Mary Jane and the children; however, The Green Goblin is killed in an ensuing fight.

At Norman's funeral, Mary Jane tells Peter that she loves him and they kiss. Peter, who decides that for her protection they can't be together, gently rejects her. She was heartbroken, but as he leaves, she realizes that her kiss with Peter reminded her of the one she shared with Spider-Man and suspects that he's the superhero.

Spider-Man 2

Two years later, Mary Jane still wants to start a relationship with Peter who still resists because he fears for her safety. In her frustration, Mary Jane goes on to have a relationship with John Jameson, the astronaut son of The Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson.

Prior to this, Harry said that she was waiting for him. Much to Peter's delight, he sees her billboard picturing her modeling for a perfume near Joe's Pizza where he worked at before getting fired from it.

Mary Jane appearing on a perfume poster

Later, Peter decides that being Spider-Man is not what he wants and now attempts to start a relationship with her. But Mary Jane pushes him away this time, because she's getting married to John Jameson, but secretly does indeed want a relationship with Peter, although she tries to convince herself otherwise.

She's also angry at Peter because he fails to see her star in The Importance of Being Earnest which John, Harry, and Aunt May have all seen (even her father went backstage, albeit to ask for money), yet Peter's absences also verifies her suspicion that he's Spider-Man, but waiting for a chance of him admitting it or seeing him unmasked herself.

When Peter does arrive to see it the first time, a Snooty Usher stops him for being late. The second attempt to see it, which is successful, when he tries to reconnect with her.

After Mary Jane kisses John, in a manner that is reminiscent of the upside-down kiss between her and Spider-Man from the first film, she realizes that she does not love John and still wants a relationship with Peter.

Later, she meets Peter in a coffee shop where she asks for a kiss to confirm her belief that he is Spider-Man. She even asks him if he loves her which he falsely replies, "I don't", for the sake of his superhero responsibilities and her safety.

Just before Peter can kiss her, Doctor Octopus kidnaps her and runs away which Doctor Octopus takes her to an abandoned pier where Spider-Man confronts him.

Spider-Man pulls his mask off in hopes of getting Doctor Octopus to come back to his human senses and Mary Jane sees that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are one and the same.

After Doctor Octopus reforms and sacrifices himself to save New York, Spider-Man and Mary Jane share a moment together where Spider-Man finally admits that he does love Mary Jane, but cares more for her safety.

At the film's end, Mary Jane prepares to marry John Jameson, but she leaves him at the altar, goes to Peter's apartment, reveals that she is in love with Peter and is prepared to face whatever risks their relationship may bring as a result of his alter-ego.

Spider-Man 3

Both Mary Jane and Harry now know that Peter is Spider-Man. In the film, Peter and Mary Jane are dating and Peter is intending to ask Mary Jane to marry him. When he reports the good news to his Aunt May, she was delighted and asks Peter to give her engagement ring as a gift to Mary Jane.

However, Peter becomes slightly overconfident due to Spider-Man's success. Meanwhile, Mary Jane's Broadway debut takes a turn for the worse when her performance gets bad reviews.

Unaware of this incident, Peter accidentally pushes Mary Jane away, thinking that he understands her situation. She also begins a rivalry with Gwen Stacy for Peter's affections.

Having been replaced on Broadway by her understudy and then having to work at a jazz club, Mary Jane and Peter's relationship worsens when Spider-Man is unexpectedly kissed by Gwen Stacy in front of a whole crowd of people the same way Mary Jane kissed Spider-Man in the first film.

When Peter attempts to propose to Mary Jane that same night, Gwen appears at the same restaurant and talks with him which it lead Mary Jane furious and leaves.

Mary Jane, feeling alone and despondent, calls Harry who recently lost his memory and hatred of Spider-Man after being defeated in an aerial battle as the New Goblin.

They renew their bond and in a moment of joy, Mary Jane kisses Harry. Realizing what she's doing, Mary Jane quickly leaves. The emotional turmoil restores Harry's memories and his mission to destroy Spider-Man as the New Goblin.

He confronts MJ in her apartment and threatens to kill Peter if she does not break up with him. Following Harry's orders, she breaks up with Peter. Peter, heartbroken and upset, refuses to tolerate these tragedies and turns to the symbiote suit which enhances his aggression.

One night, Peter decides to go to Mary Jane's jazz club with Gwen. He shows her up on stage by playing the piano and makes a big show of dancing with Gwen.

Gwen, realizing that she was being used as a prop to make Mary Jane jealous, apologizes and leaves. Mary Jane is still visibly shaken when Peter confronts her at the bar, and he is assaulted by two of the club's bouncers.

A fight ensues and Mary Jane tries to stop Peter. Thinking she's another bouncer, Peter strikes her which MJ fall to the ground. Peter, realizing what the evil symbiote is trying to do, leaves the club.

Peter tears the symbiote off his body at a church bell-tower. During the struggle, it falls on Eddie Brock standing below and creates Venom.

At his apartment, Peter fears that even though the symbiote was responsible for current events, he may not be able to put Mary Jane first and gives his wedding ring back to Aunt May who convinces him that if he tries his best, he can put things right.

Meanwhile, Peter sees Mary Jane in her apartment and walks away, feeling that he won't be able to date her again. Then, Mary Jane thought she saw something and decided that it would be best to go and see Peter in hopes of rekindling her relationship with him.

But, Venom kidnaps Mary Jane, holding her hostage at a construction site, where a climatic battle takes place between the team of Venom and the The Sandman against Spider-Man.

Spider-Man was nearly killed as he was choked by Venom and hammered by Sandman which horrifies Mary Jane as she thinks her lover will be dead, but Harry Osborn, a.k.a. the "New Goblin" managed to save Spider-Man by throwing a bomb in Sandman's head and knocking Venom aside. Then an ensuring battle begins.

During the fight, Harry defeats Sandman, but is impaled by Venom with his own glider after jumping in the way of Venom attempting to impale Peter. After Peter defeats Venom, he goes over to the mortally wounded Harry, alongside whom Mary Jane is also present.

Harry dies in Mary Jane's arms after mending his friendship with Peter. After attending their friend's funeral, Peter and Mary Jane reconcile and dance together at the jazz club where she works.

Relationships

• Spider-Man/Peter Parker - Friend, later Boyfriend
• New Goblin/Harry Osborn † - Friend and Ex-boyfriend
• Flash Thompson - Ex-boyfriend
• Philip Watson - Father
• Madeline Watson - Mother
• May Parker - Friend
• Gwen Stacy - Rival
• Green Goblin/Norman Osborn † - Friend turned Enemy
• Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius † - Enemy
• Sandman/Flint Marko - Enemy
• Venom/Eddie Brock † - Enemy

Trivia

• During her childhood, her abusive father always told her that she was never worth everything and no man would ever want her, despite this, she has dated a few men in her life such as Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, her ex-fiancée John Jameson and Peter Parker.
• Throughout the Spider-Man Trilogy, Mary Jane had always wanted to act on stage, this had had due to acting at a very young as implied by Peter.
• Kirsten Dunst wore a red wig in the first film and had to dye her blond hair to red in order to play the role of Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.
• Alicia Witt were considered for the role by Sam Raimi before Kirsten Dunst was cast.
• Kirsten Dunst won two MTV Movie Awards for the first movie; one for the Best Female Performance, and one for the Best Kiss.

See Also

• Mary Jane Watson (Shailene Woodley)