Up to date Aug. 29, 2026, 4:34 p.m. ET
Shailene Woodley says she got here amazingly near fulfilling her “dream” position within the “Spider-Verse.”
The “Motor Metropolis” actress, 34, opened up about being solid as Mary Jane Watson in Marc Webb’s “The Wonderful Spider-Man 2,” starring Andrew Garfield because the web-slinging superhero. Woodley booked the gig with out an audition after assembly with Webb; nonetheless, her hopes of seeing herself on the large display have been dashed when she realized that the scenes she had filmed have been left on the cutting-room ground.
The “Massive Little Lies” star recounted that “enjoyable” cellphone name in an interview as a part of the SAG-AFTRA Basis Conversations collection, launched Aug. 24, whereby she admitted the position “was my dream as a result of … Mary Jane was my favourite character rising up.”
“So, after I bought it, I used to be like, ‘That is so thrilling,’” added Woodley, who mentioned she’d already shot three scenes with Garfield earlier than issues fell silent.
“Then, like a yr later, they have been like, ‘So, you’re not within the film anymore.’ And I used to be like, ‘What? What do you imply?’” she recalled being informed of her half as Mary Jane within the sequel to 2012’s “The Wonderful Spider-Man.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Woodley’s consultant and Sony Footage Leisure for remark.
Shailene Woodley Mary Jane scenes minimize from ‘The Wonderful Spider-Man 2’
Woodley mentioned she was given the next clarification: “They have been like, ‘We’ve launched plenty of new characters on this final one, and we’re going to attend for… no matter occurs between” Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy and Garfield’s Peter Parker within the film.
Contemplating Gwen – spoiler alert! – dies within the 2014 movie, the filmmakers finally determined to take away Mary Jane from the storyline to keep away from complicated audiences by having Peter have one other love curiosity.
They apparently informed her, “’Let’s await [Gwen Stacy] to die, after which we’ll introduce Mary Jane,’” which the “Divergent” star mentioned “made sense. However then they didn’t make that movie.”
Regardless of her disbelief, Woodley took issues in stride, including, “However once more, who is aware of what the reality is. I might have been horrible, and so they’re like, ‘We are able to’t do that.’”
As Spidey followers know, Mary Jane Watson’s live-action counterpart has primarily been Kirsten Dunst, who originated the half within the franchise’s first three installments from 2002 to 2007. Within the Tom Holland-led “Spider-Man” flicks, Zendaya portrays Michelle Jones-Watson, an homage to the unique MJ.
Followers can watch Woodley subsequent in Netflix’s upcoming drama “Unabomber,” which stars her and Alexander Ludwig as FBI brokers looking down the elusive home terrorist Ted Kaczynski. The movie streams Sept. 25.
