[Spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming]
Spider-Man: Homecoming has been in theaters for less than 24 hours, but Marvel is already looking ahead to July 5, 2019, when Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 comes out. One character who will presumably have a larger role in the sequel is Peter Parker’s classmate, Michelle, played by Zendaya.
She doesn’t have much to do in Homecoming, other than flip Peter off and make sarcastic comments. But after Michelle becomes the president of the school debate team, she — here’s the spoiler part, if you’re still reading but haven’t seen the movie yet — reveals that “people call me MJ.” Even the most casual Spider-Man fan knows who MJ is, but is Zendaya playing that MJ?
No. But also, yes?
“My character is 100 percent Michelle,” Zendaya said about her “spirit animal” at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards. “That’s her name. I promise you I’m not lying.” It’s true, she’s not, but, “The only thing Homecoming tweaked was the first name on her birth certificate.” With how often MJ is seen hanging around Peter, including at his lunch table with Ned, it’s clear that Homecoming positioned her to become his future love interest, especially since Liz moved to Oregon after her dad tried to kill her superhero prom date. Been there.
What do viewers, who are loving Homecoming overall, think of the “twist”?
And MJ as a black girl?? Freaking amazing. @Zendaya, you killed it babe! 😍 #SpiderManHomecoming #BlackGirlMagic
— SUCH (@Such) July 7, 2017
98% of my love for Spider-Man:Homecoming was MJ depicted as the badass queen she's always deserved to be.
— Sam (@somesamstuff) July 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/christina_fever/status/883185800979988481
BUT MY FRIENDS CALL ME MJ 🕺🏼🤘🏼🎉🔥😭💓#SpiderManHomecoming
— the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned (@sourluna) July 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/ANbeatable/status/883275323290169344
#SpiderManHomecoming was so freaking good 10/10 would recommend, MJ was my fav character and honestly such a savageee @Zendaya
— Elle ♡ | Elvis (@livinthebblife) July 7, 2017
@Zendaya Don't think you're slick dropping that "people call me MJ" line in #SpiderManHomecoming. It was great! I look forward to the sequel pic.twitter.com/r4Z8l42WL5
— RAM (Richard Armande Mills) (@RAMRANTS) July 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/Nirnitta/status/883204502412775424
https://twitter.com/sharoncarterr/status/883170005831081984
https://twitter.com/kawy/status/883155223362928640
https://twitter.com/Peter_Smyk/status/883151319388782595
It generally went over well, although there are some dissenters.
MJ is a no go for me. I'm a mixed race girl and changing an established character's look isn't right. #SpiderManHomecoming
— April Starr (@TheViolinaria) July 7, 2017
"My friend call me MJ"
Entire theater audience groans and rolls their eyes.
Was this universal in all theaters?#SpiderManHomecoming
— Rotten Noggin 🧠🗑 (@ABleedingCorpse) July 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/kissedbyfirex/status/883147691710177280
I don’t think Kristen Dunst minds passing the reins.
