After months of speculation as to who she’d play, The Wrap finally confirmed Wednesday, August 18, that current reigning Disney queen Zendaya, will play Mary Jane Watson in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Quite possibly one of the most iconic roles in the world of Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson is the love interest of Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. Known for her vibrant red hair and exuberant personality, it’s no wonder that Zendaya, known for her relatability, charisma and outspokenness (see her clapback on Giuliana Rancic regarding microaggressive racism), was selected to fill the role.
The casting of Zendaya, a black girl, to play the iconic red-head, originally portrayed as white in comic, cartoons and on the big screen (Kirsten Dunst played MJ in the Toby McGuire Spider-Man series from 2002-2007), follows a recent trend of casting called racebending. Not an exactly new concept to Hollywood circles, racebending - unlike whitewashing - is when the ethnicity or race of a character (usually white) is deliberately switched to that of an underrepresented minority. Nick Furry of Marvel’s "The Avengers," was originally a white male, but is played in the cinematic universe by Samuel L. Jackson. In an era where diversity and inclusion are rallying cries, and hashtags like #OscarsSoWhite (created by April Reign) are used to discuss systemic racism in Hollywood, Zendaya’s casting comes at a perfect time.
By casting Mary Jane Watson as a Black girl, who will more than likely transition into womanhood on screen since Spider-Man is a franchise, Marvel’s taking a stab at the stereotypical roles Black women are usually relegated to onscreen. Most may wonder how, considering Mary Jane Watson is oftentimes the typical damsel in distress, in need of a savior, this could be considered a revolutionary character for any woman to play. The answer is simple, most Black women aren’t used to seeing themselves in need of salvation or - for that matter - as the love interest of the main character. Most black female characters are often relegated to certain tropes such as the best friend, the whore/hooker/prostitute or the “strong” black woman. All of these tropes serve to reinforce negative stereotypes about Black women, their hypersexualization or their desexualization. Zendaya’s casting gives Black women, who aren’t used to seeing representations of themselves on the big screen, a character who is protected, pined for and loved.
Of course, not all are happy about the almost 20-year-old’s casting. Naysayers have decried the casting, most using Zendaya’s natural hair color - brown - as a point of defense. The irony here being Kirsten Dunst, the original big-screen incarnation of Watson, is a natural blonde. Others have clutched their comic books to their chest and created false equivalences to prove their (racist) points. What if a white guy played Martin Luther King Jr? What if the Black Panther (another Marvel superhero who is getting a franchise launch in 2018) was cast as white? Well, the answer to those questions are simple. Casting a historical figure, a man whose race was central to his identity, as white, would make absolutely no logical sense. Same goes for the Black Panther, a character from the fictional African country of Wakanda, whose character history includes its role as a protector against slave traffickers. Nothing about Mary Jane Watson is inherently white except for the way she, a fictional character, has been portrayed by artists and casting directors alike. Even her red hair isn’t synonymous with whiteness (also, wigs and hair dye exist).
Other detractors of Zendaya’s casting mention colorism (and rightfully so) as the cause of their concern. Colorism is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin tones are treated more favorable than their darker skin counterparts. Zendaya is a Black girl, there is no argument there, but as she even pointed out in a recent interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, she receives different treatment for being a fairer skin Black girl. Her casting follows a pattern created during slavery, and continued on screen by Hollywood, that erases and denies the existence and beauty of darker skinned Black women.
"Spider-Man: Homecoming" is set to premiere July 7, 2017.
