Did any of you hear that Zendaya is going to be playing the role of Mary Jane Watson in the upcoming film Spider-Man: Homecoming? Well if you're me then you've probably heard this a little under two-hundred times within the span of the last couple of days. However, the focus of the buzz doesn't seem to be around how amazing it is that such a talented actress was chosen to depict this classic character. It's not around how she can further flesh out the character Mary Jane by introducing her own flare and style. All of the commotion around her inclusion seems to be based around the fact that Zendaya doesn't "fit" all of the characteristics of Mary Jane. By this, I mean that the only thing that seems to be the issue is that Zendaya is black. For some mundane reason, fans and outsiders looking in at the series are taking issue with her skin tone. Well for those naysayers I've got three why Zendaya would make a wonderful Mary Jane Watson
1. Mary Jane's being white was never a major part of her character until a non-white actress was cast.
Despite what internet trolls may say, Zendaya's being black doesn't take away from the character of Mary Jane at all. As a matter of fact, her race wasn't a part of her character until the race of her actress within this live-action film was revealed. Prior to the announcement about Zendaya's casting, if asked to describe Mary Jane's character no one would have said "She's the beautiful, confident, alpha, white love interest of Peter Parker". Her race would have never been used as an adjective to describe her character, but now that it's up for contention it's suddenly become a hot button topic. The point is, Zendaya being cast as Mary Jane does not by any means imply that they are going to renounce any of her character traits for the sake of her conforming to what would stereotypically expected of a woman of color.
2. Zendaya wasn't cast because she's black
Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief, Zendaya wasn't cast simply for the sake of creating a sense of "diversity". She's an extremely talented and well accomplished actress for her age. From staring in the hit Disney Channel original series Shake It Up, to competing and placing second in Dancing With The Stars. Zendaya has already firmly established herself as an extremely versatile performer. To insinuate that her race is the only reason for her casting is at the very best an insult to her accomplishments and potential. Even prominent Marvel director James Gunn, who was behind the wildly successful Guardians Of The Galaxy, took to Facebook to defend the choice to cast Zendaya as Mary Jane, having this to say.
"I do not believe a character is the color of his or her skin."
This quote alone says it all. Mary Jane as a character is far more than white skin and red hair. She's much more in depth than what's only on the outside. As such, the actress chosen to represent Mary Jane should embody her in more ways than just her skin tone. She should be able to accurately portray her personality, her interests, and her quirks. This is something that any talented actress should be able to accomplish regardless of their race, and something that Zendaya should have no problem with accomplishing as Mary Jane.
3. The movie is going to be awesome regardless of who's cast
Who doesn't love the story of Spider-Man? It's become a classic tale that's been rehashed again and again but never seems to get old. Regardless of who's playing Mary Jane, the cast always puts on a breathtaking performance only made better by the remarkable action and special effects we've come to expect from Marvel films. So why spend so much time stressing over the minute details that don't match the source material? Why not just go to the theater and enjoy what's no doubt going to be an extraordinary summer experience!
