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Spider-Man: No Way Home brought Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland's web-slingers together. However, one notable omission was Kirsten Dunst, who played Mary Jane Watson to Maguire's Peter Parker.
Speaking to GQ ahead of the release of Civil War, Dunst was asked if she was offered a part in No Way Home. “No, no. I would have,” Dunst said.
She also added that she hasn't yet seen the film. Dunst discussed what she would've liked to have seen from Mary Jane Watson in No Way Home.
“It would be funny to be like, OK, let’s take Tobey [Maguire] and I and do it in a weird indie way where it’s like a different kind of superhero film,” Dunst told the outlet. “Like how they did that movie Chronicle. It could be cool.”
While she hasn't returned to the superhero genre since Spider-Man 3, Dunst trusted Sam Raimi (who helmed the trilogy). “It was more innocent, I think,” Dunst revealed. “Sam Raimi was like a cult director, so it felt like we were making an indie disguised as a superhero film.”
If it's any consolation, Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy from Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man films also didn't appear. Her character did die in the second film, but her death still played a meaningful part in No Way Home. Perhaps if Raimi ever returns to make Spider-Man 4, we can see the further exploration of MJ and Peter's relationship.
Kirsten Dunst first gained notoriety appearing in Woody Allen's New York Stories and Brian De Palma's The Bonfire of the Vanities. She gained further recognition starring in Interview with the Vampire. That performance landed Dunst a Golden Globe nomination. From there, Dunst would appear in Little Women (1994) and Jumanji.
Her collaborative relationship with Sofia Coppola began in 1999 with The Virgin Suicides. Dunst would collaborate with Coppola again on Marie Antoinette, The Beguiled, and The Bling Ring.
From 2002-07, Dunst played Mary Jane Watson in Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. She starred in the films alongside the likes of Tobey Maguire and James Franco.
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Recently, Dunst has only taken a handful of roles. She's starred in Hidden Figures, The Power of the Dog, and Civil War.
The Spider-Man franchise
The Spider-Man franchise is one of Marvel's biggest money-makers. After Raimi's trilogy, Marc Webb directed two Amazing Spider-Man films.
Beginning in 2016, the character has been a part of the MCU. Tom Holland has played the role starting in Captain America: Civil War. Being a part of the MCU allows Holland to team with the Avengers. He appeared in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Additionally, Holland has led a trilogy of successful MCU Spider-Man films. Homecoming made over $880 million at the box office, while both Far From Home and No Way Home made over $1 billion (the latter pushed the $2 billion mark). He will return for a fourth film.
The Spider-Man series has also gone animated. Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse have made $384 million and $690 million, respectively.
